Criptic's Page on Herps - Reptiles - Day Geckos

enclosure should be a vertical type enclosure. You may also plant and decorate the enclosure to look like a small section of a rain forest. Because of this, the enclosure itself can be a focal point and highly interesting part of a room.

Substrate

You can use a good quality topsoil or potting soil without styrolite. Do not use sand or gravel because the chance of ingestion. If ingested, it could cause intestinal blockage and death. You may also use fine or seedling grade orchid bark. You may also choose to use the rain forest soil mix in the enclosure section of this site.

Landscaping

Place a .5 - 1 inch layer of pebbles at the bottom for drainage. Then place a 1.5 inch layer of sandy potting mix and a top layer of several inches of good potting soil. Live plants, such as Sansevieria, bromeliad, orchid, split leaf philodendron, Dracaena, Pothos, Chinese evergreen and other tropical plants can be planted directly in the substrate or in small pots. If you decide to plant small pots, they should be buried so only the top is exposed. Cut sections of bamboo and sink them into the ground to provide both vertical and semi-horizontal climbing areas. Some females will use these sections to lay eggs.

Lighting

You should provide adequate lighting for both the day geckos and the live plants. You should use 2 or more full-spectrum fluorescent bulbs. Be sure the bulbs are BL not BLB (used for posters). You can fit them into shop light fixtures found in any hardware store.

Heating

Day geckos will need a daytime temperature of 82 - 88 F, and a night time temperature of 68 - 75 F. Planted enclosures can have incandescent bulbs over specific basking areas. Make sure to use a thermometer to monitor the basking area as well as the background temperature. If heating is needed at night, use a low wattage red incandescent bulb.

Humidity

Day geckos require a relative air humidity of 50 - 80 %. Humidity can be increased by watering the substrate. The enclosure should dry out by the end of the day. Do not create a constant, overly moist environment. Excessive moisture will lead to infections of the skin and toes. You can also mist plants to increase relative air humidity.

Maintenance

Regular maintenance is required to keep an attractive and healthy enclosure for day geckos. Remove fecal matter from both the glass and ground on a regular bases. Replace the substrate every 3 months to prevent the build up of parasites and other pathogens.

Day geckos should not be considered a "pet" in the sense of an animal to handle and interact with. Day geckos are best thought of as display animals. Do not grab day geckos as their skin can easily be damaged and ripped.

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