Stenodactylus Sthenodactylus
Care
Also known as:Banded
Sand Geckos ,Isreali Dune Geckos or Micro Geckos
Range:
Selection:
When selecting your gecko look for obvious signs
of health. The gecko should be alert and Fat If a stenodactylus is very
thin this is a obvious sign of parasites usually resulted from being wild
caught.. Make sure the gecko is captive bred and not imported.
Appearance:
Stenodactylus geckos are a Small gecko with
a slightly robust build,Adults Only attain a maximum
sizes of 2 1/2-3 inches . with babies being about 1/2 - 3/4
. they have eyelids and are terrestrial , meaning they can't walk
up vertical sufaces.
Housing:
An aquarium is a perfect home although many
people have success with plastic sweater boxes. Since they are a terrestrial
species, a long aquarium is better than a high one. A 10 gallon
aquarium is adequate for 3 or 4 geckos. Make sure that you only have one
male per enclosure as males will fight each other.sand is a perfect substrate
for stenodactylus Washed play sand mixed with either soil or coco bedding
ata ratio of 25% coco bedding or soil 75% sand
creates the most natural setup, and you can buy these materials from most
pet stores and sometimes at a good hardware store. Rocks and logs
can make the terrarium more natural looking and they provide your lizards
with places to climb and get exercise. A hide box is also recommended for
each lizard for use in times or conflict and for sleeping.We suggest paper
towels until they are atleast 6 months old this reduces the chance
of impaction..Another important part of housing stenodactylus is humidity.they
do require some humidity yet when breeding the ground CANNOT be moist..moisture
spoils their eggs.to keep the humidity at 40 % lightly mist a corner
of the cage or a rock or peice of bark that way the ground doent ever become
wet..
Lighting and Temperature:
stenodactylus geckos are a nocturnal
species so no form of UV lighting is necessary.Although you can put a spot
light with a low wattage bulb on the tank to simulate day and night cycle.
Daytime temperatures should be around 95 on the hottest side and 80
on the cool side. The nighttime temps can go down in the low 60s.stenodactylus
do rquire moderate humidity in a hide box or hide spot (see bottom of housing
on humidity) We feel that it's best to provide any reptile
with a temperature gradient and let them regulate their temperature.
With the use of undertank heatpads be sure to
only put the pad under 1/3 of the tank to allow for a temperature gradient
also it is a good idea to use a thermostat so you can more closely monitor
temperature.NEVER USE HEAT ROCKS THEY CAUSE THERMAL BURNS!
Feeding and Watering:
stenodactylus geckos will thrive on insects.make
sure any insects given are properly sized these geckos are small so should
their foods be. A diet of crickets along with occasional baby
mealworms make a good diet. Adult geckos can also be fed small Beetles
at times . Juveniles can be feed every day and adults every other day.
Supplementation is a must for stenodactlyus geckos. Two supplements
should be used: one that is just calcium/D3 and another that is a reptile
multivitamin.We recomend sticky tongue farms miner-all 0 . Juveniles should
be supplemented at every feeding and adults at every other feeding. Gravid
females should also be supplemented at every feeding to make up for the
large nutritional depletion caused by egg laying. Insects can be coated
with these supplements and it's always a good idea to feed the insects
a high quality diet so as to "gut-load" them and increase their nutritional
value.
A shallow water dish should be provided at all
times and changed daily to stop bacteria and fungus growth. Allowing stenodactylus
geckos access to a moist area is a good idea that aids in proper
shedding activity . . Make sure that the overall cage isn't wet or
overly humid.
Breeding
Simulating natural light cycles is vital to proper
breeding success, as is a proper cooling. Breeding stenodactylus
geckos is pretty straight forward. Like many temperate species they
do require a short cooling period. Many breeders don't agree with this;however,
if they require it in nature then why not in captivity! First, start
with a mature pair. Females should be at least 18-24 months old, males
will breed at around 10-12 months. After cooling( see above for times)
introduce the male into the females cage give them privacy and enough time
to explore. After around a week chances are 99.9% they have successfully
bred. Start watching her activities she will start digging and looking
for a nesting spot. She should show bulges at around 25-30 days and should
lay her first clutch. Clutches will consist of two eggs every 25-30
days expect around 5 clutches if she is kept warm and healthy. She will
usually lay her eggs under something in a cooler spot. It is a good idea
to line the bottom of their cage with Saran Wrap, the eggs will stick when
laid on the bottom. Incubate the eggs on either dry sand or dry paper towels
at 82-85 degrees with 30-50% humidity. Hatching time is around 60
days. Hatchings require the same care as adults except for the substrate.
They should be kept on pure calcium carbonate. Hatchlings should be fed
newborn crickets and fruit flies.
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