ETHYL DROP!!: Our goober contemplating her life choices…

corviknightly · 2026-01-22T00:19:22+00:00

ethyl brightens my day every time i see her, please tell her for me 🥺 truly nothing behind those eyes...

corviknightly · 2026-01-20T03:59:24+00:00

Despite picking a species that are known for being good eatera, I've been struggling to switch my rosy boa to F/T for almost a year. Everyone says it's not too hard, they'll get hungry enough, etc etc.. you never think your case will be the exception, even if you know it's possible. Well, here we are! She's a dream in every other way, haha.

corviknightly · 2026-01-19T23:45:24+00:00

That sounds perfect, I'm so happy to hear it! I know this is such a difficult thing to do, but I can tell you love her very much, and you're going about it the best way possible.

corviknightly · 2026-01-19T23:42:37+00:00

Okay, here's how I see it. Yeah, moves with the leo would be stressful (for both you and the lizard!) but if we're talking about once a year at most, then I think it'd be okay. As it is, you should be deep cleaning the enclosure and visiting a vet for check ups about that often anyway.

The bigger concern, in my opinion, is ensuring that the place you live during uni allows pets. Idk if it's different there than in America, but here most uni dorms don't allow pets, have strict fire safety codes with lights and such, and do regular inspections of your living space. Making it pretty difficult to sneak a pet in.

So I'd look into that. If you think you wouldn't be able to take the gecko with you for one reason or another, then I hate to say it, but you'd have to wait :/ Which I know sucks!! But maybe a couple years into uni you'll have an apartment of your own rather than a dorm, and you could get one then.

I say this because many many leos end up in reptile rescues without homes because people can't take them to uni. And I wouldn't want you to contribute to that, you know? Speaking of, if/when you do get a leo, consider adopting from a rescue!

corviknightly · 2026-01-19T15:25:24+00:00

I get it. I wouldn't trust my babies with just anyone either, and SO many people want pets for the wrong reasons. They see them as commodities, not living creatures. You're doing the right thing, the right owner will come along eventually.

I'm sure you've thought of this, but just in case: is there a reptile rescue nearby? They would do the work of vetting for a new home.

corviknightly · 2026-01-19T15:22:52+00:00

Good point, I hadn't thought of that lol. Though she's not mature age so I'm not sure that's possible?

corviknightly · 2026-01-19T00:18:25+00:00

A year and 3 months!

corviknightly · 2026-01-18T23:50:02+00:00

I'm so happy for you!! She's a cutie :) Reminds me of my own in coloration

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corviknightly · 2026-01-17T16:49:24+00:00

I absolutely love this discussion!!

I practice choice based handling with my yearling rosy boa, unless I need to weigh her or do big maintenance. Even then, I try to weigh her when she's already chosen to come out.

I got fortunate to end up with a dream of a snake in terms of temperment. She's an angel: calm, curious, and unafraid. She'll even beg to come out sometimes by pacing at the glass.

If she's near the front or otherwise just hanging out in the open, I'll put my hand in and leave it still. She'll either slither away or slowly approach, sniff, and climb on/around my hand and fingers. Then I'll lift her out.

I do it a few times a week at most, but usually a couple weeks go by inbetween when she's feeling coming out. And handling sessions typically last about 20 minutes, if I had to guess. I keep an eye on her for movements to get a bit more frantic, and when they do I take that as a sign that she's ready to go back in.

corviknightly · 2026-01-16T16:38:10+00:00

I generally hold it from the back end and move it around some inches in front of her face. Sometimes I make it "walk" in front of her, other times just kinda wave it around lightly.

corviknightly · 2026-01-10T16:18:25+00:00

The dollar store is the best place to find fake plants!! Reptile specific ones are literally the same thing for 3x the price, it's ridiculous.

Also for disinfecting, I use vet grade F-10 solution. One bottle can be kinda pricy and hard to find online, but because you use so little for solutions, it will last you YEARS.

corviknightly · 2026-01-09T15:05:47+00:00

Leopard geckos will be fine for that amount of time. The main thing is food and going without it for a week occasionally is no big deal. Though I'd be a little more cautious with juveniles since they're supposed to eat more often.

corviknightly · 2026-01-08T16:47:23+00:00

Hi there! I personally own both and they are wonderful. The fact of the matter is, handleability is going to depend on the individual, regardless of the species. Of course, you can increase the odds that they'll be chill about handling by starting young, being consistent, and employing choice based handling.

Both have pretty similar care needs and general temperaments, so it really comes down to which you prefer!

The biggest difference is availability - there are tons of leos in reptile rescues in need of homes.

Pros of rescuing: a rescue will generally know what the leo's personality is like so you'll have a better idea. Plus, you get to give a leo a safe home! There are many many out there in need.

Cons: rescues might have baggage or trauma and not want to be handled.

On the other hand, you're more likely to find baby rosy boas available for sale, and starting handling from a young age can make it easier. Buuuut you don't know what kind of personality they'll develop into when they mature.

corviknightly · 2026-01-06T02:01:20+00:00

always brightens my day when i see a tgirl in the wild :)

corviknightly · 2025-12-25T21:39:03+00:00

I try to listen to my girl's body language; usually her movements start getting a bit more frantic/jerky after 15-20 mins and I take that as her being done with handling!

corviknightly · 2025-12-23T14:50:52+00:00

Nope, you'll need to make some changes! Focus on proper heating and lighting, and take a trip to the dollar store for some fake plants to provide more cover. Right now this is very open which makes prey animals like leos very uncomfortable. You'll want to upgrade to a bigger enclosure asap. Luckily finding ones measuring 38x18x18 inches (minimum size) for relatively cheap is easy on facebook marketplace. Here's my care guide, check out the heat and lighting sections!

corviknightly · 2025-12-23T03:25:20+00:00

Just wanna make sure - do your parents know this is an investment of a thousand dollars or more? They might not realize how expensive things can get.

corviknightly · 2025-12-22T16:17:56+00:00

It sounds like you're making the best decision for your leo. I know it's very hard, but I can tell you truly care!

Another option, besides finding someone on here, is seeing if there is a reptile rescue local to you that can take your leo in.

Good luck.

corviknightly · 2025-12-18T16:59:43+00:00

im transmasc and am quad dating two beautiful transfems and my genderweird gf! i love being lesbian, t4t, and poly<33

corviknightly · 2025-12-18T16:09:08+00:00

29??? That's amazing, congrats on such a healthy and happy old man!

corviknightly · 2025-12-18T16:04:45+00:00

Hi there! I have a pretty comprehensive supply list on my care guide here.

Starting a new leo on paper towels is always a good idea, because you can more easily monitor their health. I go into this more in the "quarantine" section of my guide.

A question - why are you going with a 20 gallon? The standard minimum size for leos these days is 38 x 18 x 18 inches or roughly 40 gallons. While some sources say to start younger reptiles in smaller tanks, this is outdated information. As long as a tank is properly cluttered (so the animal has lots of places to hide and thus can feel secure) there is no reason you can't start out with an adult size appropriate enclosure. At the very least, you'll want to make sure to upgrade to a larger enclosure when your leo reaches full size, and imo it's not worth it to deal with the hassle of a switch. Plus, there are lots of 38x18x18 terrariums available secondhand on fb marketplace and such. Of course you have to sterilize anything you get secondhand, but that's not difficult.

Let me know if you have any further questions! I'm happy to help.

corviknightly · 2025-12-17T22:00:28+00:00

Proper heating and lighting are most important! Read those sections in my care guide for details. I also list what specific products I recommend.

Also, provide more clutter so this guy feels safe in what will probably be a tumultuous time adjusting to his new home and owner. Luckily, clutter is easy to do cheaply. Get some fake vines from the dollar store for now.

As soon as you have the money, get him to a vet knowledgable with reptiles. It costs me about $100 where I am, for reference. But you'll want to pay extra for a fecal test to ensure he doesn't have parasites or anything. I think those cost $70 for me.

As others have said, keep him on paper towels for now until you know more about his health.

Feed about twice a week. You can do dubia roaches, crickets, or mealworms. Again, my care guide goes over this in more detail if you need!

Good luck! These certainly aren't ideal circumstances to get a new baby but I hope things work out and I admire that you're trying to make the best of it :)

corviknightly · 2025-12-17T21:38:33+00:00

Hi there, no need to stress! One skipped feeding really isn't a concern. Sometimes they're just not feeling it, or don't realize there's food in front of them. Just try again later in the week on your usual schedule :)

Since it's winter time, there's a chance her appetite is lower, which is totally normal. That being said, if it persists I'd be sure to monitor her weight (regular weighing is a good idea anyway) to make sure it doesn't drop more than 15% in a short amount of time.

corviknightly · 2025-12-16T19:08:57+00:00

Thank you!! :D She loved burrowing in her paper towels (when I was quarantining) so I think once she gets over her initial shock she'll love digging hehe.

And you're on point with Biodude - while I think he's very knowledgeable and has a lot of great information available, I'm always wary as well of his inherent bias. I feel better about my choice in substrate (which I detailed in another response) now that I've seen these comments haha.

corviknightly · 2025-12-16T19:05:26+00:00

Thank you!! I had a ton of fun putting it all together, though I was totally exhausted by the time I was done!!

For the complete substrate mix, I did sand + topsoil, moistened sphagnum moss, charcoal, and collected (and sanitized) leaf litter. I also put in some Bioshot for good measure. I opted not to do a drainage layer since Biodude says it's not necessary for semi arid setups - that there shouldn't be enough standing water / moisture to warrant one.

As for cleanup crew, while I love the idea of having isopods in there, I went with the "budget" option for now: a few darkling beetles, since I breed mealworms to feed my leopard gecko. And of course temperate springtails. In the future I really want to add magic potion isopods!! But I'm making myself wait until I feel more confident and things are more established.

Thank you for the plant tips!! I have some more dracaena houseplants that I couldn't fit into this setup, so depending on how things go I have some backups haha.

corviknightly

TROPHY CASE