Gerry, a spotted leopard gecko, bravely peers from his hollow rock on his first day back in Dana Dudley’s sixth grade classroom at Hebron Station School. Nicole Carter / Advertiser Democrat

HEBRON — Like many of his kindergarten through sixth-grade counterparts, spotted leopard gecko and school pet Gerry has been involved with school lessons and schedules for most of his seven years. He can even be considered an in-district transfer, as his main human, educator Dana Dudley switched schools a few years ago, moving from Guy E. Rowe Elementary School in Norway to Hebron.

Hebron Station School student Owen Smith cuddles with the school’s pet lizard, Gerry, this summer. Gerry spent vacation living with Owen and his family. The two returned to Hebron’s sixth grade classroom at the end of August. Supplied photo

Dudley acquired the leopard spotted gecko, along with a male companion back in April of 2017. When Dudley worked at Rowe, the aquarium buddies split their time living between two classrooms. But as the two matured their friendship changed from one of compatibility to more competitive and had to be separated.

When Dudley transferred from Norway to Hebron, Gerry made the move with her while his former friend stayed behind. When she first got Gerry she took him home with her during vacation periods. But with no kids in the house all he had for companionship were her prey-driven cats, not ideal for a little lizard who just wants a low-stress life.

“My cats would just sort of lay outside his tank and watch him like he might be dinner,” Dudley said. “So I started asking my students if any would like to take him home over vacation. Since his second summer he has always spent vacation breaks with a student.”

Owen Smith, a then-fifth grader who says he really likes animals, volunteered last spring when Dudley put out the call for a summer host. It did not take much to convince his mother it would be a good idea.

“I wanted to have something that was new,” Owen told the Advertiser Democrat. “I wanted something different.”

“I am a sucker for animals, too,” Jamie Smith said. “He came home and said, ‘hey Mom, can we have Gerry?’ And I said ‘who is Gerry?’ We’d never had any reptiles as pets. When he told me Gerry is a lizard, I needed to ask what kind, as I didn’t want a three-foot iguana.

“Instead, we got the cutest little gecko ever. He’s got the happiest little face.”

It was almost like a blind date for her, as Jamie did not actually meet Gerry until she picked him up on the last day of school. And even though the Smith household includes a pet cat and dog, neither showed any interest in their summer boarder.

To make sure they understood the special needs of a gecko residing in Maine, Jamie and Owen visited Mr. Drew’s Exotic Animal Education Center in Lewiston to learn more about his habits, maintaining a healthy environment and his feeding regimen. They purchased Gerry’s favorite food, super worms, from Mr. Drew.

“He told us that obesity is the leading cause of death for pet lizards,” Jamie said. “Every other day, we would feed him three to five worms.”

The Smiths learned that Gerry’s preferred way to dine was to be hand fed using tweezers, although occasionally he would feed himself by eating them from the floor of his aquarium.

“He got pretty spoiled, he liked being served,” Jamie laughed. “And as long as it was quiet he had a good appetite.”

Gerry’s preference is to hide out in a hollow rock in his aquarium. During his stay at the Smiths’, he would sometimes peek out to see them when they came into the room.

He came to enjoy snuggling with Owen.

“He liked to be held,” Jamie said. “But we were respectful when he was in his rock not to disturb him. He did like to be held. He likes skin to skin because people are nice and warm. He would hunker down and cuddle where it was warm.

“Our household is pretty quiet. He got some nice R&R this summer with us.”

After spending vacation with Gerry, Owen would like a lizard of his own – including a three-foot iguana. But a spotted leopard gecko would suit him fine.

As for Mom? The answer is yes.

“If I could guarantee he would be like Gerry? I would get another one.”

Now back at Hebron Station School, Owen said Gerry is still readjusting to the ruckus of classroom life. The students in Dudley’s class take daily turns checking on him and feeding him on schedule.

“He’s not eating that good,” he said. “People crowd around, talking instead of whispering. There’s too many people for him. I think he’ll be fine.”

Back to school means back on the job for Gerry.

“As a classroom pet, Gerry is something for kids to learn to care for, to learn about,” Dudley said. “He ties in with our eco-system units – and what do geckos eat in the world and what does their food chain look like and what kind of environment do they live in.

“And how do we share a creature that is much smaller than we are, be kind and take turns, being respectful of him and each other. That’s the idea behind having a class pet.”