Day Gecko

Stats

General Info
Day Geckos are the most prominent reptiles in Madagascar and are known for the cross pollination of wild orchids on this island off the southeast coast of Africa. Most species have brilliant fluorescent colors and very active during the day, which is, of course, is where they got their name. Like many other lizards, Day Geckos can release their tail if it is being held. This is a defense mechanism. The tail will come off and continue wiggling, thus keeping the attention of the would-be predator. The Day Gecko is then able to retreat to safety. A new tail will eventually grow in it’s place but will usually not appear as nice as the original. Besides having this defense, Day geckos have another defense. If they are being held by their body, they may squirm and tear their skin, allowing a fast escape. It’s only the top, colored, part of the skin that tears and they will not bleed. Their skin heals rather quickly, though, so don’t panic if it happens to yours. The skin should re-grow with no visible evidence of the tear. This skin tearing is more common in the Giant Day Geckos. So try not to allow them to squirm in your hands if you need to move them. Otherwise they are a look-at animal only. They do not like to be held or touched.

Enclosure
Use a screen enclosure or a high glass aquarium with good ventilation. Decorate the terrarium with live, silk or plastic plants and vines and include lots of climbing branches.

Substrate
Coconut husk, moss, cypress mulch, pesticide free mulch and potting soil mixed. Keep the substrate slightly damp but allow to dry before remisting to avoid mold and fungal growth.

Heat & Humidity
Daytime temperatures 77 – 84°f. Nighttime temperatures 68 – 75ºf. Humidity relatively high 50 – 85%, depending on species. Never let humidity get so high that water condenses on the sides of the enclosure. Use a basking light during the day and a red light bulb or ceramic heat emitter at night time. Use in conjunction with a rheostat for heat control. Always use a thermometer and humidity gauge in all reptile & amphibian enclosures.

Lighting
Use  5.0 UVB fluorescent bulb during the day (12 hours). It must be placed over screen, not glass (UVB rays cannot penetrate through glass or plastic). Turn all white lights off at night. The UVB fluorescent bulb must be as close as possible to the animals. UVB diminishes greatly the further away the bulb is from the animals.

Food & Water

Small crickets, dusted lightly with vitamins every feeding. Make sure you have fed the crickets an assortment of fruits and vegetables or a gut load supplement 12 – 24 hours before feeding them to your animals. Another food they eat in the wild is nectar and pollen from orchids or other flowers. A good substitute for this in your terrarium is to offer fruit baby food mixed with a small amount of vitamins twice a week or a powdered Lori food given to the Day Geckos in it’s dry form. Simply place a small, flat container on the floor of the enclosure with a small amount of the powder or baby food in it. The Day Geckos will lap it up in no time. Provide a shallow water dish and spray the enclosure once a day for 1 – 2 minutes or use a drip-watering system or.

Note: Your should use these care guides in conjunction with a book or other reliable source or  reptile and amphibian information to provide the best care for your pet.