Hmm is it just me or did everyone seem all gung-ho about "proof" at first? Jungle Bob provided zero proof of anything, yet everybody seems to be on his side now...
And then Jungle Bob comes in, verbally slanders the OP and calls him names (are we 5 years old?), threatens him with tax audits, accuses him of shoplifting, and admitted he had a dead animal on display in a shop cage. Mmmm what am I missing here?
Also (fairly obviously IMO) none of you have have kept Rhacodactylus leachianus before, or if you have, I feel sorry for the thing(s). A three year old leachie that weighs 42 grams is really, really sad. That's breeding age for most adult leachies, when they should be 170-400 grams in weight. 5-10 times as heavier than this one was. A gecko that skinny / small at that age indicates a lifetime of stress for the animal and very poor husbandry knowledge on the part of the keeper. Leachianus geckos are not for beginners or to be sold as a "common reptile shop pet". They are for semi-experienced to experienced keepers only and are NOT easy to breed. They are endangered in the wild and not terribly common in captivity. Why an animal like this was for sale to
just anybody is slightly surprising to me...
The OP
did provide proof and pics, just not in this thread. See this one...
http://www.forums.repashy.com/rhacodactylus-leachianus-discussion/34641-rescue.html
I'm not taking sides here I'm just pointing out that most of you seem to be failing at being objective and/or knowing about the animal species that is central to this debate.
I can identify with the OP because I have bought Leachianus before from a store that was not taking care of the animals well, and I felt sorry for the Leachianus geckos especially since they aren't common int the pet trade and rare species especially need to be properly cared for. There were two at the store and I could only afford one at the time. He weighed 7 grams when I bought him, and 3 months later is over 35 grams. I went and visited the shop again and the sibling (which was of identical size when I bought it) was still almost exactly the same size as it was 3 months ago (about 6-8 grams). I don't regret buying the animal, and attempted to explain to the shop owner why I bought the animal (when I bought it, not 3 months later) and what they should do differently in caring for the one I couldn't afford. They obviously neglected to heed my advice. Bummer.