Maybe an AFT?

[Rell18]

I saw some pics of some albino AFTs and I fell in love. I've been doing a little research on them but I have two questions. Is it true that unlike leopard geckos, AFTs cannot have mealworms as a staple? Also, I've heard they are a lot more shy than leos, though it does depend on the individual gecko. What are their personalities like compared to leos? Are they more calm, skittish, etc?

 

[tlbowling]

They definitely can be on a diet of mealworms, but most are extremely picky eaters. They do tend to hide more than the leos, but all of mine are extremely calm when being handled (except 1 , he's also the only one that gives me a hard time about mealies...he's a cricket man ) but a lot of my leos are just as calm as the fatties.

 

[Rell18]

Awesome! It's really hard deciding between the two. I just love the albino AFTs though. If I do get one, hopefully it'll take mealies because my mom refuses to have crickets in the house.

 

[Carinata]

I have a large collection of AFTs, I never kept Leos and I never want to keep Leos, but at work we have all sorts of different animals and I have done work with Leos and they are more out going than AFTs but overall AFTs make the better pet than Leos IMO. They can go a bit longer without food, they are a safe investment if you want to breed them, (I went from 4 to 40+ in under a year! LOL) the morphs aren't confusing and they tend to be more low moving and not so crazy like a Leo. And how can you not love this face!

 

[RKGeckos]

yea,afts are pickier than leos, but i do have most of mine eating mealworms, i still give crickets to all of them. it may be the one draw back to afts, mealworms are just so much easier than crickets

 

[T-ReXx]

If you want a fattie who will eat mealworms, buy one who is already eating them. AFTs are picky and tend to prefer crickets, cricket eaters can be switched to mealies in most cases but there are those who simply refuse them. Best thing to do is to by a CB animal that has already been started on mealworms and continue to feed them. If you give them crickets they can start trying to hold out for them.

Fattails are more laid back than leos(usually, there are exceptions like all animals) and also tend to be shyer. The are less active and are a bit more prone to obesity, so go easy on the food. I find fattails are a good choice if you want a gecko that is easier to handle and leos are better if you want an animal that's more active and entertaining to watch. Both species have their merits and downfalls but aside from the picky eating and humidity needs of fatties care is virtually identical. Breeding-wise fattails are trickier, they lay fewer eggs and the eggs are more sensitive than leopard gecko eggs.