A special leopard gecko...

[Youkai]

Hi all!

I want to show you photos of an interesting little leopard gecko. Well, not little I guess...she's big AND fat!

I had a <i>large</i> female lay a very, very large egg. The egg started to develop, and looked a little lopsided. When it was time to hatch, out came a lopsided little gecko...

I watched her like a hawk. She ate well, grew like a weed and was otherwise a normal little gecko. However, I couldn't keep her. I couldn't breed her, and wouldn't even think of putting an otherwise healthy animal down. So a friend of mine (FireSerpent on here) took her in when the gecko was 8 weeks old.

'Widget' is now over a year old, healthy, and has a great disposition. Here are some of her photos (and please ignore all mud stains, I was wading through slush all day :D ) :

<img src="http://members.shaw.ca/youkai/gimpy/gimp2.jpg">
<img src="http://members.shaw.ca/youkai/gimpy/gimp3.jpg">
<img src="http://members.shaw.ca/youkai/gimpy/gimp6.jpg">

A nice close up can be seen here: <a href="http://members.shaw.ca/youkai/gimpy/gimpclose.jpg">Click me!!</a>

More photos here: <a href="http://members.shaw.ca/youkai/gimpy/">Click me too!</a>

[jakejeff]

She is a beauty good job FireSerpent!

[Kat]

That is the most interesting thing I've seen!!!!

[Clownfishie]

Very interesting -- don't think that I've ever seen a hunchback leo before -- glad to hear that she's happy and healthy though, it sounds like you found her a very loving home!

[Alicewave]

Glad to hear she didn't get put down. She looks great.

[lanalizard]

i saw a beardie like that..unfortunately the beardie didnt make it but this sure gecko did and im sooo happy to see that such deformaties let this little one live!!!

GOOD LUCK IN THE FUTURE! :)

[FireSerpent]

Thanks to all for the nice comments about my little girl! She is a such a beauty, and as you can see she has really nice coloring with nice heavy spotting. Like Youkai said she is just over a year old and i'd say about 5" or so, and boy is she a pudgy little bugger! ;-P She has so much attitude too! Anyone who owns Beardies will know what i mean when i say she gives me that look like "what the hell do you want" when i go into her cage! I love her so much, and i wouldn't have her if it wasn't for Youkai.
Widget was my first gimp but not my last, I also have a Ball Python with a broken back (in 2 places), and a baby Redtail Boa that was left in a box with what i would guess was either a big hopper or a full size mouse from the size of the wounds. Either way it is pretty bad and it is a day to day battle with infection and a seriously messed up shed becasue of massive scabbing! Youkai has pics of both snakes and hopefully will have them up on here soon. Thanks again to all!

[Youkai]

Pfffft, 6-7" at least, even with the hump! ;p
::hands FS a ruler::

I'll get to work resizing those other photos after supper tonight. I'll give you a call....

[Alicewave]

It's a great thing to take in animals with special needs. Way to go FireSerpent. :D

[Youkai]

Must take a lot of patience, that's for sure. You should see the poor juvie boa. It looks like it was left in with a beaver, not a young mouse. It will make it eventually though, I'm sure. :)

[FireSerpent]

A beaver huh? The bug one on it's back fits that description for sure! I have named it Hissy Mc Snap at me! :-) Not that you can blame it being in as much pain aas i am sure it is in, as well as the fact that if you try to put it into a dark container of any kind it goes nutz! Like Youkai said, I think it will make it eventually, it is a fighter!

[Linds]

So happy to hear everything worked out! It's great to hear that there are still people out there with a big heart for these little wonders. Too many people just freezer them if they are not "breedable" or "sellable" :(. Keep up the good work! :thumbsup:

[FireSerpent]

Thanks Linds, I love taking in the cripples, I feel that they deserve a decent life most of all! Being that Widget and My one Python with the broken back are actually crippled (though you wouldn't know it by watching them) I totally want to give them a normal life and prove that they can have a normal life. The Boa on the otherhand is just so sad, i actually took it from the people that had it and at this piont have no intention of giving it back till i am satisfied that it is healed, and maybe not even then!

[Alicewave]

Definitely not even then! Tell them you will help educate them on proper reptile care if they want a new animal but it sounds so bad I would not give the Boa back if I were you.

[FireSerpent]

The problem with that is that I may not have a choice in the matter, I took it under the conditions that i would give it back when it was out of danger, and although its infections seem to be under control and it has lost its nasty temper; I have managed to hold off giving it back by making them believe that it is still touch and go, but I don't know how much longer they will take my word for it :-( What I am hoping is that given the fact that it will need help shedding and need to have a close eye kept on it to watch for further complications that they will think that it is too much work and just let me keep it. (they don't seem teh type to put much effort into the care of their animals) Speaking of it shedding, i spent a good 20 mins shedding it, and i am not sure but it looks like it had a huge build up of old skins on teh very tip of its tail and i am pretty sure that it is going to lose its tail on top of everything else.

[Alicewave]

Have they promised not to feed live? If the can't make that promise and keep it the danger is there. And that's just the tip of the iceberg...

[Emily-Fisher]

That is very interesting and you are very lucky to be able to hatch such a fascinating leo. Keep up the good work!

[Dom]

FS - I can't say anything else the CONGRATS! You should really be proud of yourself..

I personally would just say the boa died and then keep it for myself if it survives (wich it will).

I have had a sake or two in these conditions and after they make it ... there is now way i could part with them because of all the hard work that was put in th animal..

Dom

[FireSerpent]

Thanks for all the praise! :-) The Leo is one of kewlest lizards i have had the pleasure of owning, as well as the toughest!!!!
As far as the snake goes, i wish i could just say it died but i tried to tell them that i thought it was dying and they said that they wanted the body if it did!!! :-( So no luck on that front, but i am still trying.

[FireSerpent]

Oh yeah, to Alicewave... They only ever feed live becasue they say it is easier, and cheaper!!! I have tried time and time again, and you'd think that they would learn after the Boa, but some people are just ignorant, and damn stupid.

[Alicewave]

If they refuse then don't give it back. Plain and simple.

[FireSerpent]

Well... That isn't really a cocern anymore, it is dying :-( Even after all the treatments it looks as if it got an internal infection from the bites and from what i can tell it prbably got into ist blood stream. It is really horrible, its scales are coming off in patches and i can't even touch it without it freaking out, probably from pain. I've tried everything, but i guess it wasn't enough. :`- (

[Alicewave]

THat's so sad. Sorry to hear it. Good luck getting through the hard part :(

[FireSerpent]

Thanks.