The Giant Day Gecko

Here is a care sheet on a very colorful gecko good for intermediate gecko owners; the Giant Day Gecko.

 

 



HABITAT:    The Day Gecko is native to Madagascar's Tropical regions spending their lives in the trees.  The Day Gecko needs about a 20 gallon tall tank.  If housing two geckos the tank should be a bit larger, about a 25-29 gallon tall tank (never house more than one male together).  Because the Day Gecko has toe pads, allowing them to climb vertical surfaces, you will need a screened lid.  Since the Day Gecko is an arboreal gecko or tree dwelling gecko they need lots of leaves and climbing.  Coconut fiber or Bark are the best substrates because they help keep humidity.  There should always be a hide of some sort.



HEATING, LIGHTING AND HUMIDITY:  Unlike the other geckos I have written about the Day Gecko is diurnal meaning they're active during the daytime so they will need UV lighting.  The top half of the tank should stay in the 90-95 degrees Fahrenheit and the bottom half should  be at about 80 degrees Fahrenheit.  At night the temperature should drop to about 70 degrees Fahrenheit.  Humidity levels should stay between 50-70 %, this can be accomplished by misting the tank two times a day.



FOOD AND WATER:  The Day Gecko has a diet much like the Crested Gecko consisting in fruit and insects, mainly crickets, meal worms and mashed fruit.  A full grown Day Gecko may also have a pinkie mouse as a treat as they will sometimes eat small lizards or small mammals in the wild.  The Day Gecko usually drinks water droplets off of leaves but there should still be a water dish.



SEXING:  Male Day Geckos have bulges and pores that females do not.

Below are some pictures of the Giant Day Gecko and an ideal setup.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FUN FACTS:  The Day Gecko has round pupils instead of slit pupils.

 

 

 

NOTE:  Not only will the Day Gecko drop its tail while being handled ruffly but they will sometimes release their skin, so handle with care.

The Tokay Gecko

Here is a care sheet on a large and beautiful gecko, good for intermediate gecko owners; the Tokay Gecko.



 

 

HABITAT:  The Tokay Gecko is native to Asia's, India's and Indonesia's Tropical Region so they need a tall climbing tank.  A 25-30 gallon tank is best for a single Tokay Gecko.  Tokay Geckos are fairly large (up to 14 in.), so if you are housing two geckos the tank has to be considerably bigger (never two males in one tank).  Tokay Geckos need a screened lid because they have toe pads allowing them to climb vertical surfaces.  Tokay Geckos are like Crested Geckos needing lots of climbing sticks and plants.   Coconut fiber or bark are best substrates because they help maintain humidity (see below).  Tokays will also need some type of hide.

 

 

HEATING, LIGHTING AND HUMIDITY:  Tokay Geckos are nocturnal so they don't need any special UV lighting.  Day time temperature should stay between 85-90 degrees Fahrenheit.  At night the temperature should drop to about 70 degrees Fahrenheit.  You can turn off the light to make the temperature drop at night if your house doesn't get lower than the 70's.  If not, a night bulb will be required.  A night bulb is a low watt black light that will give off a mild purple light, and is available at pet stores or Petsmart.  The humidity level in the tank should stay between 70-90% and should not drop below 50%.  This can be achieved by misting the tank two times a day.


FOOD AND WATER:  Tokay geckos are insectivores and sometimes carnivorous.  Crickets and roaches are the best, and maybe an occasional pinkie mouse as a treat.  Even though Tokay Geckos usually drink water droplets formed by misting, there should always be a water dish of some sort. 


SEXING:  Male and female Tokay Geckos both have visible pores at the base of their tails, but the males pores are much larger.  Males are also usually bigger in size and brighter in color.

Below are some pictures of Tokay geckos and an ideal setup.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 FUN FACTS:  Sometimes people will catch wild Tokay Geckos and release them in their houses to get rid of cockroaches.  If you own a wild caught Tokay Gecko it will most likely be fine if you put tiles in its tank, because of their familiarity of being in peoples houses in the counrty they came from.

  

NOTE:  Tokay Geckos are very aggressive and will most likely try to bite you if you are handling them.  When they bite they draw blood and usually don't let go for a while.  The secret of getting them off is to put a drop of vinegar on their nose, but make sure you hold them in their tank or in some container so they don't fall a long distance or run away after they let go.