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Day
Gecko
Care Sheet |
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If you are
searching for a pet gecko that has a similar
schedule as you (active during the day), the day
gecko might be your gecko species of choice. |
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There is one
minor issue. They have very delicate skin and
because of that do not like to be handled. In
fact, when removing them from a cage you should
try to nudge them into a separate container
instead of picking them up with your hands. |
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There are quite
a few species of this type of pet gecko. The
ones best suited for captivity seem to be the
gold dust day gecko, the lined day gecko and
some say the giant day gecko. |
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Cage
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This
gecko species is a climber, so their terrarium
should be vertically oriented. A 20 gallon tall
cage should be a bare minimum (this is of course
depending on what type of day gecko you have).
This type of gecko can be anywhere from 3 inches
to 1 foot in length, so choose a cage size
accordingly. For the
substrate, you can use newspaper or paper towel.
For a more naturalistic look a lot of people use
coconut fiber -as it is much safer than using
sand. |
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You need to
provide a structure on which your pet gecko will
bask. You also need to provide a couple of hides
for your gecko to distress as need be. Check out
this link on how to build a
day
gecko habitat.
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Lighting/Temperature
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A day
gecko needs a UVB light. Unlike other geckos
they are very active during the day and need a
simulation of the sun. A mercury vapor bulb can
provide UVB light as well as heat. Other UVB
bulbs will have to be accompanied by a heat bulb
to achieve proper temperatures. |
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The temperature
during the day will need to be 80°F to 90°F with
a basking spot in the low 90s. The temperature
at night can fall 10°F less than this. You need
to create a temperature gradient in the cage
whereby your pet gecko can move accordingly to
cool down or warm up. |
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You will need to
purchase a thermometer or preferably a heat gun
to accurately gauge the temperatures. As far as
the lights go, you should acquire an automatic
timer which will turn the lights on and off
without you being there. |
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Day geckos need
proper humidity levels. This can be achieved by
misting their cage with a water bottle a couple
times a day. They prefer a 55% to 75% humidity
level. |
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Food
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A Day
geckos diet consists mainly of insects. Bugs
such as crickets feeder roaches and flightless
fruit flies should be offered. Some owners
provide fruit baby food, or mash up certain soft
fruits manually. |
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Their food
should be dusted with a calcium supplement; the
alternative is to constantly supply a dish with
calcium dust in their cage. |
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Some owners
provide a very shallow bowl of water for
drinking, while others spray mist the cage -and
their day gecko- thus providing water. |
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If you decide to
acquire a day gecko as your next pet lizard be
sure and read several more care sheets or
possibly a book on this unique lizard. |
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