Possibly dumb question, but still gunna ask, lol (Starting with the pre-question lore)
I discovered reptiles as an interest at 12, and have been in love ever sense. Spent years trying to convince parents, and my stepdad finally caved for my 15th birthday. Got an adult crested gecko, who I named Waffle, and quickly became my world.
Unfortunately, Waffle passed a couple months ago. Still reeling, feels like there's a whole in my life, and the silence from the terrarium (which sits on my dresser) at night is deafening. He was my reading buddy, the judgmental glare when I sat on my floor doing something dumb, and the tiny weight tucked under the collar of my shirt while I read.
I can't handle this hole in my life, but I also don't want to replace him. I've been heavily considering a gargoyle gecko, but part of me worries it'll be too similar.
After taking my very short list of alternative options (due to things like space constraints and my stepdad forbidding snakes) I pretty much have: Geckos.
Love geckos. They're adorable. But I want a gecko I can handle and bond with, not a decoration. So most species are off the table. And if I'm trying to consider non NC-geckoes... see the problem?
I remembered that tokay geckoes exist a few days ago, and that peeked my interest a bit. The idea of a gecko with more than one, occasional, braincell sounds like a fun change. Plus, as we all know, tokays are gorgeous.
Main problem? Handling. I know they have reputation for being angry little hellions that bite like if chip clips were built on steroids and wrath. (Dramatic, I'm aware. I like dramatic, lol.) But I've found a couple breeders and owners that say if you get a captive bread baby, and get the biting out their system young, they can actually be very handleable.
So, basically, my question is this:
Is it true that a captive bread, VERY well socialized baby tokay gecko, can become a buddy? Are they capable of being chill enough to hang out with? Or do they truly live up to the reputation of untamable gremlin?
(I'm aware that a tokay would likely never just chill on my shoulder while I read a book for two hours. I mean hang out as in holding, have outside the terrarium for periods of time, and not be constantly jumping/crazy)
I know it's probably a long shot, and I'll most likely end up getting a gargoyle once I can look at the terrarium without breaking down. But figured the question was worth asking, if for nothing more than curiosity, and to say I considered all the options.