The Owner: Jack Kerr, 24, lives in Kincorth with his family and enjoys spending time with Ziggy, his crested gecko.
Here’s what Jack has to say about Ziggy…
Ziggy has been in my life for roughly 12 years now. She is a crested gecko.
I’ve always been a pet person, I love dogs in particular. I currently have a labrador called Brodie and a Cavalier King Charles spaniel called Charlie, as well as a cat called Ozzy.
I think I always wanted a gecko because it was a bit different. They are uncommon pets – not everyone has pets like geckos or snakes etc.
I’ve always loved nature programs about reptiles and insects etc. Owning an exotic animal has always been something I wanted to do.
Ziggy likes being held
Ziggy is very quiet, she’s never really been one for chirping or making a fuss over things.
She doesn’t like to be woken up when she is sleeping during the day. She’ll flare up and turn a really dark colour if she’s woken during the day.
She’s quite docile as well, she’s never been too jumpy when being held. She is generally quite happy to be held even though she doesn’t get held very often.
‘Geckos need just as much effort as a dog or cat’
There’s this misconception that geckos are easier or harder to care for than any conventional or more common pet.
I think people sometimes think they’re easy pets cause they’re small and in tanks, so it’s a lot easier to look after them cause they’re not as immediately needy or vocal as a dog or cat.
They still need to be fed and given water, held and cleaned – you need to do it right.
They’re more exotic than a dog or cat but they’re no harder to own.
They can be a bit more subtle in the ways they tell you what they want but if you put the same effort into caring for them as you would a dog or cat, you’ll be fine.
My advice for anyone interested in getting a gecko for themselves – make sure you really want one.
A gecko can live up to 20 years, that’s a longer life span than most dogs and cats… it’s a commitment and an animal shouldn’t have to suffer because you got one on a whim.
There are plenty of resources from reliable producers on the internet.
In Pets at Home, they have little leaflets for animals that give you some basic info like feeding, life span etc. It’s great for people who are interested in getting a gecko.
Funny memories of Ziggy the crested gecko
I’m not sure if one of my favourite memories of Ziggy is funny or horrifying.
Most geckos can shed their tails but crested geckos are a breed that can’t regrow them.
Within two years of getting Ziggy, I was sitting with my family. Ziggy was on my hand in the living room before we sat down to a family supper.
At the time, Zig’s tail was really long – almost as long as her body.
Our old dog Alfie barked and I jumped, I must have caught Ziggy’s tail between my hand and the table because she bolted off my hand and dropped her tail.
She jumped onto a plant that we took through for her and her tail was left, still wriggling like a little worm.
Honestly, it freaked us all out and I still got nervous holding Ziggy afterwards.
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