Post by geekcoboy103 on Aug 6, 2004 23:12:45 GMT -5
Description:
Common name: Golden Gecko
Scientific name: Gekko Ulikovskii
Size: 7-10 inches
Native region: The tropical rainforests of VietNam
Temperment: Very defensive
Color: Males tend to stay a bright golden-green color but when the temperature is lower, they can dim down to a dark golden-green color
Females tend to stay at a dark golden-green-brownish color, especially on the dorsum area
Housing:
A 20 gallon tall aquarium tank with a secure lid (as they can climb walls) is the minimum for an enclosure for an adult golden gecko.
A pair/ two females require a tall/vertical tank/other cage abou the size of a 50 or 60 gallon tank.
If you can get a 70 gallon, that would be great.
Substrate:
A good substrate for golden geckos is Eco-Earth Forest Bedding.
Pesticide and fertilizer free soil is also good for substrate.
Paper towels hold humidity well, and work better than paper, so that is a choice as well.
Temperature:
The day temperature for a golden gecko's enclosure is 78-86 degrees Fareinheit.
The nighttime temperature for a golden gecko's cage is 70-77.
During the winter, the temperature sould drop to about 66-74.
Humidity:
The humidity level for a golden gecko's enclosure is 75%.
Lighting:
In the winter a regular lamp lihtbulb will work to maintain heat in a gecko cage, but it is unnecessary to have a light for the day in southern states and warm countries where it is warm in the winter.
You could also use that little red heat light for in the winter.
At night you should have a 75 or 50 watt blue light (I use the a 75 watt Exo Terra Night Glo light bulb).
A UVB light is unnecessary, but may be beneficial in digestion.
Beware though, recent studies show UVB/UVA light MAY be harmful to nocturnal reptiles and amphibians.
Water:
Though geckos do not usually drink from water dishes(they drink water droplets from cage furnishings/sides of the cage from a water sparyer, or a dripper), a shallow dish should be provided for the gecko to soak in.
The dish must be big enough for the gecko to sit in comfortably.
Clean bowl every 2 or 3 days (preferrably everyday) as they may defacate in their water and the water will develop a red sludge-type stuff on the sides of the bowl.
Diet:
A golden geckos diet should be varied to keep the geckos interested in what they're eating.
Their diet should include crickets, meal worms (occasionally as the rough shell may cut the insides of the gecko, this is the same with superworms), superworms, banana flavored baby food, and a variety of wild caught insects (NONE CAUGHT FROM AREAS WHERE FERTILIZERS AND PESTICIDES ARE USED) (example: moths, grasshoppers, basically anything you think they'll eat, no stinkbugs!).
Wax worms can be also be used to fatten skinny geckos, or as treats.
Golden geckos will eat almost anything, including salamanders, frogs, etc.
DO NOT purposley feed these things to your gecko, I put some salamanders and frogs in my gecko cages when I was 8 or 9, and my geckos ate them.
A phosphorus D3 supplement (RepCal) should be supplied with daily food amount twice a week.
Breeding:
When you house a male and a female golden gecko together for breeding, monitor them closely because they may not get along, and when golden geckos feud, it's usually to the death.
Always put the male golden into the female's cage, to prevent territorial disputes, or you can put both of them into a neutral enclosure for bredding purposes.
After about 30 days of courtship, the female should lay 1-3 large white eggs.
Goldens are 'egg-stickers', when they lay their eggs, they stick to whatever they lay the eggs on (Ex: Glass walls, boxes, sticks, etc.).
When a golden gecko lays an egg, do not move it to an incubator, just place a delicup over top of the egg and increase the temperature on that side of the cage.
If you insist on removing the eggs and putting to them into an incubator, the temperature should be 80-84 degrees Farenheit, but never attempt to remove an egg stuck to wall of the cage!
Only remove the egg if it stuck to something you could take out of the cage and put into an incubator.
A trick you could use would be to put cardboard all of the walls on the inside of the cage, and only put things for them to go in, and a water dish into the cage, this forces them to lay the egg on something removable, unless of course they stick it to the lid, if this happens, put the deli-cup over it as you would with an egg on the wall.
You just have to be careful when you set the lid down after opening it.
And don't spray the egg!
Ducttape works best with high humidity enviroments such as a golden cage, so use ducttape to tape the delicup to the surface.
Be sure to remove hatchling(s) immediatly as the parents may eat it(them)!
Basic Care:
Males can not be housed together, as they will fight to the death.
These geckos may lose their tail when threatened or when their tail has been injured, picking them up by the tail is another way for them to lose their tail.
The tail will grow back very slowly, it may take up to a year and a half for the tail to regenerate completely.
When the gecko's tail does grow back, it will be much skinnier than it was when the tail was normal.
If the gecko drops/ loses it's tail, be sure to leave it alone as it will be extremely stressed and aggressive.
These geckos would much rather make you bleed than be your own little puppy dog, so when you hold them, don't hold them for a long time, and always hold them inside of the cage.
These geckos are handleable though, don't let their reputation fool you, they are somewhat easy to tame, with persistence and band-aids.
Golden geckos are nocturnal(they come out at night).
Also, golden geckos are very aboreal, so the like to be up high.
Furnishings should be towards the top of the cage to meet their aboreal needs.
Basic Information:
Golden geckos (as well as every other gecko that can climb on walls) have tiny hairs on the pads of their feet that let them grip to walls.
If the enclosure is too humid or not humid enough, the gecko will not be able to climb walls, but they have claws so they will still be able to climb some things.
Also, if the gecko's toes have dirt on them they will not be able to climb walls, this is true as well when a wall is densley wet.
Adult male golden gecko
©Collin Rodino
Adult male golden gecko
©Collin Rodino
Adult male golden gecko's vent
©Collin Rodino
Adlut golden gecko with arm on glass wall to show that their feet actually have tiny hairs that let them climb walls
©Collin Rodino
Common name: Golden Gecko
Scientific name: Gekko Ulikovskii
Size: 7-10 inches
Native region: The tropical rainforests of VietNam
Temperment: Very defensive
Color: Males tend to stay a bright golden-green color but when the temperature is lower, they can dim down to a dark golden-green color
Females tend to stay at a dark golden-green-brownish color, especially on the dorsum area
Housing:
A 20 gallon tall aquarium tank with a secure lid (as they can climb walls) is the minimum for an enclosure for an adult golden gecko.
A pair/ two females require a tall/vertical tank/other cage abou the size of a 50 or 60 gallon tank.
If you can get a 70 gallon, that would be great.
Substrate:
A good substrate for golden geckos is Eco-Earth Forest Bedding.
Pesticide and fertilizer free soil is also good for substrate.
Paper towels hold humidity well, and work better than paper, so that is a choice as well.
Temperature:
The day temperature for a golden gecko's enclosure is 78-86 degrees Fareinheit.
The nighttime temperature for a golden gecko's cage is 70-77.
During the winter, the temperature sould drop to about 66-74.
Humidity:
The humidity level for a golden gecko's enclosure is 75%.
Lighting:
In the winter a regular lamp lihtbulb will work to maintain heat in a gecko cage, but it is unnecessary to have a light for the day in southern states and warm countries where it is warm in the winter.
You could also use that little red heat light for in the winter.
At night you should have a 75 or 50 watt blue light (I use the a 75 watt Exo Terra Night Glo light bulb).
A UVB light is unnecessary, but may be beneficial in digestion.
Beware though, recent studies show UVB/UVA light MAY be harmful to nocturnal reptiles and amphibians.
Water:
Though geckos do not usually drink from water dishes(they drink water droplets from cage furnishings/sides of the cage from a water sparyer, or a dripper), a shallow dish should be provided for the gecko to soak in.
The dish must be big enough for the gecko to sit in comfortably.
Clean bowl every 2 or 3 days (preferrably everyday) as they may defacate in their water and the water will develop a red sludge-type stuff on the sides of the bowl.
Diet:
A golden geckos diet should be varied to keep the geckos interested in what they're eating.
Their diet should include crickets, meal worms (occasionally as the rough shell may cut the insides of the gecko, this is the same with superworms), superworms, banana flavored baby food, and a variety of wild caught insects (NONE CAUGHT FROM AREAS WHERE FERTILIZERS AND PESTICIDES ARE USED) (example: moths, grasshoppers, basically anything you think they'll eat, no stinkbugs!).
Wax worms can be also be used to fatten skinny geckos, or as treats.
Golden geckos will eat almost anything, including salamanders, frogs, etc.
DO NOT purposley feed these things to your gecko, I put some salamanders and frogs in my gecko cages when I was 8 or 9, and my geckos ate them.
A phosphorus D3 supplement (RepCal) should be supplied with daily food amount twice a week.
Breeding:
When you house a male and a female golden gecko together for breeding, monitor them closely because they may not get along, and when golden geckos feud, it's usually to the death.
Always put the male golden into the female's cage, to prevent territorial disputes, or you can put both of them into a neutral enclosure for bredding purposes.
After about 30 days of courtship, the female should lay 1-3 large white eggs.
Goldens are 'egg-stickers', when they lay their eggs, they stick to whatever they lay the eggs on (Ex: Glass walls, boxes, sticks, etc.).
When a golden gecko lays an egg, do not move it to an incubator, just place a delicup over top of the egg and increase the temperature on that side of the cage.
If you insist on removing the eggs and putting to them into an incubator, the temperature should be 80-84 degrees Farenheit, but never attempt to remove an egg stuck to wall of the cage!
Only remove the egg if it stuck to something you could take out of the cage and put into an incubator.
A trick you could use would be to put cardboard all of the walls on the inside of the cage, and only put things for them to go in, and a water dish into the cage, this forces them to lay the egg on something removable, unless of course they stick it to the lid, if this happens, put the deli-cup over it as you would with an egg on the wall.
You just have to be careful when you set the lid down after opening it.
And don't spray the egg!
Ducttape works best with high humidity enviroments such as a golden cage, so use ducttape to tape the delicup to the surface.
Be sure to remove hatchling(s) immediatly as the parents may eat it(them)!
Basic Care:
Males can not be housed together, as they will fight to the death.
These geckos may lose their tail when threatened or when their tail has been injured, picking them up by the tail is another way for them to lose their tail.
The tail will grow back very slowly, it may take up to a year and a half for the tail to regenerate completely.
When the gecko's tail does grow back, it will be much skinnier than it was when the tail was normal.
If the gecko drops/ loses it's tail, be sure to leave it alone as it will be extremely stressed and aggressive.
These geckos would much rather make you bleed than be your own little puppy dog, so when you hold them, don't hold them for a long time, and always hold them inside of the cage.
These geckos are handleable though, don't let their reputation fool you, they are somewhat easy to tame, with persistence and band-aids.
Golden geckos are nocturnal(they come out at night).
Also, golden geckos are very aboreal, so the like to be up high.
Furnishings should be towards the top of the cage to meet their aboreal needs.
Basic Information:
Golden geckos (as well as every other gecko that can climb on walls) have tiny hairs on the pads of their feet that let them grip to walls.
If the enclosure is too humid or not humid enough, the gecko will not be able to climb walls, but they have claws so they will still be able to climb some things.
Also, if the gecko's toes have dirt on them they will not be able to climb walls, this is true as well when a wall is densley wet.
Adult male golden gecko
©Collin Rodino
Adult male golden gecko
©Collin Rodino
Adult male golden gecko's vent
©Collin Rodino
Adlut golden gecko with arm on glass wall to show that their feet actually have tiny hairs that let them climb walls
©Collin Rodino