Phelsuma standingii BITE! Pics

[cat_named_noodles]

I thought just for for fun and as a cautionary warning not to try to hold Phelsuma geckos- besdies the fact that they're FAST, and can be skittish! We had to move my mom's male P. standingii (his name is Jed) to a smaller enclosure while we finish his terrarium. I tried to get him to walk into a plastic box, but he would have non of it. I figured maybe I could "corral" him into it, nope, he'd rather bite me! Eventually, we manged to get him to walk into the box and move him unharmed- but my finger was not so lucky...;-)
In the second poto you can see the outline of where his teeth broke my skin.
I washed it with soap and water and dressed my finger with neosporin and a bandaid. I still love Jed.

 

[erik]

indeed they can bite hard, i never use my hands with any of my gecko's.
i use a plastic waterbottle where the top is cut off, and then i let them walk right into it. works pretty good. no, or less stress, no risk of damaging
the skin and no tail losses.


grtz,e

 

[cat_named_noodles]

Yeah, that was the idea at first- but trying to convince a 9" long, skittish gecko to walk into the container (I was using a the bottom of a medium Critter Keeper) while he had this big, 30 gallon, lush terrarium surrounded by plants and food and water; he was like "I don't think so lady." And he let me know it too when i tried to gently corral him into the smaller cage. teehee. The bite looks better now too.