Phelsuma and Escapes Questions

[invertkurt]

I happened across one of these 'Zoo Med Naturalistic Aquariums'. I actually like it better than the Exo Terra because the front piece is all glass instead of the split. And they sell glue on cork bark aquariums. At any rate...

I am doing a trade and getting a couple of P. klemmeri. How small of a hole can they escape through? The front door has a small crack all the way around it, as it opens up. The crack is about as wide as the tip of a mechanical pencil. Will adults be able to squeeze through that?

Thanks.

 

[GeckoMuppet]

dont know, but fix it anyways! klemmeri are fabulous Escapers, and they shouldn´t be offered any possibility to get away.

 

[lessthantito]

the adults "should not" be able to escape from that tank I keep small Phelsuma sp. in a similar tank and have had no problems, but if you plan on breeding them make sure you keep the eggs/hatchlings in a secure tank. I made the mistake of that w/ my Phelsuma v-nigra cormoraegrandensis and I only found one of the hatchlings on the other side of my gecko room. These small Phelsuma are great escape artists and can get out of something that you would never think possible

 

[jabberwock486]

if my tokays REALLY wanted out, they could in one spot. however they never go near and never climb on the grate anyways. they would have to push, but given their size that would not be an issue.

i have no fears of them getting out, but i have thought about that issue because i do plan on using this setup for day geckos. a new and better fitted grate will be needed.

if it is anything like what i have my crested geckos in then yes i would try to seal it up. a nice trick that i use is a thin strip of plastic. attach this on the inside of either side so that it covers the crack when closed.

speaking of gecko escapees i saw something last summer that was kind of funny or sad. a store owner i knew had gotten in about 8 adult golden geckos. these were healthy guys and fast. a few got loose in the store. a few weeks later i was picking up food and saw a big one above the register. it saw us and ran toward the corner, over a gator pond. he was there for a few moments before deciding the climb over the next wall. he hit a bad spot and fell... right into the pond. the gator promptly ate him.

 

[gbhil]

I've got one of those 12x12x18 Zoo Med tanks. I know exactly what you mean about the crack around the door.

Adults won't be able to get out. Neonates will. Fruit flies will. Pinheads will.

Lowe's sells 1/4" weather stripping, combined with careful opening and closing of the door it will do the trick.

Just an FYI - I'm working on a new enclosure for my klemmeri, for now they are in a rubbermaid. I have found a neonate stuck while trying to get out a 3/16" hole drilled in the side. His/her head was through, so I'd imagine the rest would have soon followed given enough time. These things are smaller than most people realize.

 

[acpart]

I have a p. klemmeri in an exoterra 12x12x12. I got her as a juvi and the breeder recommended I seal up all the tiny cracks so I used a combination of wet paper towel on the back wall and clear tape on the edges of the doors (put a layer of tape on the edge of each door (well, just the one door in the case of your viv, probably on all 4 edges of where the door meets the sides of the tank). THis worked well, although the first day I got her, she did find a hole and managed to get out. My son found her behind the bookshelf, so I did yet more taping and it hasn't been a problem. Now she's an adult and big and fat (for a klemmeri).

Aliza

 

[cliff_f]

I really like the exo-terras better for phelsuma because if they are on one side of the cage you can open the other door to try and keep them in. But I would make sure that what ever phelsuma you put in that cage they are alot bigger than the crack around the door.