I have had a love for geckos for a while now, and after I got my first crested gecko a couple of months ago, I decided that I would do a lot of research and preparation into breeding them.
It would be a good start to my blog to introduce my beautiful flame crested gecko, Rocco.
This is him looking very messy and charming after a good large helping of blueberry!
Rocco's cute yet dopey nature makes for a great photograph, and I have numerous adorable snapshots such as this one to show off his charms.
I have really gotten to know Rocco already, and after having him from such a young age he has become such a lovely addition to our family that even my parents adore.
Whoever says that reptiles cannot love back is blatantly wrong, because the love that my beloved pet shows on a daily basis really is extraordinary.
I'm hoping that through my blog I can share Rocco with you all.
The Rocco Fact File
Name: Rocco
Nickname: Tigger, due to his orange colour when 'fired up'
Gender: Unknown. At the moment, we believe that Rocco is male simply due to his appearance, and the use of masculine personal pronouns is far easier and kinder than the use of 'it' or the repetitive use of his name. If Rocco does turn out to be female, he shall simply become Rocca!
Food: As a young gecko, Rocco began by feeding on crickets. It was a struggle to actually get Rocco to feed on the crickets and he showed little interest in them, unless we brandished them right in front of his nose! He wouldn't hunt and began to lose a lot of weight. In the end, we switched to Crested Gecko Diet as his main source of nutrients. He feeds on this twice a week, and he is fed by spoon. We tried placing it in his cage for him to feed, but mold quickly grew on the surface. It tends to be easier to feed by spoon, and makes sure we can see how much he is eating whilst also bonding with him.
Favourite treat: We have various jars of organic baby food that we feed Rocco on once a week. His absolutely favourite has to be blueberry - he can't get enough of it! He tends to go crazy for baby food, particularly when it has been cooled in the fridge, and so we always ensure we mix calcium and/or nutrients into his portions so that he is well-nourished.
Date received: 7th June 2013
Current length: approx. 5.5 inches, tip-to-tail
Colour and markings: when 'fired down', Rocco is a mix of light browns and pale yellows and greens. When 'fired up', which is usually triggered by a change in lighting, his main body becomes various shades of dark brown. His head and the top of his spine become bright orange, which we call his flame. His black spots along the side of his body and rib-cage are more prominent, as well as the bright yellow markings that follow his 'crests' and down his tail. He also has a leopard-like underbelly which is there permanently.
His tail is also beautiful, with a golden patch right at the top in the shape of a beetle.
The above image shows Rocco 'fired up', exploring his cage.
Sadly, the image does not quite capture his true colours.
Vivarium size: 18" by 18" by 12"
Favourite place: Right-hand-side of the vivarium. He usually hides up in the leaves here at the front, or part of him rests on the vine which hangs through the plant. He often sleeps upside-down this way, but I frequently check him to make sure that his tail is not falling across his body. He does tend to wrap it tightly around the jungle vine.
Character: Rocco is very dopey, and always has a dazed expression on his cute little face. I'm told by many that he is fairly small for his age, too (approx. 4-5 months old).
He is so tame and so friendly - after the first couple of days, he has never nipped or gotten stressed out. He will chill out on anybody, although he tends to settle most when I hold him.
I like to think of Rocco as sneaky! Unlike other crested geckos I know, he shows no signs of jumping. He likes to cuddle, with all paws and his tail wrapped around my thumb. He will be this way one moment, and leaping to the other side of the room the next!
Another indication that Rocco is male is that he tends to misjudge his strength and his abilities. He likes to think he is a pro at everything. ;-) so, the little guy will reach for the stars! He often jumps for something far too high or far too slippery, and ends up startling himself. Sometimes he even gets so excited to leap that he just goes for it, and forgets his tail is still wrapped tightly round my fingers. It's a wonder that it's still intact with the number of times this has happened!
Likes: climbing, sleeping upside-down, squeezing through tight gaps, blueberry baby food, fans and breeze, jumping, being super high up, cuddling my thumb
Dislikes: being horizontal, getting woken from a nap, my piano, the heat, having to go back in his vivarium after a handle!
That's as much as I can think of to tell you at the moment!
If you have anything else that you would like to know about Rocco, let me know in the comments, and I will get back to you as soon as possible!
Welcome to my blog.
Elly. x
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