sand vs forest bedding substrate

[darth_gecko]

hi all i've just brought 1.1 p.pictus i dont know anything about them and i've been reading up tht they like sand but i've got them on a rain forest bedding any body got any tips? also what there common name? also i think the female might be gravid but i'll have 2 look for my camra so the next post i do will include a picture of the females (being restrianded because i havent had the chance 2 tame the little critters yet!) under belly!

thx all

darth_gecko

 

[brandon f.]

you can keep them on sand, paper towel, newspaper, a good soil mix(peat moss and sand mixed). i have several pictus and keep them on different substrates. as far as a common name there are a few, pictus gecko, big headed gecko, madagascan ground gecko. they breed pretty readily, so if you have a 1.1 pair then i'd say if she looks gravid she probably is.

brandon

 

[darth_gecko]

ok thanks all i couldnt get a good pic of the female because she was being majorly defensive(she bit me 3 time but it didnt hurt) and is in the middle of a shed so i best leave her... but what i can do is discribe you what she looks like...she looks like a normal p.pictus but literly has a slight pot stomache which makes her look prenant but it dosent droop in the middle and the pot bellyedness occurse on both sizes...also if any one has got any tips in handling and caring for them please share it with me!

[/URL][/img](the female is the one on the furthest from the camra)

 

[darth_gecko]

are they easy to care for and hatch(the eggs)?

 

[brandon f.]

yea they are easy...incubate the eggs about 82 degrees they should hatch in 30-45 days. they babies are very small so you will need some small crickets, i've also had success giving them fruit flies. i always keep my babies on newspaper for the first month or so. after that they are just like the adults.

 

[darth_gecko]

cool are the females very defensive whilst they are gravid because my female has bitten me twice and alot more defensive than the male! any tips on handling?

darth_gecko

 

[brandon f.]

i don't handle mine much, so i can't really help you there. i would advise against holding her alot though, especially if she is gravid.

 

[darth_gecko]

ok ty as i it says i'm a novice at this stuff so i need 2 learn as much as i can about these critters but arnt they beautiful the male is fully grown the female is a sub-adult as far as i can see but wow i'm glad i didnt hold out for those t.robowskis now (also how much are young pictus priced at?) the guy i brought them off told me they wernt for sale because they sent him the wrong geckos (which where surpost to be t.robowskis) but i fell in love with the critters when the female was peeking out of her enclouser!

 

[mat.si]

If you breed P. picta, offer the female a lot of calcium during the breeding season, because they lay eggs like crazy. If the female doesn't get enough calcium, she can die in her first breeding season, specially young female.
Females like to eat quite a lot of cuttlefish bone. Scrape it with a knife into a small dish and leave it in the terrarium with the female.

It is also beneficial for a long term health of the female, to separate the male after a few weeks together. She will continue to lay eggs long after that and then get a few months rest.

Matjaz

 

[darth_gecko]

ok thank you now i'll have 2 buy a new tank <rolls eyes> and i'll sort the calcium in a few sort minets!

 

[mat.si]

You could leave them together all the time, but then she would lay eggs nonstop, which would really drain the female.
If you take a male away after some time, the female usually stops laying eggs in September or October and doesn't start until the end of January, February.
I usually put mine together in the middle of January or so.
I expect first eggs soon.

Matjaz

 

[darth_gecko]

ok i'm expecting my first eggs any time soon as well i've also got 2 gravid leos and a baby on the way <rolls eyes> any tips when it come 2 incubating p.pictus i've had them for about a week and a bit so i dont know how longs shes been gravid for....what the jestation peiod for the eggs?

 

[mat.si]

P. picta females lay a pair of eggs about once a month, but at the height of the breeding season they can even lay eggs every two to three weeks.
That's why it's important to give her enough calcium, quality food (they will eat crickets, roaches and giant meal worms dusted with vit./min. powder) and also a few months rest between the breeding seasons.

The hard shelled eggs are incubated on (not in) moist vermiculite, but they must be elevated on dry surface and not in direct contact with the wet vermuculite, unlike soft shelled leopard gecko eggs.
Unlike soft shelled eggs, they don't grow in size during the incubation and can crack, if they absorb too much moisture.

Babies hatch in app. two months, depending on the temperature.

I hope this helps.

Matjaz

 

[darth_gecko]

ok thanx for the help in simple what do i need 2 make an incubator so far i've got a big pollerstrein box <which stinks of fish> and thts it

 

[mat.si]

For basic home-made incubator you need:
- insulated box (a smaller old fridge case works great)
- heater
- thermostat
- thermometer

I hope this helps.
Matjaz

 

[Leland]

I have been breeding this species for 6-7 yrs. now and they are temp. sexed like all other geckos. Incubation temp. anywhere from 78-85'F and babies will hatch in 55-60 days. I use paper towel for this species. Babies hatch out at 1.5-2" and will take 1/8"-1/4" crickets off the bat. I hope this helps.

 

[darth_gecko]

kk thanx all but all i can say is p.picta are brill i dont handle mine but they seem 2 have the most personaitly out of my geckos and they seem quite afectionate to each other!

darth_gecko