Along with other presents on birthdays and holidays, Rachael and Russ Law’s children Eli and Calypso have asked for live animals. Rather than a puppy or cat, however, the Law children have opted mostly for reptiles.

 

Skully, the two-and-a-half-year-old crested gecko, joined the family at their home on East Brookhaven Drive shortly after Eli’s tenth birthday. “Instead of asking for birthday presents, Eli asked his friends to contribute to his ‘Crested Gecko Fund,’” says Rachael. “He used the money to buy the gecko and the vivarium [tank].”

 

The crested gecko, which gets sprayed down daily and eats fruit smoothies each night, is named after the skull crawler in Kong: Skull Island. He can lick his eyeballs and has soft lizard skin, which makes him fun to hold. “The thing I love most about Skully is that he is so friendly,” says Eli. “I can hold him, and he won’t bite.”

 

Polly, a male budgie, and Marshmallow, a female, joined Skully at the Law household last year. Calypso was asking for a bird for her birthday. When the Laws learned of a family looking to rehome the budgie pair, they adopted them.

 

The 2-year-old birds came with their names. Marshmallow is white, and Polly is blue and white. Marshmallow started laying eggs in August, but as of early September, only one remained. (She ate one and tossed a few others, which is not uncommon for female budgies.)

 

As far as birds go, the pair are spoiled. They get freshly chopped vegetables each day and have lots of toys. Yet, the birds are not the friendliest, according to Rachael. “We didn’t know this before we got them, but in order to have a very friendly, cuddly bird, you have to raise it from a baby,” she says. “Polly will occasionally sit on a hand, but Marshmallow tends to bite!”

 

Tickle, Chicken, and Froggy are the latest editions to the Law household. Rachael ordered them as Chanukkah gifts for Eli and Calypso. The African clawed frogs arrived via mail as tadpoles, and the family enjoyed watching the metamorphosis into adult frogs.

 

The frogs eat live food, mostly worms found in the Law yard. They live in a tank and spend their lives in water, coming up only to breathe. “They are also pretty low maintenance – the tank doesn’t need a filter, a light, or a heater as long as the water [which is changed once a week] stays at around room temp,” she notes.

 

Rachael had an African-clawed frog as a pet when she was young. It lived 20 years. “They are a long-term commitment, but they make great pets!” she says. The family also loves their fish, which quietly spends its life in a tank.