[salasie]

Friday just gone I purchased 4 geckos from a family who'd brought them for her son about a year back and he'd got bored. There's a male and female and two captive bred unsexed juvis. But I have a few problems and questions I really need answering.

1. I've read that the stenos need dry and hot yet the tank that the mother and children are in is very damp, infact on what I've read I don't even understand how they managed to have kids. I ordered some new sand that should come today and I've going to dry and sort it out, but I wanted confirmation that this is the right thing.
2. The previous owners seperated the male and female when the children where born so now my boy, salasie, is on his own but whenever I try to re-introduce the male and female together they "fight". I've heard their mating rituals can be quite violent, I don't mind them mating but I don't want them to kill eachother! Can anyone offer me some more in-depth behavioural tips to better understand whats going on. He's jumping on her and biting her legs, head and body but after they stop fighting they avoid eachother for a bit and then I get nervous or have to leave and can't watch them so I split them up.
3. The mother (Rosie) also worries me alot because she has this huge belly, they where all quite thin when I got them and Im gradually trying to bulk them out a bit but she just has like this sack on her belly that means she walks much higher than the others. The previous owners said, quote "she always looks pregnant but she's not". There's also like a little black spot on her belly, that looks like a scar or discolouration. I'm really concerned whether this is normal or not?

I feel bad on them for not being an expert in helping them but I think I'm taking better care of them then they had before and I'm really trying to look into it as much as I can, I just need some help really

Thanks, Tasha x

[mcveighr]

Yes, you want to keep them on sand. Since they are small burrowing geckos, I give mine about 1-1.5 inches of sand, with lots of cork bark flat on the surface for them to burrow under. I had the best results with mine being happy and healthy and breeding like crazy, when I had them in a 10gallon tank with the hot side having a heat pad and basking light, keeping the temps around 105 degrees F on that side. They are a community gecko, so the males and females should all get along, along with any babies that hatch. If you are seeing the male biting the female it's probably mating, and I wouldn't worry about it unless it gets really violent. Also, I keep a small water dish on the cool side, and mist the tank once in awhile as well, as they will lick up the drops of water, and it will give a little humidity to their burrows. If you have any other questions feel free to ask. These are one of my favorite little geckos. Wait until you hear them chirping.

[thestormysky]

If the female has a very large belly chances are she is ready to lay eggs. They lay two eggs every other week or so. Be sure she has plenty of Calcium because it is very hard on their bodies to lay so many eggs. They lay the eggs every two week for up to 3-4 months.

I work at a pet store and run the reptile dept. I ordered in "dwarf fat tail gecko" and instead got a trio of stenos. One female and two males came in. The female laid her eggs in this pattern and then about 2 months later they started to hatch. I would watch the heat with the babies. I had 5 babies hatch in all and took them home. When the two younger ones were about 4 months old I lost them both! The only thing i can think of is that it was too warm for them. I would have it aroun 90 for the babies, at least until they are older. I currently have mine on carpet because they are so small I was worried about impaction, but will be moving them to something different once they are full size (the oldest is 7 months now and just over 2 inches, the smallest is about 4 months and not quite 2 inches).

I'm not sure about the fighting you are seeing so don't want to really say anything on that.

From the minimal research I've been able to find on these guys is that they do need some humidity. If you use sand have a tube or something that allows you to put water underneath the sand so it has a higher humidity that they can burrow too.

Good luck! they are such a fun gecko to watch. They don't usually allow handling but the female adult I had at work didn't mind being held. The males never let me get close enough and the babies are too fragile to try. Enjoy them!

[dwarfgecko]

I love these little guys. I keep six in a twenty gallon long with a UTH on one end. They get along well providing they have plenty of hiding spots to retreat to.

[gekkoterra]

What species of Stenodactylus are they? Their needs are similar but different, as well as behavioral differences between the commonly kept species.

ALSO, the distended portion of abdomen with a black exterior, is not a good thing. It is most likely a tumor, infection (from high humidity), impaction (from something ingested), a burn that damaged internal organs, or even a secondary problem due to her being egg-bound (due to not finding a proper place to lay, because of the high humidity conditions they were keeping them at). Could be a combination of a few of these. If this is the case, there is sadly not much that can be done. Due to these geckos size a complication of this magnitude is usually a death sentence. There are instances where impactions and infections will clear up on their own. However, surgery to remove whatever is causing this in the gecko, could be a death sentence as well. Don't want to be the bearer of bad news, however, it needs to be addressed. It is best to just give her good proper care, ensure hydration, and avoid as much stress to her as possible. Doing this can provide her the opportunity to possibly heal on her own.

Ashton
Vivarium Essentials