09/17/2025
East Dallas 4-H Club President Zach Porter has a leopard gecko, which is more to his mother’s liking than his Madagascar hissing cockroaches.
Angela Johnson, East Dallas 4-H Club Manager and Zach's mother, convinced him to adopt the gecko at this year’s Dallas Public Library Community Nature Expo. The gecko, named Bubba, is bumpy all over, except for his velvety-soft tail, where excess fat is stored, Zach says. Bubba was overweight when Zach first got him, and his tail was as big as his body.
Bubba eats crickets, superworms and mealworms, but his meals must be live insects, Johnson says. The gecko needs three feeders, as in one cricket or one mealworm, a week, Zach says. Superworms are treats and should be used sparingly. The insects he eats need to be fed as well for the meal to be nutritious.
“Bubba is really cool,” she says. “He’s gorgeous, just his coloring and his eyes and everything. And when you talk to him, he looks at you.”
https://lakewood.advocatemag.com/old-lake-highlands-teen-raises-exotic-creatures/
Fifteen-year-old Zach Porter thought taking home Madagascar hissing cockroaches was cool. But his mother was less than thrilled. “I had PTSD from the giant water roaches at Six Flags from when I was a teenager,” says Angela Johnson, East Dallas 4-H Club Manager.
