These tubs come with a built-in clear, front opening door making them near perfect for an easy conversion to use as herp housing. Inexpensive pricing ($12.99-$16.99 depending on size) and availability in 3 different sizes makes them even better! They are light weight and easy to clean as well as stackable; there’s a million reasons to like these things.

That’s not to say that these don’t have some issues that will need to be addressed for them to be suitable, but the potential is there for these to make great enclosures for a variety of species. Some of the issues that I can see right off the bat include upgrading the latching system to insure there are no escapees and dealing with a somewhat flexible “gap” just below the door. I’ve found quick, easy solutions to both of these issues myself, but since the point of this article is to get others’ ideas and input, I’ll refrain from spoiling it with the modifications that I’ve already made.

I can see some serious potential for both arboreal and terrestrial animals of many sizes. There’s already been some successful attempts at putting two of them together to make a double tall arboreal enclosure out of them!

Modifications like using “great stuff” foam to make various backgrounds and whatnot are certain to show up on the scene quickly. Drilling holes for ventilation, addition of screened openings for lights, etc. are all things that people can address for their specific need. So I guess that the purpose of this article is simply to try to bring some attention to this new product and see what ideas the readers can bring to the table. I encourage everyone to go to Walmart, Target, Home Depot, etc and buy a couple of these to play with. Whether you work with leopard geckos or Uroplatus, corn snakes or tree boas, skinks, frogs, or toads, I bet you can find a use for them if you get creative. So show us what you can come up with. 

Use the submission box below to send us information about what you’ve come up with.  Step by step instructions and pictures are encouraged.  Take some time to play around with this – we’ll remind you in a month or so to submit something.  We hope to publish all the results in July or August.

Who to Cull

There is little debate about putting down hatchlings that have severe deformities which will lead to a shortened, painful life.  These deformities include lack of eyelids in eublepharid geckos and abdominal hernias where the abdominal wall has not closed and cannot be repaired.  The real question comes when considering what to do about hatchlings that may have a reduced, but reasonable quality of  life or those whose genetic makeup could potentially weaken the gene pool of the species.

For example:

• geckos with minor abnormalities that may require some special care such as notched eyelids (in eublepharid species) or foreshortened legs
• geckos with cosmetic abnormalities that don’t require special care such as tail kinks, (congenitally) missing toes, bulgy eyes
• geckos that appear not to gain weight or thrive compared to others of their age and species
• geckos that have “muddied” genetics, such as leopard geckos that are het for more than one strain of albino
• siblings of geckos that have “muddied” genetics or deformities

Those who favor culling some or all of the geckos that could have a reasonable quality of life as described above feel that the minor abnormalities observed may in fact be signs of more serious internal abnormalities that we can’t see.  These geckos, if bred, could significantly weaken the gene pool, especially for species where the captive population already has limited genetic diversity. Since there’s no way to guarantee that these geckos won’t be bred, it’s better for the gene pool if they are eliminated.  By the same token, some breeders would prefer to cull any gecko with “questionable” genetics and, by extension, all siblings as well, for the sake of the gene pool.  The feel that as long as they are selectively breeding, they have the responsibility to make appropriate selections to insure the strength and quality of the gene pool.

Gecko keepers who are opposed to culling point out that any animal that can have a decent quality of life deserves the chance to live.  They feel that most, if not all, species of geckos in captivity continue to be resilient and viable and that weak specimens will likely not breed well and will ultimately be eliminated from the gene pool through natural selection.

Obviously the culling issue mirrors the controversy of when human life begins as relates to the deliberate termination of pregnancy with all the accompanying political, religious and personal aspects!

How to Cull

There are a number of methods keepers use to cull hatchlings.  Some feed the hatchlings to other reptiles, feeling that death will be quick and the hatchling is providing some nutrition to another creature.  Other culling methods that have been recommended include use of a CO2 chamber, cooling and freezing, or bringing the animal to the vet for euthanization.  There has been much debate about which methods are humane and non-painful.

The Questions

Please let us know your thoughts and opinions by filling out the Response Box below.  Feel free to address the following questions or to bring up other issues not yet raised:

Under what circumstances should culling be done?

Should geckos be culled because of their genetic make-up alone?

What is the most humane method for “putting down” a gecko?

What are the ethical considerations with culling?

Is there any difference between considerations about ending a gecko’s life and ending a human’s life?

Gecko Time will publish the responses on June 11.

This book is the tenth in an “Animal Answer Guide” series published by Johns Hopkins Press (some other volumes are about parrots, turtles, squirrels and, surprisingly, porcupines).  All books in the series are formatted as a collection of questions and answers grouped into thematically related chapters.  The answers are short, usually only a page or two in length.  The Gecko book includes the following chapters:

• Introducing Geckos

• Form and Function

• Gecko Colors

• Gecko Behavior

• Gecko Ecology

• Reproduction and Development

• Foods and Feeding

• Geckos and Humans

• Gecko Problems (from a human viewpoint)

• Human Problems (from a gecko’s viewpoint)

• Geckos in Stories and Literature

• “Geckology”

The book also includes two appendices (“Geckos of the World”, “Organizations and Publications Devoted (in Part) to the Study of Geckos), an extensive bibliography and an index.

The author, Aaron M. Bauer, has been studying geckos in the wild for more than 30 years.  He is currently a Professor of Integrative Biology at Villanova University, chairman of the Herpetological Association of Africa and past president of the Herpetologists’ League.  In this book, he has taken on the daunting task of providing a tremendous amount of information about geckos in the wild in a way that is useful both to experienced gecko keepers and the general public.  The answers to each question are, as mentioned above, fairly brief, and written in easy to understand language that manages not to insult the readers’ intelligence.  The extensive bibliography provides an opportunity for further study about topics that pique the readers’ interest.

The material in the book is refreshingly up to date.  The author, for example, uses the new species designation for crested geckos (Correlophus ciliatus) and discusses the relatively recently publicized severely endangered status of L. williamsi. 

As the author of both the questions and the answers, Dr. Bauer comes up with questions that never would have occurred to me to ask:

“Why should people care about geckos?”

“What did extinct geckos look like?”

“Can geckos hang on [to smooth surfaces] when they’re dead?”

“How many teeth do geckos have?”

“What roles do geckos play in religion and mythology?”

In addition to appreciating the accuracy of the information about geckos that I already knew and getting “food for thought” from the unusual questions, I also learned many things I didn’t know about geckos:

• One source of prehistoric gecko study is a 54 million year old gecko specimen preserved in amber (p. 16)

• Geckos have cones in their eyes that have developed to enable them to see in color at night (p. 24)

• The physics of a gecko’s grip on smooth surfaces enables them to continue to hang on to these surfaces even if they are unconscious or dead (p. 33-34)

• Gargoyle geckos may have the most varied diet of any gecko (p. 89)

Dr. Bauer displays some of the dubious consequences of his extensive field work in his response to the question “Do geckos bite?”.  In his answer, he provides details, based on personal experience, comparing and contrasting the biting styles of C. turneri, R. Auriculatus, R. leachianus and G. gecko.

In general, the book, which I received in its paperback edition, is well organized and easy to use.  It can be read cover to cover or used as a resource for specific areas of interest.  My one quibble is the predominance of  black and white photos in most of the book.  Although there are two multi-page sections with high quality color photos, the black and white photos in the rest of the book, especially in the section about gecko colors, did not appear to be of particularly high quality and detracted from the book’s appearance.

Dr. Bauer states in his introduction that he himself is not a keeper of geckos:

In the interest of full disclosure, I am not now and have never been a big fan of keeping reptiles as pets; I have a “black thumb” when it comes to keeping animals alive in captivity.  However, I do not begrudge this pleasure to those who find it rewarding, especially as many such people develop a greater appreciation for biodiversity and the natural world through their exposure to these lizards.

His last sentence is, I feel, the key to the importance of this book for gecko keepers.  The information in this book enables us to shift our focus from the details of successfully keeping geckos to the range of habits, features and characteristics that the Gecko family as a whole displays.  It gives us a window into the lives of our geckos in the wild, which enables us to keep them even more successfully in captivity.  It successfully broadens our outlook and appreciation of these fascinating creatures that mean so much to us.

Geckos: The Animal Answer Guide (The Animal Answer Guides: Q&A for the Curious Naturalist)

by Aaron M. Bauer

Johns Hopkins University Press, 2013

As always, the contributors have responded to these questions:

1. What species are you keeping?
2. What got you interested in this species and where did you get your first one(s)?
3. How are they set up?  Describe your enclosure
4. What do you find most interesting about them?
5. What do you find to be the biggest challenge?

Maureen Winter

I work with Lygodactylus grotei, L. williamsi, L. picturatus and L. kimhowelli.
 
As  with Sphaerodactylus, my interest was gained while reading a book about Phelsuma, Lygodactylus, Sphaerodactylus and Gonatodes. Their small size drew me to them instantly! My first Lygodactylus, a kimhowelli, came from a now friend in Hagen, Germany. Was a rather funny moment, as we found out just how small the world could be. Turns out we are upstairs neighbors with a good friend of his and that his wife is formerly from Münster, Germany, where my husband and I reside. My next species was williamsi, which at first, oddly I never liked; from there it was picturatus followed by grotei.

All of the Lagodactylus enclosures have cork bark on the side and back walls. Cork is really a favorite decoration of mine, and pretty much every tank in this house has cork in some form. I also have various tubes of cork, bamboo and Japanese knotweed in each enclosure. Plants from the genus Peperomia, Dischidia and Hoya can also be found in almost every terrarium as well. Additionally I like to add in some bromeliads, as sometimes the females like to use them for egg laying spots and in my opinion no terrarium of mine is complete without a bromeliad or two! The substrate is a mixture of sphagnum peat moss, planting soil (fertilizer free), finely ground cocoa husk and sand. Each enclosure is lighted by a UVB bulb and secondary 4,000K T5 lamp. The final decor is a bowl of crushed up cuttlefish bone and a small water dish.      
 
I find most interesting, their small size and unique personalities in each species. Some find williamsi to be the most friendly for example, while I feel grotei are the most friendly followed by kimhowelli, williamsi and lastly picturatus.  
 
A big challenge is where to keep all of the babies. Lygodactylus can be rather prolific. I have a small army!   

Mikko Llosalo

I currently work with one pair of Lygodactylus picturatus, a group of four williamsi and a trio of kimhowelli. My first Lygodactylus were the williamsi. I got them from a Finnish reptile keeper named Juha Parkkinen, who helped me a lot on getting started with the more exotic species of reptiles. The first group arrived to me in 2010. Shortly after getting the group, I started researching other species belonging to the genus and I came across Maureen Winter. She had a lot of information to offer and increased my interest in the genus even further.
 
All three species are pretty much in similar setups, however the picturatus have a more powerful bulb and basking spot with slightly higher temperatures. As for lighting I mainly use Solar raptor 35w HID bulbs, while the picturatus have a 50w bulb from the same company. The substrate is a mixture of peat panels, coco husk and sand. All enclosures have a piece of wood offering vertical and horizontal climbing space under the bulbs. One or two large pieces of cork are placed in to each enclosure, to offer shade for cooling and hiding spots. Pieces of bamboo offer additional spots for climbing and egg laying. As for vegetation I use Soleirolia soleirolii (Baby’s Tears) only. I plan to add, at a later date some Tillandsia.
 
When I started working with Lygodactylus williamsi, I was fond of their blue color. Later on, I found that I truly enjoyed their behavior. They have a very unique way of socializing. They are also far from shy once they get to know you.
 
With regard to challenges, I think every animal is easy to take care of once you have the correct setup for them. I’m currently just beginning to breed picturatus and williamsi, along with preparing to care for the offspring. I’m fairly certain the offspring will be the biggest challenge for me, but I am well prepared and have high hopes.

[ed. note: Mikka is starting a facebook group about Lygodactylus: http://www.facebook.com/groups/503812666351140/]

Leann Christenson

In the past, my husband Greg and I kept Lygodactylus capensis, L. picturatus, and L. pictus.  After a few years the Lygodactylus species were put aside as we became more involved with the Phelsuma species.  Three years ago I was drawn back into Lygodactylus and specifically with Lygodactylus williamsi.

Since the start of commercial collection of L. williamsi in 2004 (all
illegally) for the pet trade this species  has been pushed to the brink of extinction.  Conservation groups have little time to put this threatened species under international protection like the CITES.  The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species lists L. williamsi as Critically Endangered.  Due to its extremely small area of origin that faces severe habitat destruction and continued illegal poaching, they face extinction in the wild in my lifetime.

 In 2011, the plight of Lygodactylus williamsi came to my attention and I began to investigate its husbandry challenges.

In the spring of 2011 I bought three wild caught L. williamsi on line and picked up four more from two vendors at a reptile show. 

Finding a safe enclosure on the reptile market for adult L williamsi was difficult.  The most popular terrariums from ExoTerra and Zoo Med turned out to have too many problems for very small geckos.  These reptile enclosures had numerous hidden spots, pinch risks and areas hatchlings could be forever lost. 

I ended putting all my L. williamsi in the custom enclosures we’ve used for nearly 15 years.  The acrylic enclosures have a front opening and screen top.  The custom enclosure dimensions are 9 wide x 11 deep x 11 tall. 

For lighting I use a high quality linear fluorescent (non-uv) bulb and a halogen puck for basking.  None of the L. williamsi raised here are exposed to UV bulbs.  Instead they are fed additional amounts of vitamin D3 and calcium at each meal.

The interior has about an inch of organic soil, a few thin clean tree branches that run from top to bottom, and a potted bird’s nest sansaveria.  I like to keep the interior simple so to better observe and monitor gecko health.

  L. williamsi are absolutely beautiful but I found them to be intriguing critters to watch.  They are inquisitive and jovial, and property housed, take full advantage of their given space.  I love to watch hatchlings dart around a terrarium chasing fruit flies or licking fruit baby food from a spoon. These are just delightful little geckos to watch.

L. williamsi require more attention than most other species of geckos I’ve taken care of.  The small size of the adults is such that dehydration is a real problem and ongoing issue.  Depending on the time of year and ambient humidity levels, I  often mist them three or four times daily.  The hatchlings pose a even greater hydration challenge.  I schedule four mistings daily as a minimum without fail. 

A small body has sustenance challenges.  Adults need to be fed daily, gravid females even more and juveniles benefit from a couple of meals a day.  Their food needs to be tiny so having pinheads that are one to seven days old  and/or supply of small fruit flies is necessary.  Thank goodness they love fruit baby food!

Problems I have not had is controlling incubation, accurately sexing, keeping hatchlings alive, and producing 50% male and female offspring.

I think that a keeper who is patient, focuses on husbandry, is less interested in the money/sales and more interested in the hobby can have the success I’ve enjoyed with these wonderful little geckos.

Leann Christenson is a Gecko and Phelsuma curator at Leaping Lizard Day Geckos.  She shares her unique and successful husbandry techniques in the book, Day Geckos In Captivity, articles in the nationally syndicated magazines Reptiles Magazine and Reptile Care, and contributed to Global Gecko Association’s specialized publications, Chit Chat.   Changing her direction from the business end of the reptile hobby and industry, she now devotes her time to solving husbandry problems of rare and endangered day geckos.  She maintains a popular blog, Frankie Tortoise Tails at www.frankietortoisetails.com

Mikko Llosalo: I’ve lived my entire life in Finland, in a town called Rauma. Ever since I was a child I have been fascinated with nature, from birds to fish and eventually reptiles. I work at a paper factory in town and much of my spare time is dedicated to reptiles, be it researching or just generally taking care of my own. At the very early stages of my entrance in to the hobby, I learned that Finland is massively behind in terms of understanding reptiles. This forced me to reach outside of the country for information and this also made things move more slowly than I would have hoped. In the future I am hoping to get properly into breeding Lygodactylus and improving myself in terms of understanding reptiles constantly and trying to network more in my home country.

Born and raised on Long Island, New York, Maureen Winter has been keeping reptiles and amphibians on and off since the age of 7. Her first reptile was a Red Eared Slider. Later on she kept various amphibians ranging from Hyla cinerea to Litoria caerulea and was quickly hooked. Eventually Maureen moved to Münster, Germany and longed to have her beloved amphibians once again. She began with Litoria caerulea and her hobby grew to keeping various species of dart frogs. After a year of owning dart frogs Maureen desired to have some geckos and soon her first geckos, Phelsuma klemmeri, were purchased. Shortly after, she began keeping many different geckos. She currently works with various Phelsuma, Lygodactylus, Sphaerodactylus, and Lepidodactylus lugubris, alongside her many frogs.

Lead photo by JM Osuna.

 Tell us a little about yourself and your interest in geckos. 

I started keeping herps in the early 1990s and nothing has ever been able to stop me from doing so. My fascination with reptiles led me to study biology, where I received my M.Sc.. My main focus is on lizards and I have  bred about 50 species in the past. I did some projects in the world of herpetology and was (co-)author of articles and books. After breeding leopard geckos on a larger scale for several years, I have reduced the amount of animals and diversified my breeding stock. Today I work as a medical and regulatory affairs manager and spend most of my free time with my geckos and – whenever possible – in the field to see them in the wild.

How were your able to arrange this trip to Iran? 

It was during the Christmas holidays in 2011, when herpetologist Dr. Gunther Köhler called me and asked if I would like to arrange a little expedition to Iran with him. Dr. Köhler and I wrote a book on leopard geckos and we were both very curious to get some firsthand experience of their habitat. Since Dr. Köhler had primary scientific contacts in Iran, and the country has a diversified herpetofauna, we  chose this country for our journey. Iranian herpetologists helped us a lot with organizing the trip while we applied for our visas and booked our flights.

Where did you travel in Iran, and with whom? 

Gunther and I landed in Shiraz, the capital city of Fars Province in the Zagros Mountains. Massoud, a very talented Iranian biology student, and a driver picked us up. From there we  four drove 5,000km by car through the Fars Province and the Khuzestan Province that shares a border with Iraq. Both provinces are geographically dominated by mountains and  have access to the Persian Gulf. The altitude difference between the mountains and the sea creates very different habitats that are ideal for many reptile and amphibian species. The hospitality and friendliness off the Iranians was second to none and we enjoyed some very warm interactions during our journey. The character of a country is always determined by the people, not what the politicians say about it.  I personally think that this is something that should never be forgotten.

  What herps did you see?

We found more than twenty reptile and amphibian species including seven gecko species like Tropiocolotes helenae, Bunopus tuberculatus and Asaccus griseonotus. I will probably never forget finding Uromastyx loricata in its natural habitat. It was a steppe-like environment, adjacent to agricultural areas. Finding half a dozen of these impressive Uromastyx sitting in front of their self buried caves was quite an experience. They really are an awesome agamid species! Spotting foraging poisonous snakes is also always amazing.

In the wild, you get a very good feeling for the adaption of the species to their natural habitat:

The Asaccus we have found lived on rocks and hid in gaps. Their long legs with the funny shaped feet help them climb on the surface of the rocks and their dorsal-ventral flatness helps them to escape to very narrow hiding places, where other animals can’t reach them. A leopard gecko is ground dwelling and uses various other survival strategies – therefore their body shape is quite different.

 Tell us about your experiences in Iran with leopard geckos and the related species, Eublepharis angramainyu.

A herping journey is packed with amazing experiences and it is very difficult to pick only a few of them! One of the most thrilling experiences was the leopard gecko hunt itself. We travelled to Iran to see them in the wild- but we failed to find them! We used a lot of original literature with GPS data but even we three experienced biologists were unable to spot one, no matter how closely we were looking and how many rocks we flipped — nada. A guy working on the street asked us if he could help us with … whatever we were doing there. We showed him a picture of a leopard gecko and we were more than happy to hear that he not only knew this gecko but even knew a locality not far away, near a small village. This sounded fantastic and we drove there. It was a lesson to learn, that “not far away” can mean 4-5 driving hours away. We travelled dirt roads that our car was not made for, but our driver did an amazing job and drove us safely to the village. It consisted of two small houses and a much bigger goat pen. We were warmly greeted by the family that lived there and showed the father a picture of a leopard gecko. He was well aware of them, warned us that they are poisonous- and told us that we were one month too early. He normally does not see them before May. We were very disappointed, but – as the night was approaching quickly – had no other option than staying the night in our tents. When it got dark, Massoud and I were searching half the night and found lots of reptiles- but no leopard gecko. It was just shortly before returning to our tents, when I suddenly spotted movement behind a rock. I focused- expecting another Tropicolotes – but saw a young leopard gecko instead! I managed to catch him before he was able to escape under one of the very heavy rocks. And there I held it in my hands: the purpose of our journey. I was overwhelmed and called loudly for Massoud. But he did not show up—as we were quite far away from each other. So I called him as loud as I could- but instead of Massoud, the father of the shepherd-family showed up, holding a rifle firmly in his hands.

I was very happy when Massoud arrived and translated — the shepherd had heard my screams and thought a bear was attacking me so he wanted to save me. After this adventurous night, it was great when the shepherd woke us up with freshly baked bread and cheese from his goats that we ate together outside while the sun was rising.

We found Eublepharis angramainyu in the mountains at 850 meters and the habitat is not like most hobbyists expect it to be. It is not “sandy” at all.  The soil is hard-packed clay, rocky and there are also quite a few dry adapted plants. In small caves we found some zagros-newts/ Neurergs kaiseri, telling us that the region will not regularly dry out completely.

Is there any advice you can provide about field herping in a locale far from home? 

It`s fairly simple: Prepare. Prepare. Prepare.

Finding some of your most favorite reptiles in their natural habitat is an awesome experience that is hard to describe. And if you ever have the honor to enjoy the hospitality of locals, you will experience moments you’ll never forget.

But it is not necessarily as easy as it sounds: If you don’t do your homework, chances are that you will not find any reptile, but lots of trouble instead.

Accidents, unwanted contacts with authorities (among other inconveniences) can and will happen at some times. You really have to be prepared for as many unpleasant surprises as possible. Read as much as you can about the country you are going to and learn at least some important sentences in the local language. Even survival and first aid courses can be handy. The best advice I can give is to start the journey with experienced field herpers and whenever possible with a local guide.

I don’t want to be overcautious and adventure is also a part field herping- but never forget to use common sense, use the right equipment and never start without the help of an experienced person. If you want to start on your own: there are great “beginner`s countries” where you can get first experiences along the regular tourist destinations.

For more photos check out Karsten’s Facebook group: Leopard Gecko Wild Types.

Tell us a little about yourself and how you got interested in geckos.

  I am 26 years old and come from Germany. I have been interested in unusual animals as long as I can remember. As a young boy I had all kinds of pets. I think I got my  first real exotic animal at age 9. That was a turtle. Unfortunately I had to get rid of him, because it became too big and I had no space for a large aquarium. At the age of 12 years (1998)  a friend of my mother  told her about her leopard geckos. Two days later I went on a school trip and when I came back, I had my first leopard gecko. Meanwhile, I have also kept ball pythons, tarantulas and scorpions. The leopard geckos are the
ones I never lost interest in.

How many leopard geckos do you have and how many do you produce each year?

My motto is: quality, not quantity!

I have only a very very small collection, when I compare myself with other breeders. My breeding stock is limited to about 20 animals, some fraction of which I breed each year.  That way I can have my full-time job and the family and there is still enough time to care for each animal in particular as well as the other important things involved with this hobby such as contacting other breeders and training in genetics too. We have only a very small number of offspring per year. I can’t give specific numbers because it varies from year to year.

The number depends on the projects but there are never more than 30. The reason for this low number is, as mentioned above, that I want to take care of every single gecko especially. Another reason for the low number is that I don’t have to earn money breeding geckos. For me it is a hobby. I am paying for it gladly!

How do you keep your geckos –what kind of cages and set-up?

I keep my leopard geckos mainly in racks.  I keep our breeders individually in 45 litre tubs. The offspring will accordingly be housed in smaller tubs, until they reach a certain size. Then they are transferred to a bigger tub . Most breeders in Germany keep their animals in cages. I opted for racks for hygiene reasons and because of the better control I have with racks. By keeping the geckos  individually I have better control and can determine which eggs go with which females 100%.  But the basic hygiene may not be ignored. I do not have much stuff in the tubs besides the basics: a humid hide  filled with coco fiber on the warm side, another regular cave on the cold side, a calcium dish and a water bowl.

What morphs do you work with?

I work with morphs like Eclipse, Tangerine and Rainwater Albino. But the Rainwater’s have stolen my heart. I was lucky enough to get from a friend a couple of Raining Red Stripes from the Hotgeckos line. With these Raining Red Stripes I continue to do selective line breeding. This year I bred my Raining Red Stripe male to a beautiful Electric Tangerine female. I hope this will improve the color of our Rainwater’s again in the next generation. But these are not the only Las Vegas Albinos in my stock. The Mack Snow and the Patternless gene play a role as well. I expect some great offspring this year, including: Mack Snow Rainwater, Mack Snow Rainwater Patternless, Mack Super Snow Rainwater and Mack Super Snow Rainwater Patternless.

Tell us about the breeding project that has interested you the most.

Also here again clearly the Rainwater Albinos call. Why?  Tremper Albinos and Bell Albinos are a dime a dozen. But there are not so many Rainwater Albinos. This focus on the “unknown”,  is what makes me so interested in that. The Rainwater Albinos there have been in existence for 15 years, but they have never had anyone really interested. Since last year, I can see a growing interest in the Las Vegas strain and the Typhoons, which makes me very happy. I hope this still be able to inspire more good breeders for these wonderful animals. Here are a lot of unopened doors.

What is the leopard gecko breeder community like in Germany?

Here in Germany we have a large gecko community, with many hobby breeders. Most communication takes place  in our discussion forums. Photos will be posted here, projects presented and information exchanged. Once a year,  a lot of us more or less agree to meet for a coffee in Hamm at the reptile show. Not only in the U.S. are there beautiful geckos.
In Germany there are some great breeders with interesting breeding projects.

Some of our well established and experienced breeders I know include Karsten Griesshammer with his W&Y, Rebecca Hassler of Dragoongecko with her Ghost and Electric line breeding, Dennis Leder with his Snow Diorite-stuff from Japan and Christoph Mainka of Geckosphere.  Christoph has hatched, to my knowledge, the first Super Snow Patternless Bell which is still alive in the world.  Of course there are other promising and talented people around, and new breeders coming into the hobby every year.

What would be your advice to someone who would like to begin breeding leopard geckos?

I would recommend to start very, very small, and possibly not breeding at all in the early years.  First you have to do your homework. Learn, learn and learn as much as you can. If you then have enough experience, you can think about whether you might breed 1-2 females. If all goes well, you can gradually increase. Patience in this hobby is a very important virtue.

Sally Martin: Like a lot of ours, I started with glass tanks. As my collection increased reluctantly, I switched to racks. At first, I felt like a bad mommy. But, it turns out they actually seemed to gain weight, and look healthier. I think it was due to less stress during the day. At night, they are peering out the front bins and watching what is going on. It is not like they are in a closed drawer. They still get daylight in the front, but can retreat to the back to sleep.

Maurice Pudlo: Interestingly enough we use a hybrid of both systems for our ground dwelling geckos, leopard geckos for example are housed in 1/2 height 29 gallon glass enclosures that are housed in a rack type system.

This provides both visibility and functionality at a cost that is higher per enclosure than a plastic tub type rack and similar to full sized aquarium type enclosures.

Our arboreal geckos are housed in a combination of front opening and standard top opening aquariums, we prefer the front opening type much more.

Rafael Gomsz: I keep my geckos in a rack system. I used to use glass but switched when I started to keep more leopard geckos. I found glass tanks were too bulky and required individual heat pads where as tubs in racks less space and heat tape could heat several tubs. I really found no difference in the health of my leopard geckos since switching to a rack system. My geckos still come to the front of the tubs to see out especially when I am feeding. It may not be as clear a view as a glass tank but they still look out. Hatchlings are housed individually in 6 qt tubes, sub-adults and adults in 15 qt tubs, and if I house 2-3 geckos together I use 32 qt tubs. Glass tanks are heavier and break easily. Tubs are light weight, easy to clean, and can be stacked for storage. Overall, tubs have been a life saver for me as my collection has grown.

Justin Tressler I tend to go with front opening stackable enclosures. They are opaque on every surface but the front, where it’s translucent plexiglass. I use that style of enclosure for everything from my leos through my cresties , and even my tokay. I feel like the animals can see out into the world through the front, but aren’t overwhelmed from all angles, like glass enclosures. As for convenience of the keeper versus ideal conditions for the occupant, they should be weighted toward the ideal conditions. Convenience only comes into play as a bonus for the keeper, and should never compromise the conditions.

Kendyl Ellison: I enjoy keeping my geckos in plastic drawer housing because not only is it convenient for me regarding space and ease of opening, but it also benefits the animals by having all but one wall covered decreasing the opportunity of stress from traffic passing by the rack. I have kept geckos in glass tanks before, and while esthetically pleasing it simply does not function well unless you have an unlimited amount of space for such things. Not only is space saved, but money is as well. It is all too well known how pricy glass enclosures can become once one accumulates more and more animals that require the same housing. Glass can be great for someone who keeps perhaps two or three geckos, but for those who have growing collections that are for breeding purposes the rack system is without a doubt more efficient and cost effective.

Cricket: Aside from a larger gradient, space for activity, not treating your reptiles as commodities, there are so many more deaths in geckos housed in racks than in glass tanks due to the following reasons: 
Easier to escape (never found again or found dead)
 Overheating (not much space to escape)
 Fires

Chris D.: I keep my 3 geckos in glass enclosures because the geckos I own are pets.

But I don’t see a problem with breeders who use racks and provide their animals with all the necessities to have a quality life while they are there, before they are sold to good homes.

As far as keeping “pets” in racks, I don’t think they have as high of a quality life as being in a Terrarium setting… but i’m sure they can be kept in a rack system and remain healthy.

kristie: How do you keep your geckos?
My geckos (only 2 leopard geckos) are both in their own glass enclosures. they both have 3 hides (warm, cold, and moist), and other things. (feed dish, water dish, extra calcium, heating requirements)

Do you prefer racks or glass and why?
I prefer glass, only because I like seeing what’s going on inside the encloure clearly at all times. just in case something needs to be adjusted, and for my personal preference.

If I owned many more than two, I can see how a rack system would be beneficial, given the space required for multiple glass enclosures.

Is either system of a particular benefit or detriment to the geckos?

Not that I am aware. Both seem to fit the basic needs (as long as all needs are being met). I think it’s more for the preference of the keeper, not the gecko.

Is the method of housing species-dependent?

Not entirely sure.

How should the values of convenience for the keeper and ideal conditions for the gecko be weighted relative to each other?

Ideal conditions for the gecko should always be held with more importance. If those conditions are met, with ease for the keeper then it is a plus side. A gecko should not have to miss out on a basic necessity due to the laziness or ease of the keeper.

Aliza Arzt:  I’ve heard enough opinions from people I trust to feel that there are compelling reasons, from the perspective of reptile comfort, to use either a rack or a “glass” system.  Consequently, for me it comes down to a sense of my own aesthetics.  For me, the idea of keeping my reptiles in drawers which I open to see them (like a butterfly collection) violates my personal aesthetic.  I really do see this as a personal opinion, not a universal concept.  That said, I do have a 16-tub rack with 6 quart tubs which I use for overflow leopard gecko hatchlings and also for my African fat tail and SW banded gecko (Coleonyx) hatchlings since I find it easier to feed small crickets in a closed tub set-up.  I’m always hoping to “upgrade” these geckos out of the tubs whenever I sell a bunch at a show.  I guess I do also have what you could call a “modified rack” system, consisting of shelves with front-opening glass tanks, which can be divided into compartments for small hatchlings.

 What is a Ghost?

The Ghost is often described on the internet and in literature as a mutation causing “faded colors” in the leopard gecko. In fact, this rough description is only a part of the whole picture, as there’s much more to a true Ghost than that. Read further on and you’ll see why ..

 Is the Ghost a true genetic color-morph?

Although belonging to the “old school” morphs, for a long time Ghosts were simply seen as a variety of weird pastels, or especially a form of Hypo-colored leopard geckos in the community.

A possible explanation  might be that the very first Ghosts emerged from a Hypo-line, and therefore naturally shared many phenotype similarities in their early years on first view.

On the internet we can even sometimes read that the ghost gene itself will cause a form of  Hypomelanism. Dragoon Gecko however has easily created various forms of animals over the years that display a huge amount of black spotting, such as our “Speckled Ghosts” project. In fact, the breeder can influence the black pigmentation in the Ghost the same way as in other color mutations (e.g. tangerines).

Because of their genetic origin and the little information available, Ghosts were often mistaken for Hypos and vice versa. However, when crossed in and combined with other morphs, the Ghosts produced significantly different offspring from any normal Hypo-Line:

“True Ghosts never show the typical bright yellowish coloration present in hypos. Instead, most Ghosts & Ghost-Combos develop green shades that range from a very light hue over sea-green to a deep “military green”. True Ghosts also lighten up and their color fades – in comparison to most young hypos which get more brilliant and deeper in color  each shed..”

(source:  http://www.leopardgeckowiki.com/index.php?title=Ghost , original version written by Rebecca Hassler)

 The similarity of genetic and phenotypical results in different breeder stocks soon lead people to the conclusion there might be more to the whole story than a slightly different form of a Hypo.

Due to the results and findings of various breeders in US and Europe, the Ghost has proven over the years to be different from pastels and hypos, and a true genetic color-morph in its own right. The Ghost was first mentioned in 2004 in “The Leopard Gecko Manual”, p.66 (Philippe de Vosjoli, Roger Klingenberg, Ron Tremper, Brian Viets) and finally described 2005 as “the result of genetics” in Ron Trempers Book  “The Herpetoculture of Leopard Geckos” (p.159).

 What colors do we find in Ghosts?

The exact coloration of a Ghost will depend on many things, and by far not all crosses have been done yet (a fact that makes them interesting and valuable for the future!).

 In general, the Ghost-Gene will “change” any morph it is combined with, and in a small way unlock new looks just like the Enigma and W&Y- gene will do.  We have seen unusual things over the years such as a black (!) paradox marking in one of our albino Ghosts, irregular eye pattern, or different colored hind legs (1 white, 1 yellow) in one of our Mack Snow Ghosts.

As mentioned above, in Dragoon Gecko’s breeding stock we see a tendency for non-albino animals to often display a rich green coloration, which in many cases is more distinct than in the current Emerald projects. The color ranges from a light sea-green to an intense dark military green and everything in between.

From what we have seen until now, albino Ghosts seem to display more of a light yellow, or a pastel yellow-green coloration. Many crosses are yet to be attempted though.

Crossed into snow lines, Ghosts can help to enhance the amount of lavender in an animal, and combined with the Montanus-line (which is also known for its potential to lighten up animals), very light Ghosts were born in our stock that looked like snows, where no snow-gene at all was involved in the project.

 I am not totally convinced right now about this point, but based on the current information available it seems that the Ghost-gene is able to at least partially block or cover bright yellow -, orange-  and red pigments, as we have rarely seen any true genetic Ghost with a carrot tail, and never hatched out a genetic Ghost with bright yellow/orange coloration in our stock.

There’s another interesting feature often seen in the Ghost trait:

Stronger than in any other trait, Ghosts can change their colors from “ultra-light” to “smoke dark” (some animals almost look as if they were covered in black ash) depending on temperature, time of the year, and also current mood. Many of my older Ghost breeders become lighter and lighter each season after 3 to 5 years of age. A ghost never stays the same – another point that makes them fascinating for breeders to work with.

 Color development in babies and Juveniles

It is often said that Ghosts are hard to recognize until they reach a size of 5 to 6 inches, and that they are generally hard to recognize as hatchlings. While I find this statement true for beginners, it is definitely getting a lot easier to distinguish Ghost babies with growing experience. This is why I recommend that everyone interested in working with this trait to choose your breeder wisely, and to make sure your geckos are coming from a genetic Ghost-line.

Good breeders should verify where the animals are coming from, and should choose the best suitable offspring for them and their projects.

In combination with Snow, a Ghost can be easily distinguished from its normal siblings right after birth, as Snow Ghosts do not hatch black and white, but with a brownish/deep purple and white combination. Those Snow Ghost- babies will lighten up to a kind of “milk & coffee” pattern within their next few sheds, and finally end up with a mixture of green, white and lavender.

Other Ghost combinations may require an educated eye to distinguish them from normals as hatchlings. But usually after the first sheds it will (like some W&Y’s) become obvious who is who, as all Ghosts have a unique pastel and faded appearance that visually clearly differs from bright colored non-Ghost animals.

 General History of the Morph

To date, there is unfortunately no verified information available on the exact origin of the ghosts. Some people believe that the very first Ghosts emerged in Ray Hines breeding stock at a time when he was predominantly working with the hypo morph in his breeding program. Others say they popped up in Alex Hue’s Hypo project. They definitely became popular by Alex Hue from AlexHueReptiles in the US, probably around the early or mid 90’s.

When Alex began to sell his Ghosts to other breeders, they were used to cross into other projects, but soon got off many people’s priority list when newer mutations such as the “Raptor” conquered and excited the market.

In the years that followed, they became almost forgotten — but suddenly returned with a bang in the gecko community when the very first amazing Mack Snow Ghost Jungles hatched out in ArtlinksGecko’s breeding stock in Sweden, Europe 2007.

 History of the Ghosts at Dragoon Gecko

Dragoon Gecko acquired the first banded Ghosts directly from Alex Hue’s stock, and we have been breeding them ever since.

Eventually, we were lucky to get the first Mack Snow Ghost Jungles in 2007 from Artlinksgeckos, and were later entrusted with the whole project. Their original Breeders “Izidor” and “Dove” (bred by Alex Hue) and their beautiful Jungle offspring “Merlin”, “Andvari” and “Gletta” became founders of a new generation of ghosts, and are ancestors of almost all our modern crazy “Jungle Ghost”- stuff.

Our founder male “Izidor” is still very active in our breeding program, and due to his potential to pass many positive features to his offspring (like general vitality and fertility) he is a male that I enjoy using in various projects. His children and grandchildren became some of our best Lavender Ghosts. We also got some amazing animals from Karsten Griesshammer’s Giant Ghost Raptor-Project in 2010, which became founders of our Giant Ghosts and Montanus Ghost Raptors.

In general, Dragoon Gecko worked intensively over the past years to improve the colors and patterns through genetic management and selective line-breeding: the first original Ghosts appeared very dark and washed out or muddy in coloration, so we focused on clearing up the colors, sharpening the contrasts and “lightening them up” from generation to generation.

 We also crossed them into various projects and lines, and created combos such as Giant Ghosts, Ghost Eclipse & Ghost Raptor, Speckled Ghosts, Hypermelanistic Ghosts (what some of our customers like to humorously call “Smoke Ghosts”), Ghost Albinos, Montanus Ghost variations, Mack Snow Jungle – and Stripe Ghosts, Lavender Ghosts and more.

We continually plan to produce some new combination with them (e.g. this season will focus on W&Y Ghosts), so there’s always work to do and still room for improvement ;-).

 Genetic Results

Since Alex Hue as well as many other experienced breeders who worked with them in the beginning are no longer in the gecko business, it is difficult to get confirmed information about their exact genetic findings with Ghosts. Below are the results Rebecca Hassler (www.dragoongecko.com) has had in her breeding programs to date:

 ♦ Ghost x normal = approx. 50% Ghost & 50% normal

 ♦Ghost x Ghost = approx. 50% ghost & 50% normal (there is no super form in Ghosts!)

 ♦Non-ghost sibling x non-ghost sibling: Due to the limited size of our breeding stock, we have not tried this combination yet. Due to the simple fact however that we both hatched out Ghosts in even every real outcross-pairing, I highly doubt the Ghost to be simple recessive (= non-ghost siblings to carry the ghost trait). As a consequence, we at Dragoon Gecko do NOT sell any of our normal ghost-siblings as “het” for Ghost.

 ♦Mack Snow Ghost x Mack Snow Ghost :

SuperSnows hatched from this combo will not look different from other Supers. The SS gene seems to block the Ghost gene , or at least cover over it so it becomes invisible in the phenotype. This is the reason why Dragoon Gecko prefers not to cross two Mack Snow Ghosts to each other, as we feel responsible that our customers know what they are getting.

In general, due to the focus of Dragoon Gecko’s breeding program for physical strength, vitality & fertility, I recommend using outcrosses in every generation of the Ghost projects ( = Ghost x any other unrelated animal/morph).

 Are there any known neurological issues observed in Ghosts?

We have never seen one in all the yearswe have worked with them (both from ghost x normal & ghost x ghost- pairings).

In terms of my personal findings, two Ghosts can be bred to each other without concern. However, as said above due to the fact that only one parent is needed to produce ghost-offspring, I prefer to use unrelated animals whenever possible for a larger gene pool.

 What Ghost- Projects is Dragoon Gecko currently working with?

Here’s a quick overview of our Line breeding Ghost projects and results:

 ♦Light colored Ghosts

 ♦Dark colored Ghosts (“Smoke Ghosts”)

 ♦(Mack Snow) Ghost Jungles

  ♦Giant Ghosts

 ♦Lavender Ghost (we love to combine this with the jungle and stripe traits )

 ♦Montanus-line Ghost – some of these display a 3 dimensional eye mutation, very light and pastel colors, and great tendency for paradox markings!

 ♦Speckled Ghost — one of our first traits crossed into the ghosts. I personally like the contrast of clear coloring and fine spotted pattern -like salt and pepper .

 ♦Ghost Raptor / Eclipse Ghost / Ghost Albinos

 ♦Mack Snow Ghosts 
 ♦Line-bred Snow Ghosts

 ♦W&Y Ghosts (These will come 2013)

 And always one or two “secret projects”

 What makes the Ghost so interesting for the future?

In my opinion, Ghosts are the true “chameleons” among the color morph leopard geckos. That really makes them fun to work with: they will always change colors based on their current mood or the time of the year etc. and therefore surprise their owner with a kaleidoscope of different color shades through their whole lives. They never stay the same and will one day look almost anthracite black, and the next day surprise you with ultra-light colors.

I also really like the fact that the ghost is clearly a single mutation- BUT with a strong chance for selective line breeding: You can create very dark or very light green animals, you can hatch out crazy looking albinos with pastel colors, you can selectively breed them for having almost no or huge amounts of spotting, for lavender, crazy patterns etc. The combination potential for them is endless, and we have yet to see many Ghost- combos .

 Last but not least I cherish that whatever you will cross into the ghost will change the phenotype of the original line crossed into them, so you never know what surprise might await you in the incubator .

  Hopes for the future

There’s still so much to try out and find out about the ghosts!!

Many morphs and combos haven’t been crossed into them yet, so in my eyes this is a huge chance for anyone seeking unknown genetic endeavors .  I am eager to see what an Emerine Ghost or Super Giant Ghost will look like – not to imagine W&Y Ghost Bells or Rainwaters .

 With so many contributions, the reader should be able to engage in a practice I recommend when researching a new potential pet: note the advice that all caresheets have in common and assume that this is likely to be correct. 

As always, the contributors have responded to these questions:

1. What species are you keeping?
2. What got you interested in this species and where did you get your first one(s)?
3. How are they set up?  Describe your enclosure
4. What do you find most interesting about them?
5. What do you find to be the biggest challenge?

Ryan Brennan

I keep nigropunctatus ocujal, dimorphicus, macrolepis mimetes and fantasticus.  Keeping Gonatodes initiated my interest in the dwarf geckos however seeing an ad on a forum classifieds for Cuban Ashy Geckos led me to begin research into Sphaerodactylus.  Sphaerodactylus are kept by few in Canada and bred by even fewer.  After more research and much time spent on google translate, it turned out that the best place to find a variety of Sphaerodactylus was in Germany.  This is where I picked up my first pairs of the genus, and by picked up, I mean exported from Germany and flown into Canada. 

Species are kept in pairs in a 8″ by 8″ by 12″ Exo-terra glass vivarium that has a foam background, live plants, cork bark and a substrate of coco fiber and sand mixture.  Heat and light is provided by a 5.0 uvb fluorescent tube. 

The most appealing quality of Sphaerodactylus is that their pattern and colour varies so greatly between both species and sex.  The spotted male nigropunctatus subspecies are all incredibly beautiful, yet the striped females are equally beautiful. 

The challenge of keeping Sphaerodactylus is finding the eggs in the vivarium as well as feeding those hatchlings with small enough prey items.  Adults feed on 1/8″ and 1/4″ crickets and can comfortably fit on a quarter so having food that is readily available and small enough for hatchlings can be difficult. 

Jens Lindner

In the genus Sphaerodactylus which includes about 100 different species, I have specialized in the species from Puerto Rico.  Puerto Rico (not including the small islands around it) is inhabited by 12 species and subspecies: Sphaerodactylus macrolepis guarionex, Sphaerodactylus m. grandisquamis, Sphaerodactylus m. mimetes, Sphaerodactylus m. ateles, Sphaerodactylus m. Spanius and a new undescribed macrolepis subspecies. Also included is  Sphaerodactylus  roosevelti, Sphaerodactylus klauberi, Sphaerodactylus townsendi, Sphaerodactylus nicholsi, Sphaerodactylus parthenopion and Sphaerodactylus gaigeae.
I am currently keeping and breeding S. roosevelti, S. macrolepis guarionex, S. macrolepis mimetes, S. townsendi and S. macrolepis ssp. (the new undiscribed subspecies from the central Highland). An outlier is Sphaerodactylus argus – my girlfriend felt in love with them at the Hamm show and I couldn’t say “No!”

Initially I was keeping and breeding Pogona and Terrapene (Boxturtles) but after the move into a smaller apartment without a garden I didn’t have a lot of space, so I needed to find a smaller species. I also wanted diurnal and nicely colored animals so I did some research and after some reading and consideration this was the genus that I chose to work with. After some
e-mails I got my first ones from Dennis Hluschi, one of the leading Sphaerodactylus specialists in Germany

I am using 30s cubes for one pair. Both sexes of the macrolepis subspecies are quite aggressive against other adults so you can only keep one pair in one tank. The substrate is a coconut humus/sand mixture and houses small isopods. I have created hiding places by laying pieces of cork and climbing plants, such as Philodendron spec. or Ficus pumila around the enclosure. To provide the animals with climbing opportunities, I angled pieces of bark and stem segments of Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica) around the terrarium walls. Holes in the knotweed serve as nesting sites for the females. A small shallow water bowl  completes the set-up.
The required daytime temperature of 26-28°C (79-82°F) is achieved by a 30 watt fluorescent tube. During the spring and summer months my tanks are illuminated for 12 hours daily. In the winter months I reduce it to 10 hours.

I mist the terrarium every 2 days, thus achieving the relative humidity between 60-70%.

The breeding of Sphaerodactylus from Puerto Rico is problem free. When the female is fed abundantly, a single egg may be laid every 20-30 days. The adult geckos don’t chase after the hatchlings, therefore the eggs do not have to be transferred to an incubator.
I raised the young in 1 liter household containers with a similar setup to the adults’ enclosures. The young can be raised in small groups with other representatives of the genus Sphaerodactylus. I feed them  springtails, micro crickets, small woodlouses and cockroach nymphs.

After their acclimatization my Sphaerodactylus were way more fun than I ever expected. They are very active and – I don’t know why – especially the species from Puerto Rico become very tame. Although small, they are very inquisitive: They will come to the front of the enclosure to watch the human activity happening in the room and take their food from my hand. Also very interesting is the behavior of  S. roosevelti: They are communal and do well in groups – very extraordinary and different than other Sphaerodactylus species, which are mostly aggressive. For such a small gecko, they have great big personalities. Moreover I love their colors and patterns.

There are two big challenges in keeping Sphaerodactylus. The first is that you have to breed a certain variety of small insects which sometimes could be more complex than breeding Sphaerodactylus. Because of their small size, handling and feeding the hatchlings can sometimes be  especially challenging. You need to have always a steady supply of tiny nymphs, because the most pet shops don’t have such little insects in stock.

The second challenge is to find enough buyers for all the hatchlings. Unfortunately Sphaerodactylus are often overlooked in the hobby – maybe because they are not a gecko that sells for a lot of money, maybe because they are not so impressive or dangerous like snakes or monitors, maybe because they are just unknown. Anyway, there simply aren’t a lot of people yet who want to keep them. I hope that if people knew how much fun they are, they would be a lot more inclined to work with them. Maybe this article will make a small contribution in changing this situation.

Maureen Winter

 I work with S. argus, S. difficilis diolenius, S. macrolepis guarionex, S.nicholsi, S.nigropunctatus “granti”, S. nigropunctatus “ocujal”, S. notatus atactus, S. sputator, S.townsendi and last, but not least, S. vincenti.

 I’ve always had a liking for all things mini, so when I saw them in a book I was reading about Phelsuma, Lygodactylus, Sphaerodactylus and Gonatodes I knew I liked them. However I did not fall in love with them until I saw them on a table of a breeder (Dennis Hluschi) that I got one of my Lygodactylus kimhowelli females from. I started out with two single males and from there I could not stop. They are much like potato chips, you cannot have just one! Lucky or unluckily for me, I have now run out of room for adults, or else I would work with a whole army of Sphaerodactylus.

My Sphaerodactylus are kept in tanks ranging from 5-10 gallons. All of my Sphaerodactylus enclosures contain; cork backgrounds, cork tubes, dried tubes of Fallopia japonica (Japanese knotweed) for egg laying, substrate, small creeping plants, Tillandsia or bromeliads, calcium & water dishes. Each terrarium is illuminated by two bulb: the first is a very low output UVB bulb and the second a cool white bulb. On my larger enclosures I also use a heat lamp. Younger Sphaerodactylus are kept in small plastic enclosures that have been modified to allow for proper ventilation.  Other than this not much differs between their setup and the adults.
 
I guess I find their behavior the most interesting. You have some that can be extremely shy and then you have some that are so bold you could boop their noses and they would not even move. The majority of the Genus is diurnal, but then you have a few which are night active.

 The biggest challenge I have faced so far with Sphaerodactylus is that I used to have horrible luck with the females, I actually felt like the black widow of Sphaerodactylus. However strong determination, lots of reading and contact with other breeders helped me solve the issues I was having (unfortunately, it was a little bit of everything) and now not only do I have little Sphaerodactylus all over the place, but I have healthy females.

Wally Kern

If you are looking for a nice pet gecko, one that is easily handle-able, common/easily obtainable in the hobby,  and one with a plethora of care sheets and featured YouTube videos, then Sphaerodactylus is NOT for you.  They are not the cuddly little critters that crested geckos are, nor the type of gecko that will nestle into the palm of your hand like a leopard gecko.  These uncommon, dare I say rare, geckos seldom are listed on the common reptile classified sites and even less often written about.  When you find tidbits of information (like you will find here from my fellow hobbyists), you should treasure them!

 Species of the genus Sphaerodactylus have been found in our facility since the 2011 NARBC show in Tinley Park where, out of the thousands of animals, I found one deli cup with a ‘pair’ of 1 inch long S. torrei.  I was hooked!  If you have not seen photos of these animals, Google view them right now (go on, look them up, I’ll wait).  The diverse colors of the genus have a common description- ‘glowing incandescence’- with the S. torrei being the most spectacular to my mind.  The two animals came home with me and soon settled into their new enclosure-  a 5 gallon cube with screen mesh (this is so important) top, sand/peat substrate mix  with magnolia leaf debris, cork bark hides, a couple of climbing branches, and a fake plant or two.  The mesh screen is a must as these scamps are tiny, tiny geckos that LOVE looking for escape routes.  Atop the screen is one canister holding an incandescent bulb of about 15 w off to the side.  Simple setup but very functional for these little grown geckos.  Add two small water bottle caps, one for water and the other for small foods, and the enclosure is set.

 Since my initial S. torrei pair, I’ve since added two additional species-  Sphaerodactylus nigropunctatus and Sphaerodactylus dimorphicus  (back to Google view with you to look up these two).  Even though these animals are tiny, the male S. nigropunctatus just glows orange-yellow.  The female has an attractive sexually dimorphic yellowish background with bold tan striping. The S. dimorphicus are basically a yellowish brown with one sporting a head littered with tiny black dots.  Very interesting.

 The ‘pair’ of S. torrei turned out to be two females, normally an ideal situation for most gecko breeders.  For me, I am relying on the person known to have some of the rarer animals around- Jon Boone who will be finding a male for these two lovely ladies any day now.

 As securing the small mesh screen top is one challenge, the other will be finding small foods to feed your ‘Sphaeros’.  Of course they love dusted week-old crickets, mini-mealworms, and fruitflies.  As they are a true ‘day’ gecko with a non-stop metabolism, keep a few mealworms constantly in the dish.

Sphaerodactylus, given these few requirements (floor space with plenty of hiding spaces, small foods and constant supply of clean water, and a tightly sealed enclosure) are very easy to maintain.  They can be very shy if not provided with enough cover but provide constant entertainment during the day when they are most active.

Yann Fulliquet

I am currently keeping 7 species. Sphaerodactylus difficilis diolenius, Sphaerodactylus nigropunctatus “intermedius”, Sphaerodactylus fantasticus karukera, Sphaerodactylus argus, Sphaerodactylus marcolepis “Blue Eye”,
Sphaerodactylus notatus atactus, Sphaerodactylus sputator. Of these 7, I am currently breeding 5 of them. I’m considering acquiring some more species in the future.

I got into reptiles only two years ago. When I was considering what species I would keep, I was willing to keep Phelsuma species. A friend of mine that lives in Belgium told me about a German guy that was breeding an uncommon and rather colorful small gecko species. He could only remember the name of the website: www.zwerggeckos.com!! So when I got home I went to the site and
contacted Dennis to ask him what species I could consider for my tank. Dennis was very helpful answering any questions I had. Geckotagung (a German meeting where experts come to talk about geckos) was about to happen and Dennis asked me if I was coming. Unfortunately I couldn’t attend, but Dennis managed to find someone from Switzerland that could bring me back the geckos. And a few days later, the difficilis and nigropunctatus were at home and this is how it all started. Since then I started to get more and more interested in keeping the species of this genus and all this has become very addictive. 

I have several tanks for my Sphaero. The substrate is constitued from humus and  sand, and the tanks’ walls are constitued of pieces of bark glued to the glass.  I have quite a lot of bark tubes and pieces in the tank with some plants. The female usually lays the lone egg in these pieces. Basically most of my tanks have the same sort of set up. A normal light is on 10 to 12 hours a day, depending of the season.

At first I was interested in their rather uncommon nature, and the fact that they are not a species that is found easily. Their small size was also a factor that was favouring my interest. This is a species rich genus, and most of them are unknown in captivity. The variety of size, colour, and behavior is something I find very interesting nowadays. Each one has its own personality: some are rather secretive while others don’t mind being touched or will even walk on a finger. Also eggs can be left in the tank to incubate naturally, although it still can be tricky to catch an inch long baby when you spot it.  Young can be left with the adults for some time. Another important point for me is the fact that these are not (yet?) subject to morph or color selection. Keeping a species that resembles what you’ll find in the nature is something important to me. Preservation of a wild strain in captivity is surely an interesting challenge.

The biggest challenge is finding food small enough to fit their mouths and it is quite important to make sure you have your own production of live food.  They are strictly insectivorous and not all shops have insects small enough. Another challenge could be finding a breeder from whom to purchase your stock; these are not so commonly imported and most of the individuals are captive bred. Like I said before, keeping these animals morph free is my biggest challenge and also what got me into keeping these instead of other common beginners’ geckos.

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 Ryan Brennan has kept reptiles for over 15 years and finds rare geckos and colubrids most enjoyable to keep.  He keeps a variety of leopard geckos, as well as a number of species from the genus gonatodes, strophurus, pachydactylus, crytodactylus, lygodactylus, paroedura and lizards from the genus egernia.  Ryan just launched his facebook page under the name Empire Reptiles Canada.  He lives in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Yann Fulliquet: I got into reptiles 2 years ago, so I am rather new to this, although  I had wanted to keep one for a long time. But I do have extensive experience with keeping animals.  I have been into fish keeping for 18 years now with a special interest in rare cichlids and catfish. Even if I am rather new to keeping geckos, I keep quite a good number of them and it might surely grow in the future. Besides my 7 Sphaerodactylus species, I also have 2 Phelsuma species, one of Tribolonotus and Mniarogekko and two island population of Rhacodactylus leachianus henkeli. My latest addition was a lizard: Takydromus smaragdinus. I am breeding most of them so far. I have several additional projects in mind for the future with geckos and lizards. The more I am into this hobby the more I discover and the more I get interested.

Wally Kern is the owner of Supreme Geckos.  Known for his leopard, crested, and pictus gecko breeding he enjoys maintaining many of the ‘odd ball’ geckos as well.  He can be found at many of the Midwest reptile shows as well as the main social media sites.  Computer business analyst during the day, and husband/father of 3 young men/gecko keeper at night.  His focus has always been on educating the hobbyist first and foremost. 

 Jens Lindner lives in Frankfurt, Germany. He is 45 years old and has been working with reptiles, fish, cats, mice, horses and other animals since childhood. Moreover he is also interested in orchids. Now he has started to collect, keep and breed all Sphaerodactylus species of Puerto Rico.

Born and raised on Long Island, New York, Maureen Winter has been keeping reptiles and amphibians on and off since the age of 7. Her first reptile was a Red Eared Slider. Later on she kept various amphibians ranging from Hyla cinerea to Litoria caerulea and was quickly hooked. Eventually Maureen moved to Münster, Germany and longed to have her beloved amphibians once again. She began with Litoria caerulea and her hobby grew to keeping various species of dart frogs. After a year of owning dart frogs Maureen desired to have some geckos and soon her first geckos, Phelsuma klemmeri, were purchased. Shortly after, she began keeping many different geckos. She currently works with various Phelsuma, Lygodactylus, Sphaerodactylus, and Lepidodactylus lugubris, alongside her many frogs.

A huge thank you to Ryan Brennan, Wally Kern, and Yann Fulliquet for the photography used in this article.

It’s a recommendation I don’t agree with.

P. grandis are disposed to have skin problems.  If humidity is too low, a shed may not remove easily from the skin or toe skin will fail to come off.   Poor nutrition can contribute to shed problems and ability to adhere to surfaces.  These two surrendered geckos showed signs of skin problems.

Receiving the Geckos

  But back to the two surrendered geckos:  the owners left a terrarium with furnishings (substrate, plants, bamboo) and a UV compact florescent and fixture that they said was purchased a week earlier. They thanked me and left. The two grandis were adults approximately 11” in length and had good body fat evidenced by the fat deposits around the upper tail area.  Both geckos had skin that was nearly black from stress.   A closer look at these two geckos hinted there were some problems. Many of the toes had bits of skin shed still attached and one had shed skin still sticking to the underbelly.   A quarantine habitat was set up with a linear fluorescent fixture and a 10 watt halogen basking light.  To reduce stress during the geckos’ acclimatization the terrarium was put in a warm, private area  and covered with newspapers. Inside the tank the environment was set with 60% humidity, temperatures in the low 80’s, and a basking area topping the mid ‘90s: an ideal habitat for P. grandis.
The two geckos were put in.   That’s when I noticed it.

Geckos in Trouble

As they were warming up to room temperature after a long car ride on a cool day, one of the grandis’ began to  turn green, but the second grandis remained black.  More telling were the slick sticky look areas on the back and head.  As time passed, one grandis continued to return to the normal green color with  red markings but the second remained dark.

Looking more closely at the darker gecko I noticed that I was unable to see any of the usual grandis markings: there was no visible red stripe running from the nose to eye, nor were there any red markings on the back. It became apparent that this P. grandis was severely burned over its back from the tip of its nose, over the back and to the tail.
This was the first burn I’ve ever witnessed on a gecko.

Day Geckos and Lighting

My preferred lighting for all day geckos including P. grandis is linear NON-UV lights and halogen basking lights with dimmers so I can control the basking temperature. Due to my preference for non-UV lighting with day geckos, it’s necessary to provide greater amounts of dietary D3 and calcium. For the past 15 years I’ve had great success. Using linear non-UV fluorescent bulbs and halogens I had never had a gecko get burned.  Although compact bulbs are more prevalent in the reptile industry I hadn’t incorporated many in my collection.

Reptile keepers choose light bulbs for three reasons:  light, UV and heat.  Linear fluorescents were the primary choice for keepers for many years but lately, compact UV fluorescent bulbs have become very prominent. The compact fluorescent streams more light by tightly compressing its output into a small round area. The florescent in this tight little package also provides heat in a downward directed space expected for heat lamps. But its tight spiral also increases UV intensity,  often dangerously so. Invisible UV rays can cause skin and eye damage and burns that are not initially noticeable.

The favorite gecko-hang out will be under that bright, warm compact fluorescent light. As there were two large geckos one was bound to be dominant and got the best light most of the day.  Also worth noting, day geckos often bask with the head inclined downward and lower than then their bodies. The physical situation of this poor grandis demonstrated the reason compact fluorescents should be used cautiously.

The first grandis had burns around the head area, serious but treatable. The second grandis had significant burns across the whole head and back and didn’t make it.  He lived three more miserable days despite veterinarian intervention.  All we could do was to offer pain relief and  misting to cool the skin. The female survived and is alive and well today.

 By now most reptile keepers know about the dangers of UV producing compact lights and how to safely use them.  Linear UV producing bulbs should be placed four to eight inches from a gecko’s basking area.  This is usually sufficient for safe absorption of UV coming from the bulb.  With compact UV bulbs, both heat and UV should be considered.  A thermometer or a heat gun can measure the heat that reaches a basking spot.  Then consider how much UV is reaching the basking spot.  A UV meter would be helpful. 
Manufactures may have recommendations which can be followed but I have always made my own measurements.

Since the pair of P. grandis came into my care I’ve become increasingly aware of the benefit and potential harm of the lights I put over my geckos.  I continue to use mostly non-UV lights but I’ve added some compact fluorescent bulbs when appropriate.  Betty, the surviving P. grandis, is alive and well.  She has grown older and her scars are more evident but she is a happy, well-cared for gecko. 

Check out this link for some additional information:
http://www.uvguide.co.uk/phototherapyphosphor-summary.htm