Having worked at a cricket farm, and seeing what they do to things that dont move, i wouldnt recommend keeping them in there with him. If he doesnt eat them frequently, either, you run the risk of the crickets continuing to grow to a point where he CANT eat them, and putting him at a greater risk
Until he is older and more sufficient on his own, I wouldn't put crickets in with the enclosure. Especially since they are grazers and there is nothing to constantly eat upon in the enclosure, besides little tator tot. It is a good idea, but let's wait and see if he can even get to a good size first. And being that he is special already, it may be that he will forever need just a little bit of help with things like eating. So glad to see them growing and seemingly thriving! You're doing a great job of caring for them!
I definitely wouldn’t keep unsupervised crickets in with the twin geckos. Crickets grow fast and can/will nibble on poor Tater and Tot. Especially since the duo are so slow and clumsy, I don’t think they’d be able to evade crickets or bite them back to defend themselves. Using paper towels means the pinheads can’t burrow away into substrate, but I’d still think it’s a risky endeavor.
I think they're going to enjoy all of those interesting surfaces to climb around on! Even if they're low to the ground it'll give them something to do and explore. :']
I'm still gonna recommend cork bark panels for a "substrate" instead of towels. I suspect the towels being so prone to moving is hampering him, and needs something more solid. Compressed cork panels can be easily cut to exactly the size of the enclosure, with a really tight fit, and can be installed above a gravel drainage layer, which will be huge for humidity regulation. They tend to have charcoal embedded into the panel, so the odds of forming mold will be very low, and if you buy a big batch, you can still replace it regularly, though it will last a lot longer.
Hope you aren't bothered by comments, they probably all come from a good place wanting to help. I think you're being wonderful just for trying to keep them healthy and happy and doing really well since he's still around months old and that seems to be very rare from reading about it. About the water, maybe not a bowl but just a little dessert plate or something similar for some really shallow water? About their insides, full dead end probably not, I agree. Would still be worried one might not have as much throughput as the other. Might explain that belly last time, accumulated food, maybe starting to make gas. though I'd think that head wouldn't be hungry as often and maybe self regulate intake that way. Shame about imaging being a no-go, personally dislike not knowing and having to guess with my pets but it is what it is. Have to work with what you have. I like the enclosure. Tater & Tot are very lucky with their human
I am so invested in Tater and Tot! i love that you are putting this out there for all of us to learn and grow with you and them. The one putting his foot on the others head is way too cute lol but definitely can see the worry about him drowning his other half in a bowl.
If the vine is giving you problems, stabilize it with one of those flat rocks and some kind of critter safe binding agent, in a 3 sided triangle sort of configuration, if that makes sense. The rock holds the vine down, the silicone or whatever keeps the 2 items together and prevents the rock from shifting and hurting any gecko legs. Plus that would give T&T a sort of cave lip to sit under if you wanted to.
These geckos are the cutest, and I'm so glad you're doing all you can so they can thrive. I just wanted to make a few suggestions that seem to benefit my geckos the most. Personally, I would say coverage is a lot more important than size for these geckos. The upgrade is nice, but if you really want to give these geckos the best experience as possible, having a lot more leaves would be optimal. Density is more important than size; make sure there is enough coverage. This will help them relax and explore more, allowing them to be the healthiest, most active geckos. That being said. these are special needs geckos, so having more floor space is nice. I am a bit nervous about them climbing much yet, since they could seriously be injured if they get stuck somewhere between vines or whatnot. Secondly, I saw someone talk about using a different substrate, but at this stage using paper towel seems to be the safest to me because it is super sanitary and I would assume Tater and Tot would be more prone to impaction from ingesting the substrate than normal geckos. About the crickets, I wouldn't say adding them to the enclosure would be a wonderful idea, since Tater and Tot have limited mobility. Instead, maybe tong feeding headless crickets (as someone else commented) or allowing them to hunt a few in a different container for a few minutes and seeing if they have any interest might be better. One last thing, I don't mean this in a bad way at all, but continuously taking Tater and Tot out in super bright lighting and loud noises while you film might be a bit stressful for the little guys. Especially if you're picking them up a lot to show different parts. Because these guys are nocturnal, they probably won't eat as well in the super bright lights either. So maybe, their appearance on the channel could be a bit more brief and have them out for a segment instead of the entirety of the video. Also, feeding them in dimmed lights seems to get my geckos to eat a lot more since they are predisposed to have a bigger appetite at night. I am sorry if this just feels like a whole wall of criticisms... I want to say that is not what I am trying to do, I just want the best for these cute little guys.
I know this comment is going to sound grim, but I promise it's not meant to be! I hope they live a long life, but when they do pass, you should consider making a diaphonized wet specimen of their body. It would be an impressive specimen to have, and I personally think they are quite beautiful, so it would be a nice way to memorialize them.
Oh god yes I agree!! A diaphonized specimen would not only be simply beautiful, but would also show off their internal structures, which considering their condition would be amazing to see! Of course wish for them a long, healthy life, but I absolutely agree that would be a lovely way to memorialize them and see how they're put together!!
Reptiles and research just put out a video about crested gecko diet and growth rates, if that interests you. I don't have a crestie so it was mostly playing in the background for me. I hope tater and tot enjoy their new enclosure!
I would also be EXTREMELY anxious about him drowning or dealing w live crickets in his enclosure. also climbing, tbh, he seems to be pretty special needs, considering how slow he is on top of the obvious physical abnormalities. keeping it simple and easy to both keep clean and observe him seems paramount.
Can you tong feed headless crickets? That works best for me. Maybe the grey bag of pangea could help pack on more calories and protein per lick as well. Otherwise, smart call to not push for an xray or MRI soon. There is no rush, keep on keeping em happy and healthy! Great job so far
You might wanna put a basic q&a re x-rays, weight, etc, in the description of each video. People will still make comments, but it’s another way to get the information out to people.
Long comment, watch out ;) Honestly I would hesitate to put crickets with them without supervision, since they are pretty slow and insects can cause issues :/ Not sure about dangers of crickets, but I would not risk it. Anyway when it comes to their digestive systems, honestly I think he would die by now if one of them would have "dead end", as you said, since Tot is also eating, food he ate would rot by now and would cause severe issues, and since they are living, food has to pass somehow. I think they have either one stomach or some connection in between? Or their intestines are connected. Anyway this is very good info that they can pass food down - they poop normally right? I think you mentioned they do. When it comes to x-rays, yea I thought you can't really do it on them right now, since they are so tiny and sedation would kill them :/ Also dose of radiation and stress may be too much for them to handle - unless as you said, stuff will go downhill and there would be not much to lose, but hopefully they will continue to gain weight and improve. So far he is not suffering - i think - and his quality of life is not, like, bad, it is not perfect but as long as he can do normal gecko things - maybe just slower and clumsier - and is not starving or in pain, I think he is ok. Also I am thinking about his delay...I know that geckos are not the brightest reptiles ever, but he seems that he is um...slower mentally ? I wonder how their nervous system works and what is connected to what, which brain operates which parts etc. It seems that Tater is the main head, and Tot is kinda there, more submissive with only his torso, and missing other parts, but also has some level of decision making ability. Also I wonder if (hopefully!! ) he will grow and thrive, how will he act in the future? Will they regain some of their motor skills? Or are they going to be clumsy? I know their lifespan probably will be shorter than average crested gecko, but still, if he will thrive I wonder if he will work out his skills slightly better? They remind me of a snake that Snake Discovery have/ used to have, the one born with no eyes, he learned to react to clicker, and other stuff, and was living pretty good life despite having serious disability, wonder if T and T will also figure it out as they will get older?
Having worked at a cricket farm, and seeing what they do to things that dont move, i wouldnt recommend keeping them in there with him. If he doesnt eat them frequently, either, you run the risk of the crickets continuing to grow to a point where he CANT eat them, and putting him at a greater risk
Until he is older and more sufficient on his own, I wouldn't put crickets in with the enclosure. Especially since they are grazers and there is nothing to constantly eat upon in the enclosure, besides little tator tot. It is a good idea, but let's wait and see if he can even get to a good size first. And being that he is special already, it may be that he will forever need just a little bit of help with things like eating. So glad to see them growing and seemingly thriving! You're doing a great job of caring for them!
I definitely wouldn’t keep unsupervised crickets in with the twin geckos. Crickets grow fast and can/will nibble on poor Tater and Tot. Especially since the duo are so slow and clumsy, I don’t think they’d be able to evade crickets or bite them back to defend themselves. Using paper towels means the pinheads can’t burrow away into substrate, but I’d still think it’s a risky endeavor.
seeing them eat was so cute! those little tongues!! :D
I think they're going to enjoy all of those interesting surfaces to climb around on! Even if they're low to the ground it'll give them something to do and explore. :']
I'm still gonna recommend cork bark panels for a "substrate" instead of towels. I suspect the towels being so prone to moving is hampering him, and needs something more solid. Compressed cork panels can be easily cut to exactly the size of the enclosure, with a really tight fit, and can be installed above a gravel drainage layer, which will be huge for humidity regulation. They tend to have charcoal embedded into the panel, so the odds of forming mold will be very low, and if you buy a big batch, you can still replace it regularly, though it will last a lot longer.
Hope you aren't bothered by comments, they probably all come from a good place wanting to help. I think you're being wonderful just for trying to keep them healthy and happy and doing really well since he's still around months old and that seems to be very rare from reading about it.
About the water, maybe not a bowl but just a little dessert plate or something similar for some really shallow water?
About their insides, full dead end probably not, I agree. Would still be worried one might not have as much throughput as the other. Might explain that belly last time, accumulated food, maybe starting to make gas. though I'd think that head wouldn't be hungry as often and maybe self regulate intake that way. Shame about imaging being a no-go, personally dislike not knowing and having to guess with my pets but it is what it is. Have to work with what you have.
I like the enclosure. Tater & Tot are very lucky with their human
Good luck to Tater and Tot in their new home. I wish them health and happiness ❤
I think the upgrade is going to be very good for them to explore and thrive,they are so adorable! Love the sweater btw 👌
I am so invested in Tater and Tot! i love that you are putting this out there for all of us to learn and grow with you and them. The one putting his foot on the others head is way too cute lol but definitely can see the worry about him drowning his other half in a bowl.
If the vine is giving you problems, stabilize it with one of those flat rocks and some kind of critter safe binding agent, in a 3 sided triangle sort of configuration, if that makes sense. The rock holds the vine down, the silicone or whatever keeps the 2 items together and prevents the rock from shifting and hurting any gecko legs. Plus that would give T&T a sort of cave lip to sit under if you wanted to.
These geckos are the cutest, and I'm so glad you're doing all you can so they can thrive. I just wanted to make a few suggestions that seem to benefit my geckos the most.
Personally, I would say coverage is a lot more important than size for these geckos. The upgrade is nice, but if you really want to give these geckos the best experience as possible, having a lot more leaves would be optimal. Density is more important than size; make sure there is enough coverage. This will help them relax and explore more, allowing them to be the healthiest, most active geckos. That being said. these are special needs geckos, so having more floor space is nice. I am a bit nervous about them climbing much yet, since they could seriously be injured if they get stuck somewhere between vines or whatnot.
Secondly, I saw someone talk about using a different substrate, but at this stage using paper towel seems to be the safest to me because it is super sanitary and I would assume Tater and Tot would be more prone to impaction from ingesting the substrate than normal geckos.
About the crickets, I wouldn't say adding them to the enclosure would be a wonderful idea, since Tater and Tot have limited mobility. Instead, maybe tong feeding headless crickets (as someone else commented) or allowing them to hunt a few in a different container for a few minutes and seeing if they have any interest might be better.
One last thing, I don't mean this in a bad way at all, but continuously taking Tater and Tot out in super bright lighting and loud noises while you film might be a bit stressful for the little guys. Especially if you're picking them up a lot to show different parts. Because these guys are nocturnal, they probably won't eat as well in the super bright lights either. So maybe, their appearance on the channel could be a bit more brief and have them out for a segment instead of the entirety of the video. Also, feeding them in dimmed lights seems to get my geckos to eat a lot more since they are predisposed to have a bigger appetite at night.
I am sorry if this just feels like a whole wall of criticisms... I want to say that is not what I am trying to do, I just want the best for these cute little guys.
That’s the first time I’ve ever seen a crested gecko yawn in a video!
I know this comment is going to sound grim, but I promise it's not meant to be! I hope they live a long life, but when they do pass, you should consider making a diaphonized wet specimen of their body. It would be an impressive specimen to have, and I personally think they are quite beautiful, so it would be a nice way to memorialize them.
Oh god yes I agree!! A diaphonized specimen would not only be simply beautiful, but would also show off their internal structures, which considering their condition would be amazing to see!
Of course wish for them a long, healthy life, but I absolutely agree that would be a lovely way to memorialize them and see how they're put together!!
Reptiles and research just put out a video about crested gecko diet and growth rates, if that interests you. I don't have a crestie so it was mostly playing in the background for me. I hope tater and tot enjoy their new enclosure!
Yes, thank you!
I would also be EXTREMELY anxious about him drowning or dealing w live crickets in his enclosure. also climbing, tbh, he seems to be pretty special needs, considering how slow he is on top of the obvious physical abnormalities. keeping it simple and easy to both keep clean and observe him seems paramount.
I am obsessed with them 😆
The crickets in with them is probably not going to end well
And add more plants! There’s not many hiding spots in there
There's so many other insects that could be offered, like black soldier fly larva and wax worms, that wouldn't try to chew on your guys.
Please don’t keep crickets in with them without supervision. You’re doing a fantastic job with them! I’m rooting for the little guys/gals! ❤
Can you tong feed headless crickets? That works best for me. Maybe the grey bag of pangea could help pack on more calories and protein per lick as well. Otherwise, smart call to not push for an xray or MRI soon. There is no rush, keep on keeping em happy and healthy! Great job so far
You might wanna put a basic q&a re x-rays, weight, etc, in the description of each video. People will still make comments, but it’s another way to get the information out to people.
Long comment, watch out ;)
Honestly I would hesitate to put crickets with them without supervision, since they are pretty slow and insects can cause issues :/ Not sure about dangers of crickets, but I would not risk it. Anyway when it comes to their digestive systems, honestly I think he would die by now if one of them would have "dead end", as you said, since Tot is also eating, food he ate would rot by now and would cause severe issues, and since they are living, food has to pass somehow. I think they have either one stomach or some connection in between? Or their intestines are connected. Anyway this is very good info that they can pass food down - they poop normally right? I think you mentioned they do.
When it comes to x-rays, yea I thought you can't really do it on them right now, since they are so tiny and sedation would kill them :/ Also dose of radiation and stress may be too much for them to handle - unless as you said, stuff will go downhill and there would be not much to lose, but hopefully they will continue to gain weight and improve. So far he is not suffering - i think - and his quality of life is not, like, bad, it is not perfect but as long as he can do normal gecko things - maybe just slower and clumsier - and is not starving or in pain, I think he is ok. Also I am thinking about his delay...I know that geckos are not the brightest reptiles ever, but he seems that he is um...slower mentally ? I wonder how their nervous system works and what is connected to what, which brain operates which parts etc. It seems that Tater is the main head, and Tot is kinda there, more submissive with only his torso, and missing other parts, but also has some level of decision making ability. Also I wonder if (hopefully!! ) he will grow and thrive, how will he act in the future? Will they regain some of their motor skills? Or are they going to be clumsy? I know their lifespan probably will be shorter than average crested gecko, but still, if he will thrive I wonder if he will work out his skills slightly better? They remind me of a snake that Snake Discovery have/ used to have, the one born with no eyes, he learned to react to clicker, and other stuff, and was living pretty good life despite having serious disability, wonder if T and T will also figure it out as they will get older?
Do you think the Pangea food with bugs would be a safe way to give them more bug bits without any risk?
I am hoping so.
I hear you about the water, but if you haven't check out the pangea bottle caps. They're really shallow.
I use eye contact lids
For water for baby’s I think it’ll work for him
*babies