| Can you see yourself raising leopard geckos for | | | | dollars - $400 to $600 is not unusual, and prices up to |
| profit? It's the goal of many people to make money | | | | $1,500 are not unheard for new morphs that aren't |
| from their hobby. The intention could be to actually | | | | being produced in large quantities yet. |
| make a living from it, or it could be just to help | | | | Of course, breeding morphs (a whole other topic in |
| offset the costs of the hobby, but in any case it's | | | | itself) is not easy, but at least this gives you an idea |
| usually a lot more fun than a real job! Let's take a | | | | of the amounts of money changing hands for |
| look at some of the things you need to do if you're | | | | top-quality morphs. It's no surprise that professional |
| to make any money from this particular hobby. | | | | breeders are able to make a living out of what they |
| Consider reproductive capabilities | | | | do. |
| A female leopard gecko, once impregnated (which | | | | You can go to to get an idea of recent prices for |
| only needs to happen once for an entire breeding | | | | top-end morphs (as at Dec 2009). |
| season), will produce in the region of 6-10 clutches of | | | | Consider finding customers |
| eggs per year, with two eggs in each clutch. That's a | | | | Many leopard gecko breeders today sell their charges |
| lot of babies to care for, meaning a lot of tanks, | | | | on the internet, and that makes a lot of sense. A |
| lights, heat sources, food...and a lot of cleaning to do! | | | | good, simple website can show up-to-date pictures |
| Therefore you really need to ask yourself whether | | | | of what you have available together with prices, and |
| you are willing to commit the time, space, money and | | | | speedy overnight shipping. Good packaging is a must |
| energy to this endeavor before you begin. | | | | as will mean your animals are safe while in transit. |
| Consider pricing | | | | The other option, good when you're starting out, is |
| In the leopard gecko world there's a big division in | | | | to 'go local' and sell leos to your friends, family, |
| prices between the ordinary leopard geckos and the | | | | acquaintances, and people in your local area. Prepare |
| extraordinary morphs. Ordinary leos, with their | | | | to be called on for a lot of free advice post-sale |
| yellowish background coloration and leopard-print | | | | though! |
| spots, are pretty enough, but they really can't | | | | Conclusion |
| compete with spectacular morphs such as the Diablo | | | | This article is just the tip of the iceberg, so if you're |
| Blanco, Super Hypo Tangerine Carrot Tail, or Black | | | | seriously thinking of raising leopard geckos then you |
| Eyed Enigma. Unsurprisingly then, it's morphs that | | | | have a lot more reading and work to do. If you love |
| command the high prices. While an ordinary leo can | | | | leos though, it won't feel like work at all! |
| be had for $25-75, some morphs go for hundreds of | | | | |