Mitratus help

J

Jonnette

New member
Hi I am a new Gecko owner and need all the information I can get. When I bought my little one all the guy told me was what it ate. I need to know more than that. Does it need a light and what kind of bedding does it need? Does it need humidity ? they had his paper towel wet does it need to be wet. How much do I feed it it ate 4 baby crickets last night does it need more? How do you tell the sex of a gecko? I am glad that I found you guys at least I know I will get information on it. The only name he told me was this name Fz C Mitratus . Is that what kind it is? I feel really stupid for not picking the guys brain more. So I would be able to look it up.

I can't list all my pets but i will a few. I have three dogs, 4 birds, an enole , water dragon, guinea pig, Rabbit, frogs, about twenty of them, two red eared sliders, gerbils, a pot gut, tree frogs the frogs are all different kinds. I would continue but there are two many. And just like this one I have had to research on how to properly take care of them. I want to thank you guys for making a page to where people can come and Learn and get answer to there questions.thank you
 
Elizabeth Freer

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
Jonnette said:
Hi I am a new Gecko owner and need all the information I can get. When I bought my little one all the guy told me was what it ate. I need to know more than that. Does it need a light and what kind of bedding does it need? Does it need humidity ? they had his paper towel wet does it need to be wet. How much do I feed it it ate 4 baby crickets last night does it need more? How do you tell the sex of a gecko? I am glad that I found you guys at least I know I will get information on it. The only name he told me was this name Fz C Mitratus . Is that what kind it is? I feel really stupid for not picking the guys brain more. So I would be able to look it up.

I can't list all my pets but i will a few. I have three dogs, 4 birds, an enole , water dragon, guinea pig, Rabbit, frogs, about twenty of them, two red eared sliders, gerbils, a pot gut, tree frogs the frogs are all different kinds. I would continue but there are two many. And just like this one I have had to research on how to properly take care of them. I want to thank you guys for making a page to where people can come and Learn and get answer to there questions.thank you
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Hi Jonnette ~

Welcome aboard! Sounds as if you have a small zoo including your new Coleonyx mitratus! :D

How about copying and pasting this post with a picture of your gecko to a new thread? That way GU will be able to guide you better.

Click for a repost: http://www.geckosunlimited.com/community/banded-geckos-coleonyx/

Maybe Hilde will actually move your post for you?
 
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A

acpart

Well-known member
The gecko you have is a Coleonyx mitratus. Its care is very similar to that of a leopard gecko, so if you look up care sheets about leopard geckos, it will be close. These geckos are much smaller than leopard geckos and eat small crickets (up to 1/4" in length) and mealworms. I would imagine they can eat small roaches as well. They come from a fairly arid environment, though I recall reading that C. mitratus may like a bit more humidity than the other species. Many of this genus like to dig and burrow. I keep C. variegatus and C. elegans. I put a shallow dish of coco fiber (that takes up about 1/3 of the enclosure) on the hot side of the cage with a hide over it so they can dig. I would recommend coco fiber over sand due to more danger of impaction. It can use a humid hide (google to get details) or you can keep the coco fiber moist. Feed it as many crickets as it will eat. Sometimes 4 will be enough, sometimes not. Generally the males, when viewed from above, have pretty prominent spurs (little thorn-like projections) on either side behind the back legs. I can sex my C. variegatus by the age of 3 weeks. Enjoy it!

Aliza
 
J

Jonnette

New member
Thank you guys for all the information I will get right on the proper care and thank you for the name so I can.
 
J

Jonnette

New member
I actually have a Bird Rescue and do volunteer work for a reptile Rescue. I know that sounds bad that I don't even know what kind of reptile it is if I volunteer. I have known the owner for a couple of years but never got involved until the last couple of months. I mostly just feed and water what he tells me to and clean cages. He has over 400 reptiles and there is no way I could remember them all. So when he gives me a Reptile or mammal I research it so I know how to take care of it. Or I ask Jim who is the owner what to do. thank you for the information I really appreciate it.:)
 
J

Jonnette

New member
For two years before that it was my Uncles. He passed away in 2014 and left me his property. I might be loosing it though because of Medicare. They have put a 60,000 dollar lien on the property for taking care of my Uncle while he was alive. Right now I am looking to buy more property for them and the Reptile Rescue we want to make a park and a learning center for the State of Utah.
 
J

Jonnette

New member
I haven't been able to get a picture of the little one it likes to hide in a crack in his hide out log. I will post one as soon as I can. All I can see right now is part of the tail and the tip of the nose. At first I thought he/she might be stuck but he/she is not. Thank God I was worried for a minute. He/she doesn't move much either is that normal? He/she has been eating though 2 to three crickets a day. He/she must come out after dark when I am upstairs. To get him use to me do I need to take his/her log out so he/she can't hide or would that be bad for he/she. I can't pick it up yet it's to small and I'm afraid he/she might fall and get hurt. And the guy I bought him from told me not to. He said I need to let it get bigger first he/she is only about a inch and a half he/she is a little one. From what he said it shouldn't get much bigger. sorry for the he/she thing I don't know the sex and I don't want to call it it lol. I need to find a name for the little one I was calling it Tiny
 
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J

Jonnette

New member
Thanks for telling me I was wondering about that. I would love to see it more it to bad it comes out at night
are all of them like that?
 
A

acpart

Well-known member
All Coleonyx and most (but not all) gecko species are nocturnal. I kind of like it because I'm around in the evenings.

Aliza
 
J

Jonnette

New member
Most of the animals I have are like that especially the frogs. I will have to just watch the little one more and see when he comes out.
 
J

Jonnette

New member
I finally got a picture of my little one i think I am going to name it Tiny for now. Maybe you can tell me what kind she/he is. The Picture is not a good one but you can see her markings. She was sleeping in her log and I was trying not to drop her while I was taking it she is so small.
 
Elizabeth Freer

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
Aliza said:
Feed it as many crickets as it will eat. Sometimes 4 will be enough, sometimes not. Generally the males, when viewed from above, have pretty prominent spurs (little thorn-like projections) on either side behind the back legs. I can sex my C. variegatus by the age of 3 weeks.
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Jonnette said:
For two years before that it was my Uncles. He passed away in 2014 and left me his property. I might be loosing it though because of Medicare. They have put a 60,000 dollar lien on the property for taking care of my Uncle while he was alive. Right now I am looking to buy more property for them and the Reptile Rescue we want to make a park and a learning center for the State of Utah.
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Very interesting, Jonnette! I hope that you'll be able to keep this property for your joint Bird Rescue/Reptile Rescue. A learning center/park for the State of Utah is a fabulous idea! :yahoo:

Jonnette said:
I finally got a picture of my little one i think I am going to name it Tiny for now. Maybe you can tell me what kind she/he is. The Picture is not a good one but you can see her markings. She was sleeping in her log and I was trying not to drop her while I was taking it she is so small.
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Nice to hear that she is eating. Don't remove the hide. Tiny needs a safe retreat.

Your photo did not post.

Here's one way to post a photo:
Click: http://www.geckosunlimited.com/community/faq.php?faq=vb_faq#faq_posting_photos
Click: Go Advanced under the reply box
Click: Manage Attachments
Find pictures from your computer and upload them
 
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C

c.brevis

New member
Congrats on your gecko. I used to breed C. American banded geckos. It sounds like it is a young one? C. mitratus come from more humid environments than the N. American banded geckos. If it is young, I would say keeping it on moistened (not soaking wet) paper towels. I kept my adults on a sphagnum moss/peat moss/cypress mulch mixture and gave them multiple plastic hides. Adults get about twice the size of an adult western banded gecko and probably about 4" head to tail or more. Being nocturnal in nature, they don't really need a lot of lighting and they will spend much of the day hiding. Once they feel more comfortable, they should spend more time out of the hide. I would definitely not pull the hides as it will stress the animal out.

Baby geckos will burn through a lot of energy so I would say feed it as much as it will eat. I say have at least a cricket or two in the cage at all times. Once it is older, you can sex them by the spurs as others have mentioned although in my experience, the spurs are not as prominent as you find in western banded geckos. Adult males also tend to have bigger, clunkier heads.
 
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