What to feed a baby mediterranean house gecko
How to Care for a Baby Gecko | Baby Lizard Care
By Laurie Hess, DVM, Diplomate ABVP (Avian Practice)
Geckos are one of the most popular lizard species kept as pets. Baby geckos can make adorable additions to any family and when housed and fed properly can grow up to be hardy adults that live many years. The key is to educate yourself before you get them so that you can set them up right from the start.
More than 2,000 species of gecko, varying in color and skin markings/patterns, are recognized around the world. Among the most common pet lizard species are leopard geckos and crested geckos. Less commonly kept geckos include day geckos and Tokay geckos.
When they are born, hatchling geckos are typically 3 to 4 inches long. Adult female leopard geckos grow to 7 to 8 inches, while males grow to 8 to 10 inches. Adult crested geckos of both sexes typically are 4.5-5 inches long.
Many pet stores and breeders sell baby geckos so that owners can bond with their pets at a young age and watch them grow. Baby geckos, however, do not have fully developed skeletal and immune systems and are therefore more susceptible than their older counterparts to developing certain diseases. Thus, they must be fed and housed appropriately when they are first purchased to try to prevent the development of common juvenile diseases.
Once their enclosures are set up properly and a feeding regimen has been established, baby geckos can be relatively easy to care for.
Making a Home for Your Baby Gecko
Geckos are typically housed in 10- to 20-gallon glass aquariums. Plastic storage boxes, such as those for storing sweaters, also may be used, as long as the box is at least one-foot high to prevent the lizard from jumping out. Twenty-gallon tanks are better for larger adults or if more than one gecko is being housed in the same tank.
Tanks larger than 20 gallons may be harder to keep warm and humid enough and may enable the gecko to avoid sitting under heat and ultraviolet (UV) lights.
All enclosures must have a secure mesh top to prevent escape and to promote good ventilation. A small, upside down, plastic box with a cut-out door, filled with moist moss or vermiculite, can be used within the enclosure as a hide box to help maintain the humidity high enough to enable the gecko to shed its skin properly. Live or artificial plants can be added to the enclosure, as well, to help maintain humidity and to satisfy the gecko’s desire to climb.
Baby Geckos Need Warmth and Humidity
All types of gecko, regardless of species, need supplemental heat in their enclosures. Heat may be provided with an over-the-tank heat bulb or an under-the-tank heat mat placed at one end of the tank. Hot rocks are not recommended, as they can get very hot, and reptiles often don’t move off them before they get burned.
Gecko tanks should have a temperature range with a warm end and a cool end. The ideal temperature range for a gecko depends on the species. Leopard geckos should have a warm zone (containing the hide box) that is about 90°F and a cool zone that is no lower than the low 70s°F.
Crested geckos do better at slightly lower temperatures, with the warm zone in the upper 70s to low 80s°F and the cool zone no lower than about 70°F.
Tank temperatures should be monitored daily with “point and shoot” temperature guns, available in most pet stores, or with traditional temperature strips or thermometers that stick on the inner walls of the tank. The amount of heat provided may need to be varied seasonally depending on the ambient temperature of the room in which the lizard is housed.
Humidity must be monitored, as well, with gauges called hygrometers. Ideally, humidity should be maintained between 50-70 percent to ensure that lizards are hydrated and shed their skin properly. Daily misting of the tank helps to keep humidity adequate.
Most gecko species are nocturnal in the wild, being active at night, so they are not exposed to a great deal of sunlight. Consequently, some reptile breeders and veterinarians feel that geckos do not require UV light. Provision of UV light to geckos is, however, controversial, and certain veterinarians (including this author) feel that geckos do better and are less likely to develop common skeletal diseases, such as metabolic bone disease, when they are exposed daily to a few hours of UV light from a full-spectrum UV bulb, particularly if they are housed completely indoors.
While geckos in the wild may live on sand or soil, these substrates are generally not recommended in a pet gecko’s enclosure, as the animal may inadvertently ingest them and develop gastrointestinal impactions or obstructions. Paper-based bedding, such as recycled paper pellets typically used for guinea pigs and rabbits, or shredded newspaper, are better, since they are digestible if consumed.
For a more natural look, pieces of reptile carpet, sold in pet stores, may be used as bedding; however, reptile carpet must be changed frequently, as it gets soiled with food and feces quickly.
What to Feed to a Baby Gecko
Leopard geckos are carnivores; they don’t eat plants or other vegetable matter but rather live insects such as mealworms and crickets. Crested geckos eat small amounts of fruit in the wild in addition to insects.
Baby geckos can be offered small crickets and mealworms daily. Insects, in general, should be no bigger than the width of the gecko’s head.
When lizards get closer to adult size, they can be fed insects every other day and be offered larger insects, such as waxworms, superworms, and Dubia roaches.
The insects you are feeding to your gecko should be fed a diet that has been fortified with calcium, vitamins, and minerals (a process called gut-loading) before being offered to the geckos so that the lizard is getting balanced nutrition. If you are raising your own insects for feed, the insects also should be lightly coated with calcium powder three times a week, calcium powder with additional vitamin D3 twice a week, and a mineral supplement once a week, before being fed to the gecko.
Insects can be provided to baby geckos in small shallow dishes into which geckos can climb to eat them. If a baby lizard is too small initially to climb into the dish, it can be hand-fed one insect at a time until it grows large enough to eat on its own. Only the number of insects a gecko will eat in one sitting should be offered at a time, or leftover insects may chew on the lizard’s skin.
In addition, geckos should be fed fresh water daily from a shallow dish from which they can drink. The dish of water will also help to increase ambient humidity as the water evaporates.
Crested geckos, like leopard geckos, also eat insects, but they can be fed a product called Repashy Superfoods Crested Gecko Diet as their main diet to reduce the need for insects. This diet is mixed with two parts of water, and the gecko is offered as much of this mixture as it will eat out of a shallow dish in one sitting three times a week. The mixed diet can sit in the enclosure for up to 24 hours before it should be removed. Crested geckos eating Repashy may be offered insects once a week along with small amounts of fruit (such as banana or mango) or fruit baby food from a jar as a treat.
How to Hold a Baby Gecko
Baby geckos can be very skittish, so handling them when they are little can help acclimate them to touch and make them less afraid. However, until they are at least three inches long, they can be injured when they are handled, so it is better to let them grow a bit before picking them up regularly.
Also, for the first two weeks after they are introduced into a new enclosure, it is best not to handle them so that they can adjust to their new home. After that, 5 to 15 minutes a day of handling should be enough to get them used to being held but not too much to stress them.
In addition, reptiles absorb bacteria, other germs, and toxic chemicals through their skin, so it is essential that anyone handling a gecko does so only with clean hands. Conversely, since reptiles carry disease-producing bacteria, such as Salmonella, on their skin that can be transmitted to people during handling, it’s also critical that individuals handling geckos wash their hands thoroughly after touching them.
Finally, since geckos naturally “drop” or release their tails to escape when their tails are grabbed by predators, geckos should never be handled by their tails, or they might break off. Many geckos will regrow their tails if they break off, but the area of the break is susceptible to developing infection, and the new tail may have a completely different color and shape than the original tail.
Therefore, it is better to gently hold a baby gecko in the palm of a flat hand while using the other hand to prevent it from jumping or running away.
The "hand walking" method, in which the gecko, sitting on one extended upright palm, is offered the other extended palm directly in front of it to allow it to hop or jump to the second palm, over and over (think Slinky), also can be used to encourage baby geckos to get used to handling.
What Illnesses Do Baby Geckos Get?
Unfortunately, too many gecko owners do not educate themselves about what their lizards require in terms of housing or nutrition before they bring them home. For example, gecko owners are often not aware they have to gut-load insects or dust them with vitamin and mineral supplements before feeding them to their pets. As a result, baby geckos (particularly those that are housed indoors without access to any UV light that aids in making vitamin D3 in the skin to help absorb calcium from food) can develop metabolic bone disease.
In this condition, the calcium to phosphorus ratio in the lizard’s body is typically less than the ideal 2 to 1 ratio. Consequently, their bones never ossify but remain soft and spongy and may fold or fracture. They become weak and stop moving and eating. When untreated, these animals often die.
Gecko owners who see any of these signs in their pets should bring them to the veterinarian as soon as possible to start treatment with calcium and vitamin D. With early therapy, these animals can make a full recovery.
Another disease common in baby geckos is life-threatening gastrointestinal (GI) impaction and obstruction with sand bedding. These little lizards inadvertently consume bits of sand as they ingest insects, and sand gradually accumulates in the GI tract until an obstruction ensues. These pets stop eating, become weak, strain to pass stool, and eventually stop passing it altogether. Lizard owners who see these signs should have their pets treated by a veterinarian immediately.
With subcutaneous fluids, enemas, and oral laxatives, many of these lizards can be saved.
A final disease that occurs commonly in baby geckos is retention of shedding skin from lack of humidity. Geckos that are kept at too low humidity get dehydrated and retain patches of skin around their toes (where it can constrict circulation, leading to loss of digits) and around their eyes (where it interferes with their vision and their ability to catch insects). As a result, they stop eating, lose weight, and often die. Early intervention by a veterinarian to extract shed skin stuck in eyes, to rehydrate the pet, and to start force-feeding until the animal eats on its own, can make the difference between life and death.
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7 Terrarium Dangers for Reptiles
Care, Lifespan, Diet & Size
Mediterranean house geckos are adorable and friendly lizards that many reptile enthusiasts choose to keep as pets. But interestingly enough, their origin makes this a point of confusion among other people!
This guide will cover everything you need to know about Mediterranean house gecko care.
We’ll get into their habitat setup, lifespan, size, diet, and more!
Table of Contents
- Species Summary
- Appearance & Colors
- Can You Keep Them as Pets?
- Lifespan
- Average Size
- Mediterranean House Gecko Care
- Enclosure Size
- What To Put In Their Habitat
- Temperature & Lighting
- Humidity
- Water
- Mediterranean House Gecko Food & Diet
- Potential Health Issues
- Behavior & Temperament
- Handling Them
- Conclusion
Species Summary
The Mediterranean house gecko (Hemidactylus turcicus) is a unique reptile that made its way into the pet trade by very unconventional means. This lizard is native to the Mediterranean area. They’re most prevalent in countries like Cyprus, Turkey, and Spain.
As the name would imply, the reptile is commonly seen in homes. They like to hide in dark corners of the house or natural habitats with plenty of hiding spots.
These geckos are so widespread that most people don’t give them much thought. In fact, it’s considered taboo to harm them because of their gentle nature. Not only that, but many believe that the lizards are beneficial in homes because they control insect populations.
In 1915, Mediterranean house geckos appeared in Florida. They were likely brought into the United States as pets before humans let them go into the wild. Alternatively, they could have escaped and continued to survive in the hot and humid environment.
Either way, it didn’t take long for numbers to flourish in Florida and nearby states. Now, they’re considered an invasive species. They’re common in Florida, Texas, and neighboring areas.
Many experts attribute their spread in the United States to their overall adaptability and resilience. Those two traits also make these lizards great pets. They’re an excellent choice for beginners, but their docile nature makes them a favorite among seasoned enthusiasts as well.
Appearance & Colors
Thanks to their distinct look, Mediterranean house geckos are easy to distinguish from other types of geckos. While they have many of the same hallmarks, like sticky toe pads and cylindrical bodies, this species has an eye-catching color.
Most of the body is typically gray, brown, or tan. Pink and purple undertones are pretty common. The skin is bumpy, and you might also see darker spots to create a mottled pattern. The tail features stripes instead of dots, resulting in a unique juxtaposition that’s hard to miss.
The underbelly is usually white and translucent. If you shine a light on the lizard, you may see its heart beating or some developing eggs!
The head is wide and features a rounded snout. The eyes are large, lidless, and have visible vertical slits instead of round pupils.
Like most geckos, the Mediterranean house gecko has short and stocky limbs. A hand of dexterous fingers and sticky pads make it easy for them to get around their environment.
Can You Keep Them as Pets?
Mediterranean house geckos make fantastic pet lizards. They’re pretty easy to take care of and are surprisingly peaceful.
If you happen to live in an area where these lizards are common, it’s always a better idea to buy from an established breeder or pet store. Captive-bred lizards are usually healthier, have a lower risk of genetic issues, and will typically have a longer lifespan.
Lifespan
The average Mediterranean house gecko lifespan is quite broad. On the lower end, they can live a short three years. However, healthy geckos with great care are capable of living as long as nine years!
Expert Tip: There are no guarantees, and many factors contribute to the average lifespan. One of the biggest is the quality of care you provide. Mediterranean house geckos living in pristine conditions and given nutritious diets are far less likely to succumb to disease and early death.
Average Size
If you don’t have a ton of room for pets, these reptiles can be an excellent choice.
The size of a full-grown Mediterranean house gecko is a mere four to five inches in length. Larger lizards can exceed five inches (barely), but they never get bigger than that.
Mediterranean House Gecko Care
The Mediterranean house gecko is resilient enough to establish invasive populations in countries thousands of miles away from its native lands. It’s undoubtedly tough enough to thrive in captivity!
It doesn’t matter if you’re an experienced herpetology buff or a new reptile owner. Keeping these little guys healthy is a cinch. Here are some Mediterranean house gecko care guidelines to help you get started on the right foot.
Enclosure Size
You don’t need a massive terrarium to keep a Mediterranean house gecko. A 10-gallon glass aquarium will suffice. If you have fresh hatchlings, you can use a five-gallon tank.
If you want to provide the optimal habitat, a 20-gallon terrarium is a fantastic choice. Go for a vertically oriented model to allow for plenty of climbing opportunities.
Expert Tip: For multi-lizard setup, 20-gallon enclosures should be the bare minimum. A tank of that size is suitable for three lizards. For every additional gecko, aim for a size increase of about five gallons.
A standard glass aquarium is the best choice for Mediterranean house geckos. Make sure to secure a metal mesh lid on top. These lizards can and will escape if given the opportunity!
What To Put In Their Habitat
There’s a ton of creative wiggle room when designing a habitat for your Mediterranean house gecko. It’s important to remember that these reptiles are accustomed to living in homes, so they adapt to pretty much anything!
Even though setting up the habitat is one of the easiest parts of Mediterranean house gecko care, you should still keep their ideal conditions in mind. The best thing you can do is create a natural setup that mimics a lush environment.
For your substrate, it’s recommended to use paper towels.
These lizards are messy, and you can easily toss paper substrate adds loads of convenience. Reptile carpets can work as well, but you’ll need to clean them quite frequently.
Expert Tip: If you prefer a more natural look, additive-free cypress mulch, orchid bark, or even organic soil works well. Feel free to add some sphagnum moss or leaf litter if you want to go the extra mile.
On top of the substrate, add foliage, vines, and branches. The goal here is to create many climbing surfaces for your Mediterranean house gecko. Get creative and build unique paths for the lizard to explore.
As for the plants, dense foliage is always good. You can use fake or faux plants. The latter is easier to care for, but both are suitable as long as they provide coverage.
Temperature & Lighting
Mediterranean house geckos prefer warm and humid environments. Use incandescent bulbs and heating pads to create consistent temperatures around 75 degrees Fahrenheit during the day.
It’s important to remember that these geckos thermoregulate to stay healthy. As a result, you’ll need to create a temperature gradient using a basking lamp. Place a basking lamp on one side of the aquarium to raise temperatures to 90 degrees.
The habitat can get as low as 65 degrees at night without issues. These lizards prefer a slightly cooler environment after dark. However, don’t the temperature drop below 65 degrees.
Expert Tip: This species is largely nocturnal, so full-spectrum lighting isn’t necessary. However, a UVB light can be useful in maintaining the day and night cycle.
Humidity
Maintaining the proper levels of humidity is an essential part of Mediterranean house gecko care.
The humidity level in their enclosure should be between 60 and 75 percent at all times. It’s a good idea to invest in a hygrometer that you can monitor around the clock.
Varying humidity levels can lead to many problems, which we’ll get into later.
If you need to raise the moisture in the air, consider misting the enclosure daily. The plants and substrate should hold onto water to keep things muggy.
If too much humidity is an issue, simply increase air circulation to encourage moisture evaporation.
Water
Most reptile experts recommend keeping a small bowl of water in the habitat. However, don’t be surprised if you never see your Mediterranean house gecko drinking out of it. These lizards prefer to drink from water droplets that form on plants and other surfaces (which is another reason why misting the enclosure is important).
Still, include a bowl that’s large enough for the gecko to get in. You might see them soaking every once in a while. Keep an eye on the water quality and replace it frequently.
Mediterranean House Gecko Food & Diet
Mediterranean house geckos are true insectivores. Their diet consists entirely of insects and they usually won’t even touch plant-based foods.
In the wild, they eat everything from moths to cockroaches. You can mix things up by rotating between roaches, worms, and crickets in captivity. Mealworms and other popular insect-based reptile foods work, too.
When providing live insects, make sure to gut-load them first. Usually, you can find gut-loaded insects at local pet stores. Also, never offer insects that are bigger than the size of the gecko’s head.
Expert Tip: You’ll need to feed Mediterranean house geckos three to four times a week. For each feeding, about four or five insects will suffice.
Every other feeding, dust the insects in a vitamin supplement powder. It should be a multivitamin that contains calcium to meet all their nutritional needs.
Potential Health Issues
Mediterranean house geckos are relatively hardy. They wouldn’t be such an invasive species if they weren’t! The reptile has no problem staying healthy with high-quality care.
However, they’re not indestructible.
These lizards can experience all the usual ailments.
Some of the most common health issues are directly tied to poor living conditions. For example, respiratory infections are a product of improper temperature and humidity levels.
When a Mediterranean house gecko suffers from these infections, you might notice labored breathing or discharge. The tissue in the mouth and nostrils get inflamed, resulting in what looks like bleeding.
Take your lizard to a vet specializing in exotic animals if you think that you’re dealing with an infection. They’re pretty easy to treat with the right antibiotics.
To prevent them from occurring, stay on top of tank conditions. Keep a hygrometer and thermometer in the tank so that you can ensure conditions are in the proper range. Stability is key when caring for any reptile, so avoid major fluctuations.
Skin infections and fungal problems are common as well. In most cases, they come from unsanitary living conditions.
Check the environment frequently and pick up any droppings.
Mediterranean house gecko droppings are long, light brown, and usually have white tips. If the poop looks runny or crumbly, that could indicate a health problem.
Spot clean messes daily. About once a month, do a full sanitization. Remove your gecko temporarily and clean every surface. You can use a reptile-safe disinfectant or a 10-percent bleach and water mixture to keep the bacteria under control.
Finally, there’s the possibility of impaction. Gut impaction is a common issue among geckos who live on a substrate that’s too easy to consume. Your gecko is bound to eat some soil as they hunt down their food.
But if they eat too much substrate or consume a large piece, it can cause gut impaction. Once again, take a trip to the vet for treatment. The best way to avoid compaction is to use a substrate that’s not loose, such as paper towels.
Behavior & Temperament
This cute little lizard is a joy to own. They’re gentle and rarely show any signs of aggression.
Most are relaxed, exploring the habitat you create and clinging onto the glass walls of the enclosure.
Expert Tip: Don’t be alarmed if you don’t see much of these lizards during the day. Mediterranean house geckos are primarily nocturnal. When the sun is out, and the lights are on, they spend most of their time hidden away. They come out during dusk and display the most activity around 2:00 AM.
It is possible to keep more than one gecko in the same environment. However, you have to plan the group accordingly since males do spar.
They can get territorial, making squeaking sounds to ward off potential invaders. Males often get into fights. When that happens, the lizards often drop their tails.
Don’t worry! It grows back. But it’s best to avoid that issue altogether by keeping the geckos stress-free.
If you want to keep a group of lizards together, have one male and multiple females. That way, you can maintain peace!
Handling Them
Mediterranean house geckos don’t mind handling, but you have to earn their trust first.
Start handling them early in life, limiting sessions to only a few minutes at a time. Eventually, these lizards will get used to you and have no problem hanging out in your hand.
But even then, exercise caution! These little critters can move fast, and things can go south pretty quickly if they’re uncomfortable in your hands.
Never make sudden movements and be gentle. Let the lizard get comfortable and always support their body.
When removing the gecko from the enclosure, have a firm grip from the top and support their bottom. Better yet, let the Mediterranean house gecko crawl into your hands of its own volition. Never grab onto its tail or squeeze too hard.
If your Mediterranean house gecko shows any signs of discomfort, gently put them back into the enclosure. Otherwise, they’ll drop their tail or try to escape.
Conclusion
Mediterranean house gecko care is as simple as it gets. These reptiles are a joy to own and shouldn’t give you any problems (no matter how much experience you have).
We hope you found this guide useful and consider getting this species as a pet. If you have any questions that we didn’t address above, send them our way and we’ll be happy to help.
Geckos, maintenance, gecko food, photo of a gecko, current gecko, breeding of geckos
Geckos, or chain-toed (lat. Gekkonidae) - an extensive family of lizards. All geckos, on the basis of some features, in particular the shape of the vertebrae and the structure of the eyes, are divided into three subfamilies, uniting a total of about 80 genera and more than 600 species of geckos in tropical, subtropical and partly in temperate zones. These climbing lizards live mainly on trees of tall forests, on rocks, cliffs above rivers, in caves. In tropical countries, geckos live right on the walls of houses and other buildings. nine0004
Such species of this species of lizards as Toki gecko, spotted gecko, crested, ribbon, half-toed, lobe-tailed, chain-tailed, skink geckos, as well as Madagascar, steppe, gray gecko and squeaky gecko are quite suitable for keeping in a terrarium.
The body length of these lizards can be from 3.5 to 30 cm. The life length can reach 25 years. In a number of species, body color changes at different times of the day and depending on the physiological state of the animal. On the head of geckos are numerous granular or small polygonal shields; large eyes without eyelids, covered with a fixed transparent membrane, with vertical pupils that look like a thin slit during the day and expand at night; wide tongue, with a small notch in front, covered on top with small papillae. The delicate, easily damaged skin of geckos is usually covered with small granular scales, among which larger smooth, keeled or warty scales can be located in disorder or regular rows, often in the form of conical tubercles or spines. Only representatives of some genera are characterized by tile-like scales resembling fish. Most species of geckos are crepuscular or nocturnal. nine0004
A characteristic feature of geckos is their extended fingers, covered with horny plates from below, thanks to the special structure of which, lizards easily run along vertical surfaces, and can also sit on the ceiling without any effort.
Their tail is brittle, but quickly regenerates.
Another feature of geckos is their loud "singing" and a wide variety of sounds that constantly accompany their life: chirping, croaking, squeaking, and clicks. nine0004
The word "gecko" comes from the cry of one of the varieties of African species of these animals - Toki (or tokei) geckos, the males of which make the sounds "Ttt-t-to-ke!" especially loudly during the mating season. or "Tt-to-kkei!".
Keeping a gecko
Geckos are easy to keep in captivity. Most come down to the ground only to feed, so they need a vertical or cubic terrarium. In nature, they live in large colonies, while each of the geckos gets a very small territory, which he vigilantly guards. In this regard, they do not need large terrariums. nine0004
In captivity, geckos are best kept in pairs. Male geckos jealously guard their territory, so there should be only one male in the terrarium.
The female can be kept next to him or one, or up to three individuals. But in no case should a second male be planted, since the rivalry among these animals is extremely pronounced, and in nature, during the mating season, geckos fight until the death or severe injury of one of them. You can determine the sex of a gecko at 3 months of age by examining the underbelly. Males have large ventral openings placed in the shape of a "V" near the base of the tail; females do not have them. In addition, males are more well-fed and have a larger head. nine0004
Peat, coconut flakes, gravel can be used as soil. But sand cannot be used, since when eating food, sand can enter the digestive organs and cause various adverse effects there: poor digestion of food, stagnation and obstruction. Make sure the soil is slightly damp.
Daytime temperature should be about 28-35°C, and at night 5-8°C less. Most geckos do not need ultraviolet light. The exception is diurnal species. In the terrarium, you need to place a drinking bowl and several branches and shelters, for example, pieces of bark, shards of pots.
Geckos do not need wintering. You can put live plants directly in pots in the terrarium, they will help maintain the necessary microclimate inside. The following plants are suitable for natural gardening: scindapsus, dwarf creeping ficus, various philodendrons, white-veined arrowroot - which, in addition to maintaining the required level of humidity, will also make the interior beautiful. It is better to bury pots with plants in a layer of fine gravel or high-moor peat. Plants should be watered regularly and provided with bright light (for example, with a fluorescent lamp). nine0004
When you turn on the daylight, you will get both a good spectrum for plants and warmth for lizards, which will only benefit all the inhabitants of your small tropical world. The more the terrarium is equipped with vegetation and various decorations, the more comfortable your wards will feel, the more comfortable their house, their fortress will be, and the less stressful situations will be created for them.
The terrarium should be sufficiently humid, and for this it is necessary to spray warm (40-50°C) boiled water once or twice a day, avoiding waterlogging of the soil. nine0004
The soil should be slightly damp. The optimum air humidity should be at the level of 70-80%. Spraying also contributes to the formation of dew on the glass walls of the terrarium and on the leaves of plants, which geckos sometimes use as a drink. With such humidity, it is necessary to ensure good ventilation inside the terrarium. Therefore, the slots in the ceiling and in one of the end walls, covered with a fine mesh, will completely cope with this function.
The teeth of these reptiles are very sharp, the jaws are strong, and it is very difficult to open them without damaging them. In moments of aggression, the gecko swells strongly, hisses, opens its mouth wide, makes frightening croaking sounds and makes sharp attacks, trying to attack the troublemaker. Therefore, do not try at first to take a lizard in your hands if you are barely familiar with it.
Avoid handling reptiles too often as this can lead to stress and never pick up a gecko by the tail as it can easily come off. nine0004
Like other reptiles, geckos can carry salmonellosis bacteria when kept in poor conditions, so personal hygiene is very important when dealing with them and care items. Disinfect regularly and keep the gecko's cage clean, but don't clean it in the kitchen or bathroom. Wash your hands before handling a reptile and after handling it.
Gecko food
It is very important not to overfeed the animals. The larger the gecko, the less often it needs to be fed: lizards 20 cm or more in size should receive food 2 times a week or 5 times every two weeks. The food should be as diverse as possible and contain all the necessary minerals and vitamins. nine0004
With a lack of ultraviolet radiation, the production of vitamin D is disrupted, which means that calcium metabolism is also impaired.
This is especially scary for babies and females during the breeding season. Therefore, bowls with "bird stone" powder should stand in the terrarium, and fodder insects should be rolled in calcium hammer and dry vitamins for reptiles. Tetra (ReptoCal, ReptoLife) and LM (Calcium, Vitamins) vitamins have proven themselves best. Once a week, you need to irradiate animals with ultraviolet light for several minutes and give liquid vitamins. It is convenient to do this with a soft squirrel brush: a drop of vitamins is applied to the eyes or the tip of the lizard's muzzle, which immediately licks it off with its tongue. Although this method is rather troublesome, it allows you to accurately dose vitamins. nine0004
Most geckos eat only live food: spiders, flies, crickets, cockroaches, locusts and other insects, all types of worms (flour, zoophobes) are the main food mass. Before feeding, insects are given special iguana food, vegetables and fish - they become more nutritious. Large geckos can be fed mice and puppies, as well as quail eggs.
Some species enjoy eating bananas. Make sure your pet has enough drinking water.
Day geckos prefer food of animal origin, but they still enjoy sweet fruits (chopped bananas or oranges). Their weakness is marmalade or honey. nine0004
Gecko breeding
Almost all geckos are oviparous. Lizards can mate throughout the year, except for the winter months. In nature, they lay their eggs in the hollows of trees, sticking them tightly to the wood. Usually it is 5-8 clutches with a frequency of 15-40 days, with a quantity of 1-2 eggs in a clutch. The incubation period lasts from 3 to 7 months, depending on the conditions.
In the terrarium, to create more natural conditions, the female can be provided with vertical pieces of bark, stems with hollows and other decorative elements for laying. The more suitable objects for laying eggs, the more offspring you can get. For full hatching and further development of cubs from eggs, it is necessary to maintain a temperature of 28-30 degrees Celsius in the terrarium.
With a flat, without drops, temperature, incubation takes place as soon as possible - in 134 days. The female, during the laying period, must be provided with a sufficient amount of minerals in the form of ordinary chalk or calcium glycerophosphate tablets. You can also use a bird stone purchased from a pet store for this, placing or hanging it inside the terrarium. If the female lacks calcium, then she can eat the shell of her eggs. nine0004
Eggs have an almost regular spherical shape and, unlike the eggs of other lizards, are enclosed in a dense and fragile calcareous shell, which hardens some time after laying, absorbing carbon dioxide from the air. Therefore, they often retain their initially irregular shape, determined, for example, by the configuration of the crack or slit where the deposit was made. For the same reason, eggs glued to trees by some geckos look like a hemisphere.
Gecko parents are useless, as they absolutely without a twinge of conscience eat their newborn babies.
During this period, children simply need worthy shelters, but since it is difficult for them to hide from hunter parents in a small “native” terrarium, it would be better if you put the young people in a separate apartment. Small geckos (8-10 cm long), only after being born, can begin to hunt flies and small crickets. It is better, without waiting for the hatching of the young, to transfer all the decorative elements with eggs glued to their walls to a specially equipped incubator, for which you can use an old aquarium, and something like it. nine0004
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Published: 11/10/2020 Reading time: 6 min. 7257 Share: 1.1. Gecko diet 2. The gecko is exotic in every way. From unique and sometimes strange appearance to living conditions and habits. But this reptile also has a very common feature. Like all living beings, he needs to eat fully in order to maintain health, activity and his "presentable" exotic appearance. Some geckos have become real pets and have many color morphs. But, even the most "domestic" geckos need proper nutrition, mostly live food. nine0004 Before you buy a gecko, you should familiarize yourself with its gastronomic habits. This information may force you to change your choice in favor of a less exotic pet, because these reptiles prefer to eat live insects, and large species will not refuse small rodents and reptiles - mice or baby snakes. But if such a menu does not seem repulsive, then it is useful to know other equally important nuances. A sample list of "meals" for a gecko that lives in captivity looks like this: Geckos are usually not picky and will eat anything they can fit in their mouths. Of course, the gecko's diet should be varied - this will help prevent beriberi and metabolic disorders caused by a mono-diet. But if you do not have the opportunity to constantly get new pet food and you are limited to a rather meager assortment of a pet store (usually crickets and mealworms), then you should take care of vitamins in a different form. For example, in the form of a Reptilife feed additive, which includes a complex of the most important substances for reptiles. nine0004 Given that insects must be alive and active (this is the main condition under which a gecko will be interested in a grasshopper or a worm), you can get food for your pet on your own in the summer. In addition to menu preferences, these reptiles have other "requests" regarding nutrition. Excessively frequent meals should not be allowed under any circumstances. Digestion in reptiles is quite slow, so before the next meal they need to completely digest the previous portion. For small geckos, one feeding per day is enough, and large ones are recommended to be fed even every other day. You need to focus on the size of the reptile. For example, 5-7 adult crickets are enough for a medium gecko, half a serving is enough for a small gecko, and double the serving for large species. One of the indicators that the pet is not starving is its tail. Fat and plump means your gecko is eating well and is definitely not starving. Too fat, which interferes with walking - that the pet is obese. Contents
1.2. Where to get food 
1. Frequency of feeding
2.2. Serving Size
2.3. Feeding time
2.4. Feeding conditions Gecko Menu
nine0004 Gecko ration
Where to get food
But it's important to make sure you're getting insects from environmentally friendly areas that haven't been treated with pesticides so you don't feed your pet with toxins. So this option is suitable for very few. Another option is to grow cockroaches, crickets or other insects on your own in a separate terrarium. But, given the appetite of the gecko, the most logical way out is a specialized store where you can buy reptile food. Captive-born geckos will readily eat even frozen insects. Don't forget to "feed the food" before giving it to your gecko! This will increase the benefits of mining several times. nine0004 Gecko Feeding Features
Frequency of feeding
Juveniles feed more often, depending on age. And do not forget to maintain the correct temperature in the terrarium, as it depends on how fully the gecko digests its lunch. nine0004 Serving size
Feeding time
nine0007 The main guideline is whether your gecko is diurnal or nocturnal. The first ones need to be fed during the day, closer to noon. And reptiles with a nocturnal lifestyle - closer to the night.
Feeding conditions
It's best if you let your gecko hunt crickets or cockroaches. But this is possible only if the terrarium has a tight lid, because not all insects are ready to dutifully wait until they are eaten.
