Gecko Care – behavior

A leopard gecko is now considered to be one of the best reptiles to house as a pet in captivity. Having a generally calm nature they are fairly inactive and tolerate being handled well. They are a nocturnal species so they are most active in the evenings and at night times, while spending most of the day hidden away sleeping. The gecko is a somewhat clean reptile and they will naturally choose a single place inside their tank to use as a toilet area.

As they are a nocturnal species you are unlikely to witness much activity during the daytime, they will usually spend all day resting inside their hiding area. Some geckos will come out as soon as the light turns off, it is important not to do this just to see if the gecko will make an appearance as you will disturb their sleeping pattern. It is known for some geckos to come out a little before the light usually goes out to bask in the light for a short while as if it is the rays from the sun.

Even when your gecko comes out at night when it is dark then they do not display much activity, they will normally walk about a bit before climbing onto a rock or similar object to sit and rest. The most active you will see them is when they devour their prey to eat.

Like people, geckos can be quite individual in their food preferences. You may have one that adores to lick honey from a jam jar lid, while you have another that prefers mangoes and grapes. Note that while most of their diet is made up from insects, geckos have a sweet tooth and will cater for many different tastes, it is up to you to try and experiment to keep them happy. When you place different foods inside the tank you can record what you placed in the tank and if they were interested or not so you know for next time.

Gecko Care – health

It is always wise to do as much research about any pet that you are planning to bring into your home. There are some pets that have very specific wants and needs and doing so allows you to prepare well for their arrival.

When you first bring your gecko home you should take a sample of its feces to your local vet to analyze for any presences of parasites. It can take some time for a gecko to show any signs of being infested with parasites so by taking this first step you can eliminate the worry from your mind.

Always practice a strict quarantine procedure when you plan to add any more geckos to the same tank, they should be kept separately for at least three months until you are certain they are healthy.

The most important part of keeping healthy geckos is cleanliness, their tank must be kept as clean as possible. This means removing feces as soon as you can, how your tank is set up will be the deciding factor in how effectively you can do this. Using paper towels as a substrate has great advantages as they can be easily removed once feces has been laid on them allowing you to keep a very clean tank with less hard work.

You should monitor how much your gecko is eating, their toilet habits and general behavior in the tank and towards other geckos if any. It can also be useful to weigh your geckos regularly so you can monitor their weight also. This can be a good indication of how healthy they are. Note that it is common for female geckos to lose some weight during the breeding season as it consumes a lot of energy producing eggs. Make sure that you are giving females sufficient foods during this time, the weight that was lost should be put back on after breeding season is over.

Gecko Care – shedding

It is known that the different species of gecko to shed their skin a little differently to one another, the most common gecko to be kept in captivity is the leopard gecko so we will concentrate on their shedding behavior here now to give you a good indication on how geckos shed their skin.

A leopard gecko will shed their skin roughly every 2 to 4 weeks. As your gecko is edging nearer to the time they will shed you will notice their skin color dulls a little.

It is important that you have an area in the tank that is kept moist to aid in the shedding, some people spray the entire tank with a water spray in the days before the shedding will occur, do not soak, just mist. The gecko’s skin will become loose and the shed will begin, the gecko will pull the skin from its body and eat it, this takes no more than 2 hours to complete and is very fascinating to watch.

Once the shedding is complete it is important to notice if all the skin has been removed or not, sometimes geckos can leave a little skin around their toes, snout and eyes. Skin that is left can cause problems for the gecko, for example, skin let around their toes can end up restricting the blood flow to the toes and they can fall off if the dead skin is not removed.

Any skin that is left on the gecko is fairly easy to remove. One method is to place the gecko in a tub with ventilation holes with a damp towel on the base for the gecko to stand on. Leave the gecko inside for a few hours while regularly checking to ensure that they do not get too cold, inside this humid environment the gecko may be able to easily remove their skin. If the gecko does not remove the skin themselves then you may need to intervene, if they have been placed in the tub with the damp towel then this should have loosened their skin making it easy for you to remove it. You can use a wet cotton bud to wipe away at the skin gently.

This is easy for the feet as you can soak them in the water but what if the skin has not removed from their snout or eyes? If this is the case then dampen a cotton bud and wipe away at the skin ensuring to keep the cotton bud wet. This can take a lot patience and sometimes even several attempts until the skin is removed. The skin should flake off as you rub it, never pull at the skin as you can easily damage good skin underneath leaving a wound prone to infection.

Always be very careful when removing skin from the eye area as to not damage the gecko’s eyes or eyelids. Also take care when removing skin from the nostril area as to not let any water get into the gecko’s nostrils. If you have tried but to no avail then it can help to rub a small amount of vegetable oil over the dead skin to help soften it before you try again.

Gecko Care – parasites

Parasites are organisms that can live on the body of another organism of a different nature, this would be the host for the parasite. They contribute nothing to the survival of the host and are usually much smaller than the host and live a shorter life cycle.

You should know that in the wild reptiles would have some kind of parasites that live on their bodies. It is wrong to assume that just because your reptile is kept in captivity then it will be free of any parasites. To the contrary if you keep a reptile I captivity it may have more chance of contracting parasites. This is because in the wild it is free to move around and lives in a much larger open space, they can shed their skin and leave it behind and move away from their feces easily. When captive, they are in a confined space a lot smaller than in the wild, the space is also kept in perfect conditions for the gecko, this also means perfect conditions for the parasite.

Cage hygiene is of the greatest importance if you want to lessen the chances of an overflow of parasites. The water inside the cage must be changed at least every 2 days and the water containers must be cleaned, there is no harm in cleaning and changing more often. Any feces left in the tank must be removed as soon as possible, this also goes for uneaten live foods like it’s regular dose of crickets.

Crickets can carry a parasite known as pinworms. An example is for you to feed your gecko some crickets that are infected with pinworms and your gecko eats the crickets thus becoming infected with pinworms, your gecko then sheds some feces that are covered in pinworms, the crickets in the tank eat the feces thus becoming infected with a higher load of parasites, this can easily spiral out of control and is a good reason why you must never leave uneaten crickets loose in the cage.

If you have more than one tank housing your geckos it is important not to let any parasites spread to the other cages, it is just as important to ensure you yourself do not contract the parasite from your geckos. These parasites can also be passed on to humans just as they could be from a pet cat or dog. It is not to say that they are dangerous, but there is a possibility that you could become infected. Practicing standard hygiene is the best way to avoid this happening.

To find out if your reptile has parasites you will need to observe them closely. There are parasites that live on the outside of the body called ectoparasites, these are visible to the naked eye. Endoparasites live inside the body and can be identified by looking at their feces. When you buy a gecko for the first time you should have its feces examined by a qualified vet, this is the best way for internal parasites to be discovered if they are present, it also allows you to have the gecko treated as early as possible. To ensure your gecko stays parasite free they should have periodic checks about once a year. All new geckos should stay in quarantine for at least three months to ensure they are clear and healthy before they are placed with other geckos.

Gecko Care – possible problems

Here we will outline a few of the possible problems that may arise with your geckos while they are in captivity.

Appetite loss

Loss of appetite can occur for a few reasons, the main one being that it is all natural and the winter months are approaching, it could be that they are entering brumation which is a form of hibernation, during this period the gecko will virtually eat nothing and hide away. As long as the gecko still has a fat healthy tail then there is nothing to worry about. If your gecko looses a lot of weight within a short time period then you should consult your vet, there may be a serious problem and there are common parasites that can cause this to happen.

Regurgitation

If a baby gecko eats too much food then they will regurgitate what they have eaten back up, this should not happen too often as after they experience this they usually learn their lesson. Food in the cage that you thought was eaten could of passed through the gecko without digestion, this is a serious problem and your vet should be consulted. When regurgitation occurs often it could also be a symptom of health problems, consult the vet.

Diarrhea

Remember that a geckos stools will differ depending on what they are eating and the amount of water they drink. Although you must keep an eye out for any stools that are loose, contain undigested foods, contain blood, are watery as this could be an indication of a more serious problem. The best practice is to take a sample of the feces to your vet to examine for signs of parasites.

Eye infection

It is fairly common for a geckos eye to become infected over the period of its life span. The symptoms are a gentle swelling of the eye, trouble opening the eye or a slight cloudiness inside the eye. They are normally the result of some kind of irritation like dust or a scratch to the eye either from another gecko or from something inside the tank. A qualified vet must treat all eye infections, they will usually take a swab from the eye to determine the best treatment.

Skin infection

You gecko can get a skin infection from walking on soiled substrate or when the ground is damp, signs will usually show on the underbelly like small black or brown spots. Note that skin infections are prone to anywhere on the body, a common area is the toes if all shed skin has not fallen off completely. You should speak to your vet as soon as you notice any of these signs. They will advise you to keep the gecko in a separate housing with paper towels as substrate to prevent any further infection and promote good healing conditions, they may also advise that you treat the infected area with a Neosporin or polysporin.

Respiratory problems

Respiratory infections are known to be caused by excessive cold temperatures, this leads to the immune system suppressing. Signs are usually the gecko having difficulty breathing or showing a gaping mouth. You should contact your vet, ensure the heating equipment is working correctly, you could even try raising the temperature slightly to see if it helps.

Gecko Care – tail loss

A gecko will drop it’s tail when it is threatened or grabbed by the tail (never hold a gecko by it’s tail), it does this as a defense mechanism. When it first drops the tail it will wriggle around on the floor, this is hoped to distract the enemy while the gecko makes their escape. This is labeled as autonomy and is used as a defense mechanism by many species of gecko.

The connective tissue around the tail is specially designed to allow the tail to break off easily. Sometimes the tail does not break off fully and either heals or in some cases it heals and a new tail will also start to grow thus leaving the gecko with 2 tails, there are reports of geckos being sighted with 3 tails still attached.

When the Tail or part of the tail first disconnects the nerves go through a process called vasoconstriction. This stops the blood flow to the open area of the tail that prevents the wound from loosing and blood. Over time the tail will grow back but it is unlikely that it will resemble the original tail in its looks.

If your captive gecko looses its tail it is very important to discover what initially made the gecko drop it’s tail to ensure that they will not suffer any additional stress. The tail will heal itself so no intervention is required on your part, you may if you wish treat the wound with Neosporin to help prevent any infection. You should place the gecko in a separate container in a quite environment to avoid added stress and to prevent any other geckos attempting to feed from the wound.

When a gecko looses it’s tail then they also lose all the stored fat reserves that they had in the tail, thus it is important to feed up the gecko on some fatty foods so they can replenish lost reserves. Remember to still keep an eye on extra food that it not eaten that can easily build up when you are trying to do this.

A gecko without a tail can become the subject of bullying from other geckos that may be present. Signs of bullying are not often too obvious to the owner as it will usually take place at night times. Geckos bully each other by biting either at the legs of the lesser gecko. You should look for any scuff marks that could be showing on the geckos head, sometimes you can clearly see the bite marks but other times it is not so evident, the best you can do is to regularly check everyday and if you notice anything out of place then note it down. Bullies will need to be separated. Sometimes it is the better option to remove the wounded gecko from the tank as opposed to the bully. You can help cut down the chances of bullying by making sure there is a choice when it comes to drinking water and hiding places, this is what fighting will most likely take place over.

Gecko Care – anatomy

Lizards are vertebrate animals that similar to humans have a backbone, skull and ribs. Of the 3000 plus different species of lizard that have been discovered there are considerable differences in the shape, size and lifestyle of these lizards, there are however some common characteristics that bind them together. Of their external features they all have skin, a tongue, ears, eyes, limbs and a tail.

Skin
The skin acts as a protective coating that prevents the lizard from dehydrating. The formation of the scales varies from species to species, in some it allows the lizard to change color to adapt into the environment.

Tongue
Their tongues are short and fat, although chameleons and a few others have a longer tongue. The tongue works in conjunction with the Jacobson’s organ and analyses and tastes whatever comes in contact with it.

Ears
Most lizards have a visible external ear hole or opening, sometimes it is covered up by a tympanum (ear drum).

Eyes
Most lizards can blink and shut their eyes, this is dissimilar to snakes who have no moveable eyelids. There are a few burrowing lizards that have no eyes at all. There are also special adaptations between species such as the gecko, which has large eyes to aid their night vision, and chameleons that have independently moving eyes.

Limbs
The limbs are specialized organs and the fingers and toes are adapted according to the species and lifestyle. An example is most geckos have adhesive pads on the tips of their digits to enable them to climb many surfaces such as trees, walls and ceilings.

Tail
The tail is also used differently depending on the species, it can be used for fighting, grasping, balancing and storage of fatty deposits to name a few. The tail can be shed as a means to defend from a predator, this is a good reason why you should never pick your lizard up by it’s tail.

Internal organs
The lizard is equipped with organs very similar to those of mammals. They have a skull that houses their brain, lungs to breathe air just like we do, a liver to remove toxins and the alimentary canal to process its food.

Thermo regulation
Lizards are totally reliant on the external living conditions. Unlike mammals they do not have the equipment to internally generate heat, they are therefore cold-blooded, also known as ectothermic.

Lizards thermo regulate (warm up and cool down) by moving around their habitat. When it is cool in the morning they will seek out the suns rays or the heat pad or spotlight in your vivarium so they can bask in the heat and recharge their batteries. Once they reach their optimum temperature they will then move on to hunt for food and patrol their territory. On hot days they will avoid overheating by resting in the shade, cooling off in water or seeking the coolness of their retreat or burrow.

Gecko Care – species

There are over 800 different species of gecko, all with their own marks of individuality, below we will introduce you to some of the most popular species of gecko.

Standing’s Day Gecko

The standing’s day gecko is a large gecko that comes from a small part of southwestern Madagascar, usually found in patches of bush land and at the edge of forests. In its natural environment this lizard is at home in more arid habitats rather than the usual densely planted areas most geckos prefer.

There are many variations of the skin color although the main theme is to have a sky blue skin with a green head, along its back will show marks of a black net like pattern.

Similar to other day geckos these lizards spend hardly any time on the ground. It is common for the keepers of these geckos to line the floor of the vivarium with just newspaper, although it is also good to use pebbles or another natural decor.

You can comfortably house 1 male and 2 females in a vivarium of 60x60x60cm in size. With standing’s day geckos you should spray water mist throughout the day as they prefer to drink from droplets of water hanging from plant life.  It is likely that they will learn to drink from a shallow bowl if you place the bowl higher up in the tank somewhere. This species seems to thrive on slightly higher temperatures inside the tank, around 90 degrees Fahrenheit with lower humidity levels of around 70%.

This species of gecko is more tolerant of their young than other species of gecko. There is a British breeder that reports of hatching juveniles to be kept in the same tank and able to live as a family with the breeding pair, once the young matures then they should be removed as you normally would.

These large day geckos can eat many of the moist insects that are easily obtained by the enthusiast. There are many invertebrates that you can catch in your home and garden to feed to your gecko, the rule of thumb is to only feed them food that you have caught from an area outside that is organic and has not been sprayed with any pesticides. They enjoy many sweet fruits and nectar, you should place these hung up high or dab onto an upturned jam jar lid or similar.

Standing’s day geckos actively hunt using their site to locate their prey, the are agile predators and fast and acrobatic in their actions. Male breeds usually have a broader tail at the base to encompass their twinned reproductive organs. All day geckos have a visible ear opening, although it is very small.

Peacock Day Gecko

Most day geckos come from the islands in the Indian Ocean, mainly Madagascar. The peacock day gecko has wonderful colors that allow your vivarium to really come alive as it patrols its territory. They get their name from the peacock eye marking they have on each side of their bodies just behind their front legs. They have a combination of red spots and markings that cover its back while having an overall skin color of turquoise, they truly are very striking lizard to observe.

They have a long and slender tail roughly half the size of the actual gecko and actually use their tail to communicate with other geckos. They use their long tongue to clean their eyes, which is rather comical to observe.

If you compare the peacock day gecko to other day geckos then they come up pretty short, they only reach 7.5cm in length when fully grown. They can live in an enclosure 50x30x60cm on their own or as a pair.

Giant Day Gecko

The giant day gecko is a large attractive plump lizard that is relatively easy to keep and breed in captivity. They have a skin color of electric lime green and depending on the species the can have an orangey-red markings like dots or blobs along their back and on the top of their head, usually in between the eyes and nostrils.

You can find them in damp forests and on palm trees in Madagascar and its surrounding islands. Having this kind of environment allows the gecko plenty of surfaces to search for insects and serves as a good opportunity to establish and retain a territory of their own.

This gecko is active in the daytime and can grow to over 25cm in length, of which 15cm will be made up from its long thick tubular tail. These are very agile lizards that leap from leaf to leaf and can quickly scurry under protective cover if ever threatened. Similar to other geckos they have adapted to live a arboreal lifestyle. They have great suction pads on each digit that allow them to get a good grip on any shiny surface as well as trees and bark.

Bibron’s gecko

The bibron’s gecko is a medium sized gecko, compared to others though it shows off a stocky build and can reach around six to eight inches when fully grown. It has a beaded pattern along it’s body with black strips and white dots. Their light brown or white underbelly can distinguish these geckos from others.

These are a ground dwelling gecko that shows high aggression towards other geckos that could be seen as attempting to hijack their territory. They are very fast runners and are quick to find any cover when they think they could be in danger.

The bibron’s gecko is commonly found in South Africa where its species holds a large population that likes to make it’s home in human homes and buildings, some would consider it a household pest.

Tokay Gecko

The tokay gecko is native to South East Asia and is a nocturnal arboreal gecko. They live in rainforest trees in their natural habitat although the frequently make homes in human buildings knowing they can find good food by hanging around next to a ceiling light.

They have a relatively short life span compared to other similar sized geckos in that they will usually only live for 8 – 10 years. The tokay gecko is a very aggressive species of gecko and it is common for males to fight each other and even attack their human handlers. A bite from a tokay gecko is unlikely o cause any lasting damage but it will hurt, handlers report that once they bite they do not like to let go, one of the only ways to actually get them to release their bite is to submerge them into water. They can be very attractive as display animals but their popularity as a household pet has diminished because of their aggressive nature.

They can grow to lengths of 40cm making them one of the largest species of gecko. You can spot them by their grayish or bluish bodies with red or orange spots.

You can obtain geckos from most large pet shops, it’s always best to enquire via the telephone to ensure they sell them as there are still some pet stores that do not sell them. They are usually priced at around $80 – $250, the price they are sold for usually depends on their markings and patterns. If they have very nice patterns then they will be sold for more money.

There are many other things a gecko needs to live a happy healthy life in your home. Firstly you will need a decent seized tank for them to live in, tanks can be purchased form the pet store you bought the gecko from and the staff can advise you on what size tank you will need for your particular gecko. A tank that is bigger than 40cm x 20cm is some sufficient, you should not get anything smaller than that. Tanks range in cost from around $60 right up to $400 for a tank with all the bells and whistles.

Geckos are cold-blooded animals, this means they get their heat from the environment around them, you will need to provide this heat in the form of a lamp or a heat map. A heat mat may be a little more expensive than a standard lamp but they are more discreet than the lamps and allow for more room in the tank. They cost around $20 – $60 depending on their size and quality.

Inside the tank you will need to provide some kind of cover as geckos like to hide themselves away from everybody to get a good nights rest. The best product to achieve this is known as cholla, which is basically the skeleton of a plant that is hollowed out so the gecko can crawl inside and rest.

You will need to prove water in a plastic bowl so the gecko can drink when ever they feel the need, be sure not to have the water too deep as it has been known for geckos to drown easily in deep water.
On the ground inside the tank you must place something familiar for the gecko to walk on. Usually tree bark or specialized sand is used that is sold in the pet store. It is important not to use any old tree bark that you find outside as this can contain traces of fungus that can cause your gecko to be ill.

Geckos feed on bugs, you must provide this as the gecko owner. They enjoy eating crickets that you can buy in varied sizes from the pet stores. An average sized bag will contain around 30 crickets and most geckos of average size will feed on just one cricket per day. You can ask at the pet store about what to feed your particular cricket, as it’s a good idea to feed them on a similar, if not the same diet that they have been used to in the store.

You must also provide you gecko with vitamins that they would normally source from the wild. It can come in a powder form that you can dip the crickets into before you feed them to the geckos.

You should try to avoid geckos that have a coloring that seems dull and emaciated, any signs of it having shed skin still attached to its body is a good sign to leave it alone. A healthy gecko appears clean and has bright eyes, looks alert and holds its body off the ground when walking.

Having a plump tail is a good sign of a healthy well-fed gecko. A gecko’s tail acts as a depository for stored fats that helps the lizard to survive through periods when food is scarce.