panther gecko question?

[mellaw2190]

Hi i want to get a panther gecko but my mom is worried about mites.How to you prevent mites and how do you get ride of them?I also don't want to keep live crickets so can i feed them dead ones?

[infernalis]

Mites are passed from one animal to the next.

Simply owning the animal will not attract mites to your home. It's impossible.

I understand the misconception, Just like fleas, if you keep your lizard in it's cage where it belongs, and don't take it outside, don't allow contact with other reptiles, and you will NEVER see a single mite.

We share our house with over 100 animals, and have never had a mite issue.

[EmbraceCalamity]

What he said. ^ And if you were to acquire an animal with mites (which isn't a very common issue to begin with, I don't believe), you can buy mite medicine for decently cheap that takes care of the problem easily.

Also, I love those little geckos. I'd be very jealous if you got them.

~Maggot

[infernalis]

I also don't want to keep live crickets so can i feed them dead ones?


Not too sure about dead crickets, some lizards do OK, and I know frozen roaches are starting to become popular.

[EmbraceCalamity]

Not too sure about dead crickets, some lizards do OK, and I know frozen roaches are starting to become popular.There are other options too. There's different kinds of worms, and I believe fruit flies can be fed (would need to remove the wings). I dunno if a gecko would eat dead crickets.

~Maggot

[StudentoReptile]

The common snake mite is black and bead-like. A few folks claim to occasionally see them on wildcaught imported lizards, but I never have. It is rare, since this parasite is typically pretty specific to snakes.

There is another type of mite that is much smaller and red. I have seen them on WC agamids and iguanas back in the day, but have never seen them on geckos, and certainly not CBB geckos.

So, I'm not saying it's impossible for a pictus gecko (another label for the panther gecko) to ever get mites, but I would say it is pretty darn unlikely since most on the market today are captive-bred. As always though, if you are still concerned, it would be best to purchase straight from a reputable breeder rather than buying them from a dealer at an expo that has a variety of herps on their table, or at a pet shop for the same reason. Breeders will usually take more precautions keeping their animals separate.

[mellaw2190]

Thanks everyone!

[Terranaut]

I just want to add that visiting a pet store or expo and exposing yourself to mites can lead to having them on your animals. I had the great experience of this happeneing by getting feeders at a pet store that had a mite issue. They are easy to get rid of but a pain. Now any time I go near other reptiles I strip and shower before going near mine.
As stated above this is a snake issue and I have never had my lizzards get mites even when in the same room as snakes with mites.