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Young Reporter 'Owning A Leopard Gecko' By Akshay Phian Hampton School

For the past 9 years I have been lucky enough to have owned my leopard gecko called 'Flash', he is an orange Leopard gecko measuring 10 and a half inches in length and weighing about 80 grams. Over the 9 years that I've had him so far, I've learnt a few things about care and why these low maintenance reptiles should be your go to if looking you are looking for a cute, cost-effective companion.

On average, Leopard geckos live for about 20 years in the wild and up to 30 in captivity, being as hardy as they are; their low-cost food and easy to clean vivariums allow a cost-efficient pet to own that merely has a few heating, climate, stimulus and feeding requirements. Originating from Afghanistan (following the coast) to the majority of India, these soft skinned reptiles adapted to an arid environment, therefore having to be provided a constant temperature of about 30° Celsius to about 32° Celsius, in a relatively dry habitat with infrequent showers using a water filled spray bottle. These geckos are also insectivores, meaning that they will only eat insects such as: morio-worms and locusts, around twice or thrice a week if adults, and nearly every day if juveniles and or babies, of which can be bought from pet shops around the country, along with these worms a calcium powder can also be bought from these stores to give the gecko an extra nutritional boost. Geckos also require shelter (i.E. A small cave) and a quiet stress-free environment without loud sounds. Due to their docile nature, it may be hard to tell if they are happy or not, however if they are perky and explore their homes a lot, they should be fine.

In conclusion, if you want a small pet that will accompany you for a quarter of your life, a leopard gecko should be your first pick.

Hogwarts Legacy - How To Capture Beasts For Your Vivarium

The Hogwarts Legacy Vivarium is a key location in the Room of Requirement. In it, you'll have a means of finding various fauna, saving them from poachers and bringing them to a sanctuary in the castle. Our Hogwarts Legacy Vivarium and Beasts guide helps you with all the mechanics related to taming magical creatures.

The Vivarium and Beast capture mechanics in Hogwarts Legacy become available halfway through the campaign. Once you've finished a main quest called Percival Rackham's Trial, a few more will appear:

The Helm of Urtkot - This takes you to a tomb where you need to solve Moth/Butterfly Door Puzzles.

The Caretaker's Lunar Lament - This grants you the Alohomora spell so you can unlock doors and chests. Likewise, it leads to a sidequest where you have to collect Demiguise Moons to upgrade Alohomora.

Beast Class - This is the first time you'll attend this class. Here, you'll learn about petting and feeding magical creatures.

Once you've done the above, you should receive a main quest called The Elf, the Nab-Sack, and the Loom. This is the part where you're taught how to capture Beasts in Hogwarts Legacy.

You'll be able to capture Beasts a few hours into the campaign. The Elf, the Nab-Sack, and the Loom

Deek the house elf will show you the ropes, providing you with a spell called the Nab-Sack. Here's the gist:

Think of the Nab-Sack as akin to the Proton Pack from Ghostbusters. You approach a creature and fire a beam that pulls them into the Nab-Sack. And, no, it doesn't work on ghosts in Hogwarts Castle (that would be wrong on so many levels).

To make things easier, you'll want to activate stealth with Disillusionment. This prevents animals from detecting your approach.

When you're close enough to an animal, you can use another spell to temporarily immobilize them.

Levioso lifts a target and suspend them in mid-air for a few seconds.

Arresto Momentum will stop and slow them down.

Glacius, however, tends to be one of the best options. This will freeze your target and cause them to fall, with an animation that lasts for several seconds.

Once you cast your Nab-Sack spell, a button prompt will appear, so make sure to press that. Multiple pips represent how many times you need to successfully press the button.

Animals will scurry away and flee, so you'll have to chase them, cast an immobilizing spell, and use the Nab-Sack once more. If you take too long, the pips will be depleted and you'll have to start anew.

There are cases when animals get too scared and they'd run off or fly away. Simply fast travel back and forth to make them respawn.

Once you place animals in your Vivarium, you'll pet and feed them to earn materials. Beast Dens

The Elf, the Nab-Sack, and the Loom quest only has you dealing with tame pets like the Puffskein, Jobberknoll, and Mooncalf. However, there are more Beasts that you can capture in Hogwarts Legacy. If you check the map, you'll see animal paw icons representing the Beast Dens of different species. These include rarer creatures like the Unicorn and Hippogriff.

There are around a dozen unique species for you to find in the game world. The Vivarium

Upon completing your initial objectives, return to the Room of Requirement. This is when you'll unlock the Vivarium in Hogwarts Legacy, a sanctuary for all the Beasts that you've captured.

You can release your captured animals here, but there are some caveats:

Each Vivarium holds up to 12 Beasts.

You're limited to four different species.

That means you can have 11 Puffskeins and 1 Hippogriff. Alternatively, if you have 1 Puffskein, 1 Jobberknoll, 1 Mooncalf, and 1 Hippogriff, you won't be able to add another creature of a different species.

The Vivarium does have limitations, but you'll soon unlock some additional options. Petting and Feeding

Now that you have a Vivarium in Hogwarts Legacy, you'll be able to pet and feed animals (similar to what you did during the Beast Class quest). Use your brush and give them treats. This will cause them to leave droppings materials that can be used for gear upgrades and traits/perks.

Here are some additional details:

The materials themselves can be purchased from the Brood and Peck shop in the northeast corner of Hogsmeade. This can save you some time in case you haven't encountered some creatures yet.

It's also possible to buy the Beast Feeder and Beast Toybox blueprints from the Tomes and Scrolls shop in the southern portion of Hogsmeade. You can build these structures in the Vivarium by casting the Evanesco spell.

A bit later in the game, you'll receive a quest that allows you to breed animals so they can have offspring.

Also, further progression in the Hogwarts Legacy Beast capture and taming arc unlocks additional Vivarium biomes.

Check back on your tamed creatures from time to time.

Hogwarts Legacy is developed by Avalanche Software, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. The game has been embroiled in controversy due to transphobic remarks from Harry Potter author JK Rowling. Although she is not personally involved with its development, she stands to profit from its success. For more, read our in-depth article on how Rowling's comments have impacted the trans community. In this article, you will also find links to trans creators you can support, as well as charities you can donate to.

The products discussed here were independently chosen by our editors. GameSpot may get a share of the revenue if you buy anything featured on our site.

Appeal To Find Owner Of Gecko Abandoned Near Romford Bins

An appeal has been launched to find the owner of an "overweight" gecko abandoned near some bins in Romford.

The gecko was found on September 18 in a small wooden vivarium near communal bins in Raven Close, Romford, by someone who contacted the RSPCA.

Suzi Fothergill, RSPCA Animal Rescue Officer, collected the leopard gecko and took it to a wildlife hospital.

The gecko was alert and appeared healthy apart from being slightly overweight, the RSPCA said.

Suzi said: "It's really sad that this poor gecko was just left near some bins and thrown out like a piece of rubbish.

"No matter what someone's situation, abandoning an animal like this is never the answer - there is no guarantee they will be found in time.

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"I am keen to find who may have owned this gecko and I would urge anyone who has any information to contact me on the RSPCA inspectorate appeal line 0300 123 8018 quoting incident 115518."

Leopard geckos, like other reptiles, have specific needs including controlled temperature, lighting and humidity and specific dietary requirements, the RSPCA said.

The RSPCA urges people to properly research what is required in the care of their pet before taking them on.

Suzi added: "We are finding that many people are unaware of how much of a commitment these animals are when they take them on, which we believe may be why we are rescuing hundreds of reptiles every year.

"Reptiles may look resilient and tough on the outside but they are actually completely reliant on their owners to provide the correct environment for the species, including heating and lighting, and an appropriate diet - which are essential to keep them healthy and allow them to carry out their natural behaviour. 

"Without proper care they can suffer from serious diseases and, in severe cases or if left untreated, they can die.

"It is not always easy for an owner to tell when they are ill, fearful or suffering and by the time they are taken to a vet, if at all, it can be too late."

You can access information on how to care for leopard geckos here.

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