Hello! I’m looking to get a new gecko in a couple months if things go well, but I was wondering what are good questions to ask before you buy from a breeder, and things to watch out for. Thanks so much!
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Hey, I breed Cresties myself. And ideally I like to be asked about what said gecko is currently eating, so you know what I use and will carry on with the same ideally, I’d also like to know what the persons set up is like, if I don’t get told this then I’ll ask anyway! Age/weight of gecko, Also parents/lineage etc I like to be asked. It shows me that you’re really interested in the gecko itself and also the lines and where it comes from! 
If I’m looking myself again I ask all the above and if the gecko looks ‘skinny’ at all. Or if I’m my opinion is small for the age then I stay away. I know what mine are at certain ages so I look for the same. Basically I want the same care put in with the breeder that I put in with my lot.
Stay away from breeders who don’t want to show you the parents, or show you the set ups that the gecko is currently living in. Red flags for me.
And WELCOME! Lovely to have another new member to the community 
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I’m sure @ghoulishcresties @mblaney and @westridge can give you some good tips on questions to ask, but also be sure to check out the Buying section of our Learning Centre
(There is a shortcut in the menu on here also)
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- Lineage/Who Produced
- Parent Pics
- Age/weight
- Breeding history if adult
- Diet
- Health history
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Welcome to the community.
What type of gecko are you interested in and are you planning to breed the gecko in the future?
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Thank you! I thought as much but I’m glad to have an experienced breeder’s input!
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Thanks! The health history I actually didn’t think about; good catch!
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I’m interested in terrestrial geckos, mainly AFT or leos, since I already have one. Maybe a smaller gecko like an scorpion-tailed or pictus. Looking for a pet-only gecko; no breeding for me.
This link Here was made be our @chesterhf. It is filled to the brim with knowledge and well thought out questions and responses to common issues with buying.
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Thanks so much!
I agree with all the above.
Also look for signs of illness and be careful where you buy from and ask lots of questions, there are some scammers out there, or even people that don’t look after their pets so they sell them on for someone else to pay the vet bill (follow your gut).
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Defo ask about Heath if aft or Leo’s.
I brought what looked like a healthy aft months ago, slightly on the small side from images but that was ok with me, and she was proven which again ideal. She arrived and was skinny, I put her in the viv and left her be, the next day she was falling over, and wouldn’t eat for months unless it was wax worms. She’s also clearly got mbd. Missing ends of toes due to stuck shed etc also.
(A few people on a chat I’m on actually knew the guy and some did some digging and turns out he was selling very underweight Leo’s and afts and also got declined for a business page on fb because of the condition of his animals) so when possible check out the breeder.
I’m only on here myself and no sites or social media so people would have to come on here to see my lot and how I keep and raise them etc. But if you know this site you should be able to find some amazing breeders on here!
This last month or so she has finally been eating meal worms and crickets and wax worm moths too! Taken months to get her to this, but she’s gaining nicely and more active and happy now!
(Only issue is if my male had her that day she was put in, as she seemed fine that day other than being smaller so I didn’t think anything of it, as if he did she may be holding for this season which isn’t ideal at all) lesson learnt there though, but she does seem to enjoy company of another female. And also got a porky belly which is lovely to see now 🥲
So defo be careful when buying one of them.
I think with Cresties it’s very obvious with any issues. Like FTS (floppy tail syndrome) or if they’ve got a curved spine as you can notice right away.
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Dang, sorry that happened! Glad she’s alright now tho, seems like she did find a good owner even if sold under less-than-ideal conditions. Thanks for the advice too! I’ve been lurking a long time but only made an account a week or so ago, so thankfully I’m used to how MorphMarket works 
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Welcome to the forum!
Thus far, I only have firsthand keeper experience with terrestrial geckos- leos & AFTs. Generally speaking, if you buy from a reputable breeder, you don’t have to ask a ton of questions, and a massive number of questions might irritate a seller, if those questions have already been answered in the ad or Terms & Conditions of Sale for the listing. A good seller should already have listed the age, weight, & diet in the ad itself.
If the ad has been renewed several times (like 6+ months for an adult, 3+months for a baby), it doesn’t hurt to ask for an updated pic & info, but not all large breeders will be able to accommodate requests for extra pics (leo breeders can get cranky because it is very common to get many of those requests for pics, but that rarely results in a sale).
Many good points have been raised. I wanted to add that, before you get your first reptile, you need to have 2 pieces of info that most people don’t think about: the contact info for a reptile vet you will use, and the contact info for the closest 24/7 ER vet that is willing to see reptiles in emergencies.
With leos, I find that it’s not really that necessary to know what their previous set-up was like- almost all breeders house in rack systems. Thus, you should plan accordingly to gradually get your gecko accustomed to its new environment. Pictures of parents aren’t necessary if you don’t plan to breed, unless you are buying a baby & want to have a very rough guesstimate what the baby might look like as an adult. I don’t agree with @ghoulishcresties in one regard, I don’t think leos (from reputable breeders) are more prone to health issues than cresties, at least in the USA, they are just far more commonly kept so you see more leos with problems because there are much much more of them in general.
I agree with others- age, weight, at least 1 picture, diet, and health/breeding history if an adult. If there is any chance at all you think you might breed your gecko in the future, then you absolutely must have lineage/original breeder & genetics with regards to known morphs.
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I wasn’t saying they’re more prone. I was saying to watch out for them as sometimes it’s not obvious just from an image with them if anything wrong.
But I see a lot of Leo’s here in the uk underweight and afts.
Which would put me off buying one. Luckily friends are breeders and I also know a lot of brilliant breeders so if I ever wanted a Leo again I know where to go.
We’ve rescued many Leo’s in the past in bad ways and very skinny just to help them as it was hard to see.
Where as with cresties you don’t see it as often here. I see fts and curved spine, but very rarely and that’s because people don’t have enough branches etc in their vivs which then causes issues.
Like with the aft I brought. From images you wouldn’t of seen the issues until in person.
Oh you bring great points! I do forget that they have to adjust to tanks after racks. Thank you for the info!
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