Goniurosuarus sp. - Cave Geckos
There are over 17 subspecies of Cave Geckos. They range from small to medium and are an intermediate gecko with spots or stripes of bright colors and intense red eyes that are found in China, Vietnam and Japan. They are a tropical, terrestrial gecko found in lowland rain forests and are crepuscular, meaning they are most active at dusk and dawn.
Bringing Your New Pet Home
When you bring your new cave gecko home, you should already have a quarantine tank set up and ready to go. Place fresh water in a bowl in the tank, mist the tank and offer food, but be aware it is completely normal for them to refuse food for the first couple days, or even longer. You should keep this new gecko separate from any other geckos you may have for 90 days, to ensure there is nothing it could spread to your other animals. Monitor its eating and fecals as they may be strange for up to a couple weeks, but this is due to a new diet, supplements, and environment. It is recommended you do not handle your new gecko for the first 24-48 hours and keeping it to a minimum until it has started eating on its own. Always keep in mind, your new animal is in a new tank, with new decor/dishes/hides, and new faces watching them. They need time to become acclimated to it all. After this quarantine process, they can be safely introduced to their permanent enclosure if it's not already. Be sure to wash your hands before handling any other geckos during this time. |
Enclosure Depending on your need, there are a couple different ways to house a cave gecko. For the single gecko owner, a terrarium or aquarium would be the most appealing. The general rule of thumb is to have 10+ gallons of tank per gecko. Some species may need more space depending on their adult size. The second way to house is a rack system with tubs, most commonly used by breeders to use their space most efficiently. Tubs hold humidity well. While cave geckos are terrestrial, they can climb so it is best to have a lid on the tank to protect them from other pets in the household and to prevent escape. |
Compatibility
Geckos by nature are solitary animals. In cave geckos, females can be housed together with caution. They must be of the same size to prevent bullying. If you do choose to house more than one gecko together, more space is needed, with an additional 10 gallons of floor space per additional gecko. Adding more hides and decor will help prevent fighting. Males will fight with one another, and geckos of different sizes will bully and attack one another. Do not house males and females together unless you have researched breeding and are prepared for eggs and babies. Monitor females to be sure they are not picking on one another or one is not hoarding the food from the other. |
Heating
Cave geckos are cold blooded, so they rely on their environment to regulate body temperature. Cave geckos do not need additional heat unless your room temperatures fall below 65-70. Ideal temperatures for these geckos is in the range of 72-78° F. If you do need to provide them with a heat source, it should come from below the enclosure to aid in digestion, such as a heat mat. Use a thermostat to carefully monitor the temperatures if you do use a heat mat, as cave geckos decline in high heat. Never let the enclosure reach over 80 degrees F.
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Cage Decor
Since they are crepuscular, they need to have places to hide from the daylight to sleep. These hides can be as fancy as you prefer, from something store bought to an overturned plastic container with a door cut out. Low branches, rocks, cork pieces and fake plants can be added to the tank for visual appeal and for your gecko to explore! |
Humidity and Shedding
Cave geckos are a tropical species, so they require high humidity. Access to the moist hide mentioned in decor to help them aid in shedding will keep the humidity level at an appropriate level if using drier substrates. You will need to mist the enclosure 1-2 X a day to keep the humidity in the highs of 60-80%. Natural substrates will hold humidity better and you may not need to mist as often, but watch for signs of mold and fungus in the substrate. Cave geckos will shed their skin about every 3-4 weeks. You’ll notice their color will appear dull when they are about to shed. |
Supplements/Minerals
To ensure proper bone development and overall health, a shallow dish of calcium powder with D3 should be kept in the enclosure at all times. You can also dust feeder insects in powder before feeding to ensure they are getting the calcium they need. Once a week, dust insects in a supplement vitamin powder instead of calcium. |
Feeding Cave geckos are insectivores. Typically, their diet consists of crickets and/or dubia roaches. Crickets can be placed in the enclosure during feeding time, but uneaten crickets should always be removed. Dubia roaches can be fed in a bowl, but monitor to be sure they don't escape the bowl and burrow in the substrate. Insects should be gutloaded with a commercial gutload product. Gutloading refers to the practice of feeding the insects a nutritious diet before offering them to your gecko, to ensure the most balanced nutrition. Geckos that are under 4 months old should be fed daily, about 5 small crickets or roaches. Juveniles and adults should be fed crickets or roaches two-three times a week. |
Handling
Cave geckos are withdrawn and elusive, so may not be open to being handled. They are more easily stressed than other geckos, so are considered semi-easy handling for this reason. With patience and regular contact, can become tame however. Sit on the floor and let your gecko walk from hand to hand at their own pace. When handling your gecko, never hold or grab them by their tail. They have a natural ability to drop their tail as a defense mechanism. If this does happen, they will regrow their tail, but it will look different than before. |
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