Mediterranean geckos are great for beginners and experienced reptile owners as they are cheap to buy and easy to care for.These lizards are named after their tendency to hide and live indoors, making them ideal pets for an enclosure in your home.House geckos live an average of five to ten years, but you can take steps to care for her properly and make sure she has a long life.
Step 1: Provide a tank of at least 20 US gal for your reptile.
There is no need for a lot of space to be happy and healthy.A deep tank with high walls is ideal for a gecko.The screen lid on the glass tank will allow the gecko to get enough air into his tank.If they fight, never house more than one male in the same tank.If you decide to keep female and male geckos together, be prepared for them to breed and produce baby lizards.To make sure there is enough room for the adult and baby geckos, you may need to move them to a larger tank.
Step 2: The tank needs to have a heat gradient.
If a reptile has too much heat they can get sick or die.A heat lamp at one end of the tank is what your house gecko should have.Shutting off the heat lamp will allow your gecko to get heat during the day and less at night.The overall temperature of the tank should be around 85oF-90 (29oC–32oC) at the warm end and about 78oF-80oF(25oC-27) at its cool end.The night temperature should be around 78oF.Provide a warm and cool end to their enclosure to help with thermal regulation.Appropriate temperatures can be achieved by using a small heat lamp on one end of the tank.You can use a side or under tank heater.Keep the heat lamp on for 12 hours a day and turn it off at night.A blue heat lamp can be used to control nighttime temperatures.A heat rock can cause severe burns and even death and should not be used.House geckos are nocturnal and do not need UV lighting.
Step 3: Put something at the bottom of the tank.
Substrate at the bottom of the tank will help keep the environment hot and humid.There is a simple and low maintenance option for paper towels.You can spend a lot more for a more natural looking option, such as organic potting soil, cypress mulch, bark, or leaf litter.The surface should be at least 3 inches deep as geckos burrow for their eggs.Sand and pebbles are not good for the tank as you can end up getting sick if you try to eat it.The paper should be changed two to three times a week.If you use mulch or bark, you should spot clean them once a day and replace them every month.
Step 4: Plants and hiding spots should be added.
Live plants and artificial plants can be used for climbing.Live plants help to increase the humidity of the tank, an ideal environment for your gecko to thrive in.House geckos need a place to sleep and hide at night.You can buy hiding structures from your local pet store.Purchase two hiding structures and place one on the cool side of the tank and the other on a warm side.The option of cooling down or warming up will be given to your gecko by this.Try to have at least two hides.
Step 5: The humidity needs to be kept up by Misting the tank once a day.
House geckos are a tropical species and respond well to a humid environment.If you mist the tank with water once a day, it will keep it humid.Fresh chlorine free water and a clean bottle are what you should use.To make sure the bottle is moistened, aim it at the sides of the tank.An automatic mister can be set up in your tank to spray water on a daily basis.Automatic misters can be found at your local pet store.
Step 6: Every day, give your lizard fresh water.
Provide a small, shallow water bowl for your gecko and fill it with fresh, chlorine free water once a day.On the cool side of the tank is where the water dish should go.You can use it as a spot to bath or drink from it.The majority of the geckos drink from their water bowl.Due to its lack of vitamins and minerals, distilled water can cause medical issues for your gecko, so always give it de-chlorinated water.It's a bad idea to give your gecko tap water.
Step 7: Feed your gecko a lot of food.
A baby gecko needs to be fed five to six times a week.A lizard needs to be fed about 3 times a week.Crickets, mealworms, waxworms and silkworms are some of the insects that should be included in your gecko's diet.The insects should not be longer than the width of your gecko's head.If any insects survive, and are roaming around in the tank, remove them, as they can end up chewing on your gecko's skin and eyes.Feed the insects a good diet about 24 hours before giving them to your lizard.Give the gut loaded insects to your lizard.Don't give your gecko caught insects as they can carry diseases.
Step 8: Add supplements to your food.
Before giving your lizard food, you should give him a calcium supplement.An adult gecko should be dusted more often than a growing one.If you want to avoid over-supplementing the food, you can ask your doctor to give you exact instructions.It's a good idea to dust your calcium supplement on two to three times a week.Unless specified by your vet, don't use a calcium supplement with added phosphorous.
Step 9: When the gecko is grown up, handle it.
House geckos don't like being picked up and held.Handling your lizard may make it hard for him to get used to his new environment.If you pull on their tails, they may lose their tail or become injured.You should wait until your gecko is an adult to handle him outside of his cage.If you let him out of your hands, he can move very fast and hide in hard to reach places, so you should be careful when handling him.
Step 10: Pick up your lizard from the ground.
Lifting your lizard from his body will make him jump out of your hand.Before you lift him out of his tank, make sure you get a good grip on him.You can hold him in your hands to make sure he doesn't run away.If you need to clean the tank, you should only handle your gecko.It's a good idea to wash your hands before and after handling a reptile.
Step 11: Allow your lizard to lose his skin on his own.
Every four to six weeks, your house gecko will shed his skin.He may turn a dull color as he sheds his skin.If you try to peel off the skin from him, it will be painful and dangerous for his body.If the tank conditions are humid, your lizard may be able to shed his skin on his own and even eat it.During the shed process, your gecko will grow a new layer of skin and it will separate from the old layer, creating a fluid between the two layers.It will be more difficult for your gecko to shed his old skin if his enclosure is too dry.If your gecko's old skin doesn't seem to be coming off on its own, you may need to adjust the humidity of your tank twice a day.There is a plastic container filled with moist reptile moss in his tank.Put the lid on the container by cutting a door into it.This will allow your lizard to go into the box.If your gecko can't get old skin off his toes, tail, or head, you can help him by spraying the area with water and massaging it.