house gecko

[cvalda]

My second oldest son just turned 11 this week, and he got $ from Grandpa, which he used to by a tiny House Gecko in a tiny little set-up.

Yay. :\

This is what the petstore told me on his upkeep - 1 - 2 pinhead crickets a week. Very shallow water in a little dish (they have a soda bottle lid in there for it right now), occasional misting, does not need heat until it's bigger.

So now I need to know how to REALLY care for him! Here's a picture of him:

 

[JustAnja]

Well Kelly it is definitely not eating pinheads. Thats not a pinhead in with it. A pinhead looks like a little white ant. Check out this chart. http://www.nyworms.com/images/cricketchart.jpg

House Geckos are a Mediterranean species which has hitched rides over to the states and has become sort of feral in places like Phoenix. When I lived in Phoenix I always had them by the front and back doors and they would catch bugs when they porch lights were on. I would say that is more like a 1/2" cricket I see in the picture with him. He probably needs 1-2 every 2-3 days, not once a week. He can also have mealworms, silkworms or other small insects.

75-85F is a good gradient for him. He does need warmth. Spray the cage once a day for humidity as well. Add in some fake plants and branches for him so he can climb around AND feel secure.


Hope this helps. Can you post pics of the setup? Im sure its probably a Kritter Keeper?

 

[cvalda]

LOL Figures! But this we come to expect from stores, eh?! That is the largest of the crickets in there, there are several much smaller ones. He can have those for the the next few days, right?

Here's what they sold him in...everything is a little haphazard from the carride home... these things creep me right out, so I'll have Deontay adjust things after the Gecko has some time to relax a little...

 

[barbie69]

Oh my goodness!! How tiny and cute!!! Congrats on the new little bitty addition!!

 

[cvalda]

thanks!

i threw a clean pill bottle in there (the see through orangish kind) and he loves it in there, also put in a real branch for him to climb on.

anyone know how FAST these things grow?

 

[JustAnja]

Kelly he is only going to be about 3" long with his tail at most. He can live his whole life in that little setup.

 

[cvalda]

really? YAY!

i've got him on Sasoy's lid, near the heat emitter, so he's getting a little heat from there. one side is closer to it and the other points the other way, so i notice he moves back and forth.

how am i going to clean out his substrate tho? he moves so fast and i'm a little bit chicken of him as of yet! LOL!

 

[Josh]

wow is he tiny!
am i looking at a different picture than you guys? i dont see a cricket in the first one!

 

[barbie69]

wow is he tiny!
am i looking at a different picture than you guys? i dont see a cricket in the first one!

The cricket is in the upper right corner in the first pic...about 1 inch in at the top...see it now? lol

 

[cvalda]

he was doing some climbing this morning! I love how it looks like he's holding on for dear life!!!

 

[JustAnja]

Kelly next time your at WalMart go back to the craft area and pick up a strand of greenery. They usually have a cheap one back there that is Pothos or Ivy leaves. I use allot of those in my snake setups, like for the baby arboreal vipers. You can almost fill his whole cage with it for him. Get rid of the cheesy plastic stuff they sent with him from the pet store.

This one is Ivy, I think the gecko would look good with the Pothos leaves

 

[cvalda]

hey thanks for the tip! will do!

man this little guy is zipping around like crazy t his morning! and he's fast. gawd i almost cr*pped when i misted him and he took off running... EEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!

 

[JustAnja]

Small hint, you dont have to open that lid to mist him. You can mist through those grates in the top.

 

[cvalda]

LOL well i was trying to squirt the water into his little water dish, too! ROFL!

i swear it looks like he's grown! how fast do they grow???