Tongue Flicker
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Cyrtodactylus sp. (from The Philippine Islands) Info & Caresheet
I suddenly felt the need to start an info page for my Cyrtodactylus mamanwa which should humbly apply to all of the Philippine spp.
There are currently 9 taxonomically accepted and recognized species of which 6 is endemic to The Philippines with 3 others sharing an overlapping geographic distribution with Sulawesi, Borneo and the rest of Southeast Asia.
Cyrtodactylus agusanensis (Agusan Bent-toed Gecko)
Cyrtodactylus annulatus (Dwarf Bent-toed Gecko)
Cyrtodactylus gubaot
Cyrtodactylus jambangan
Cyrtodactylus mamanwa
Cyrtodactylus philippinicus (Philippine Bent-toed Gecko)
Cyrtodactylus redimiculus (Palawan Bent-toed Gecko)
Cyrtodactylus sumuroi
Cyrtodactylus tautbatorum
Size
Maximum adult length is 6-9 inches. They are sexually mature by the time they hit 6 inches.
Lifespan
No quantifiable data but an estimated 7-12 years as with other members of the genus.
Sexing
They are sexually dimorphic. Males are lighter in coloration that ranges from light brown to a beige or light tan with more pronounced bandings and markings. Females tend to remain darker or more grayish but with whiter tail bands. Males have bigger heads and will have some kind of nuptial belly pad which is present in 4 out of 6 Philippine species. Hemipenal bulges are also visible in males. Male mating calls consists of faint bumping marble like sound to low hammering chirps that lasts for 4-6 seconds in 2 repeated successions within a minute. It somehow resembles a sugar glider's crabbing sound. Another kind of sound was recently observed and is best described as an elderly woman coughing up the name 'Darren'.
Temp Requirements
They prefer cooler temps of 75-84F (24-29 degrees Celsius) with very high humidity 90-100%.
Lighting
No special lighting required. Any kind of lighting maybe used to observe them though. Avoid using UV lights for observation.
Enclosure
Note that they are less arboreal than most South-east Asian Cyrto sp. and so you could provide any of the ff. setups: a dry tropical rocky setup, a mangrove biotope, a marshland setup or your common leopard gecko setup with either paper towels or coco fiber as substrate. Bins, glass tanks or any escape-proof enclosure can be utilized. Daily light misting is required for countries experiencing RH of below 75%. Do not mist directly at your Cyrto's as they seem to resent it. Multiple water bowls and live plants is also required if you prefer not to do mistings.
One thing I love about my particular species is that they are auto potty trained. Provide a small open tub or any uncovered container, line it with some moist paper towel at the bottom and put some kind of platform so they can climb and go as they please. Rocks or other broad perching structures are beloved. Provide at least one moist hide per gecko as they can sometimes be 'hide territorial'. There is no need for basking lamps. Provide supplemental under heating plus a CHE as you would a leopard gecko as they appreciate and absorb warmth with their bellies
Diet
Food seems to be a challenge for this species. Regardless of being wild-caught or captive bred, they are sometimes reluctant to eat conventional feeders (i.e. mealworms, superworms, and roaches) but they will still eat it when they feel hungry.
They prefer to eat termites, earthworms, millipedes, slugs, small snails and even small fishes that are close enough to be snatched. Dusting feeders every feeding is absolutely necessary. If you do feed them snails, fish or pinkies there is no need for extra calcium supplementing. Dubias may sometimes be eaten but are usually ignored. I personally have success feeding them with sub-adult lobster roaches (N.cinerea) giving me the impression that they enjoy eating prey that produce smelly substances for defense.
Large crickets are now greedily taken.
Mice pinkies are now also devoured.
Superworms are now also eaten (but should be given sparingly and should be loose rather than in a dish)
Unlike their strictly carnivorous cousins, they may sometimes take a couple of licks of peanut butter, mango flavored yogurt, guava jam or coconut oil smeared in a popsicle stick. Real fruits are ignored though. Adults should be offered food once a week or once every 2 weeks during cooler months. Younger ones should be fed twice a week.
DO NOT PANIC & DON'T FORCE FEED them if they haven't eaten in less 3 weeks time. This is quite normal for adults since their activities and metabolism is less and slower than most geckos.
Behavior
They are crepuscular geckos meaning they are highly active during dusk and dawn. Preferring to rest near ground level and then climb on elevated structures inside the tank after sundown usually in search of food or a potential mating partner. On a single log or rock, 3-4 individuals seem to enjoy each others company. A ratio of 1 male to 2-4 females is good as this frees an individual female of potential harassment. As mentioned earlier, they are highly territorial with their resting places and should be provided with their own individual moist hides to sleep in to avoid issues like tail biting.
They do not startle easily and just jump or run-off when you open your enclosure making spot-cleanings, water replacements and redecorating easy to do. Unlike most commercially available Cyrto's they do not stress much as they are used to seeing humans in their wild state. They are even observed intermingling with other gecko species in the wild.
Breeding
(based on my dealer's report)
Mature adults will start breeding starting November to January. Rotting logs is a must during this time as this seems to be a preferred 'breeding platform'. Females will lay 2-4 eggs on rock crevices or on holes inside a rotting log. Eggs hatch randomly between 45-62 days. Early hatchers (hatching below 55-56 days) tend to be males and late hatchers usually come out as females. They will breed once or occasionally, twice a year.
Conclusion
Data provided is a compilation of my own observations, my good friend Chase in England and of course my dealer who shall remain anonymous due to legal reasons lol..
Cyrtodactylus is fun group of lizards to own. Their care is not much different from other nocturnal lizards but their complex diet and somewhat catatonic personality is what gives them an upper edge among other lizards I have kept
I suddenly felt the need to start an info page for my Cyrtodactylus mamanwa which should humbly apply to all of the Philippine spp.
There are currently 9 taxonomically accepted and recognized species of which 6 is endemic to The Philippines with 3 others sharing an overlapping geographic distribution with Sulawesi, Borneo and the rest of Southeast Asia.
Cyrtodactylus agusanensis (Agusan Bent-toed Gecko)
Cyrtodactylus annulatus (Dwarf Bent-toed Gecko)
Cyrtodactylus gubaot
Cyrtodactylus jambangan
Cyrtodactylus mamanwa
Cyrtodactylus philippinicus (Philippine Bent-toed Gecko)
Cyrtodactylus redimiculus (Palawan Bent-toed Gecko)
Cyrtodactylus sumuroi
Cyrtodactylus tautbatorum
Size
Maximum adult length is 6-9 inches. They are sexually mature by the time they hit 6 inches.
Lifespan
No quantifiable data but an estimated 7-12 years as with other members of the genus.
Sexing
They are sexually dimorphic. Males are lighter in coloration that ranges from light brown to a beige or light tan with more pronounced bandings and markings. Females tend to remain darker or more grayish but with whiter tail bands. Males have bigger heads and will have some kind of nuptial belly pad which is present in 4 out of 6 Philippine species. Hemipenal bulges are also visible in males. Male mating calls consists of faint bumping marble like sound to low hammering chirps that lasts for 4-6 seconds in 2 repeated successions within a minute. It somehow resembles a sugar glider's crabbing sound. Another kind of sound was recently observed and is best described as an elderly woman coughing up the name 'Darren'.
Temp Requirements
They prefer cooler temps of 75-84F (24-29 degrees Celsius) with very high humidity 90-100%.
Lighting
No special lighting required. Any kind of lighting maybe used to observe them though. Avoid using UV lights for observation.
Enclosure
Note that they are less arboreal than most South-east Asian Cyrto sp. and so you could provide any of the ff. setups: a dry tropical rocky setup, a mangrove biotope, a marshland setup or your common leopard gecko setup with either paper towels or coco fiber as substrate. Bins, glass tanks or any escape-proof enclosure can be utilized. Daily light misting is required for countries experiencing RH of below 75%. Do not mist directly at your Cyrto's as they seem to resent it. Multiple water bowls and live plants is also required if you prefer not to do mistings.
One thing I love about my particular species is that they are auto potty trained. Provide a small open tub or any uncovered container, line it with some moist paper towel at the bottom and put some kind of platform so they can climb and go as they please. Rocks or other broad perching structures are beloved. Provide at least one moist hide per gecko as they can sometimes be 'hide territorial'. There is no need for basking lamps. Provide supplemental under heating plus a CHE as you would a leopard gecko as they appreciate and absorb warmth with their bellies
Diet
Food seems to be a challenge for this species. Regardless of being wild-caught or captive bred, they are sometimes reluctant to eat conventional feeders (i.e. mealworms, superworms, and roaches) but they will still eat it when they feel hungry.
They prefer to eat termites, earthworms, millipedes, slugs, small snails and even small fishes that are close enough to be snatched. Dusting feeders every feeding is absolutely necessary. If you do feed them snails, fish or pinkies there is no need for extra calcium supplementing. Dubias may sometimes be eaten but are usually ignored. I personally have success feeding them with sub-adult lobster roaches (N.cinerea) giving me the impression that they enjoy eating prey that produce smelly substances for defense.
Large crickets are now greedily taken.
Mice pinkies are now also devoured.
Superworms are now also eaten (but should be given sparingly and should be loose rather than in a dish)
Unlike their strictly carnivorous cousins, they may sometimes take a couple of licks of peanut butter, mango flavored yogurt, guava jam or coconut oil smeared in a popsicle stick. Real fruits are ignored though. Adults should be offered food once a week or once every 2 weeks during cooler months. Younger ones should be fed twice a week.
DO NOT PANIC & DON'T FORCE FEED them if they haven't eaten in less 3 weeks time. This is quite normal for adults since their activities and metabolism is less and slower than most geckos.
Behavior
They are crepuscular geckos meaning they are highly active during dusk and dawn. Preferring to rest near ground level and then climb on elevated structures inside the tank after sundown usually in search of food or a potential mating partner. On a single log or rock, 3-4 individuals seem to enjoy each others company. A ratio of 1 male to 2-4 females is good as this frees an individual female of potential harassment. As mentioned earlier, they are highly territorial with their resting places and should be provided with their own individual moist hides to sleep in to avoid issues like tail biting.
They do not startle easily and just jump or run-off when you open your enclosure making spot-cleanings, water replacements and redecorating easy to do. Unlike most commercially available Cyrto's they do not stress much as they are used to seeing humans in their wild state. They are even observed intermingling with other gecko species in the wild.
Breeding
(based on my dealer's report)
Mature adults will start breeding starting November to January. Rotting logs is a must during this time as this seems to be a preferred 'breeding platform'. Females will lay 2-4 eggs on rock crevices or on holes inside a rotting log. Eggs hatch randomly between 45-62 days. Early hatchers (hatching below 55-56 days) tend to be males and late hatchers usually come out as females. They will breed once or occasionally, twice a year.
Conclusion
Data provided is a compilation of my own observations, my good friend Chase in England and of course my dealer who shall remain anonymous due to legal reasons lol..
Cyrtodactylus is fun group of lizards to own. Their care is not much different from other nocturnal lizards but their complex diet and somewhat catatonic personality is what gives them an upper edge among other lizards I have kept
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