Class pets can be few and far between. Due to allergies, short lifespans and sanitary concerns, animals in school are relatively rare. While a handful of teachers at Fishers High School keep reptiles in the classroom, most do not permit frequent handling of the animals.
Mr. Lawrence teaches Principles of Agriculture at FHS. At the back of his classroom, two glass terrariums sit on a counter. The occupants are crested geckos, which are a mid-sized subtropical species that were once thought to be extinct up until 1994.
Lawrence lets his students handle the geckos, Noodle and Meatball, nearly every day during class.
“Every period somebody usually gets them out,” Lawrence said. “I have four Principles [of Agriculture] classes, those classes usually have the most students that like doing things with the geckos.”
Mr. Lawrence also teaches the Plant and Soil class and has previously taught the animal science class.
“One year, I had a student doing a research project on them,” Lawrence said. “And somehow in this 20-minute timeframe, the gecko got behind a cabinet, and I had to take the cabinet off the wall to get it out.
Freshman Mason Crick cared for the geckos over fall break this school year. He took their tanks home with the permission of the teacher. Mr. Lawrence holds opportunities every long break for a student to take one or both geckos home to watch.
“Meatball would just sit on my chest and sleep, I would sit back in my chair, play games, and they would just sit there,” Crick said.
Crick also gets the chance to care for the geckos in class by misting their enclosures and refilling their food. As adults, crested geckos require feeding every two to three days, and stay hydrated through properly humidified air and condensation, as opposed to drinking from a bowl.
“I’m his first period aide, so I try to help out,” Lawrence said.
Crested geckos thrive at room temperature, making them a low maintenance reptile compared to snakes or bearded dragons, which require a lamp for basking heat.
They are also well known for their captive diet, a fruit powder mixed with water to create a pasty meal, often called “goop.” It is a balanced supplement for many species of fruit-eating geckos.
Freshman Brooklyn Sullivan enjoys the crested geckos, along with many other students in Lawrence’s agriculture class.
“About half our class gets them out, but I do know that a lot of people last semester got them out,” Sullivan said. “Almost everybody in our class enjoyed them.”
While Principles of Agriculture is a prerequisite class full of mostly freshmen, Mr. Lawrence trusts all his classes to handle the geckos, provided they ask beforehand.
“It gives you a reason to want to be in class; it makes the experience more fun for an animal class,” Sullivan said. “Mr. Lawrence is very fun, as long as you get your work done, you can chill out.”
Because the geckos are handled so often, they are extremely comfortable with students. Crested geckos are commonly known to be flighty, being able to jump like a frog. They can walk on walls and even hang upside down on certain textures.
Mr. Lawrence’s geckos are a positive addition to his classroom environment. Meatball and Noodle help educate students on safe handling, while providing an opportunity to become familiar with reptile care.
