New Baby Striped Gekko Questions

gildir

New member
So I bought a striped/skunk gekko for my office earlier in the summer.

A few weeks after I got her all set up, she laid a pair of eggs. Since I couldn't find any information about whether or not this type of gekko could store fertilized eggs for laying later, I watched her for a few weeks to see what she did. She had no interest in the eggs whatsoever, didn't care if I went near them, didn't sit near them, and eventually one cracked and then another "disappeared" one night (honestly, I think she ate it).

About a month and a half, maybe two months after I got her, she laid another pair of eggs. Same thing, no interest, no caring for them, just let them sit. So I assumed these couldn't be viable since there hasn't been any males with her, and I left them alone. I was kinda assuming she's have a snack some night. About a month after that she laid another egg (just one).

So... today, one of the two from the 1.5-2 month batch just became a lizard. He's adorable (picture attached), but I'm worried because I had no preparation for this, and I've never had an unplanned baby animal. I've tried reading as much as I could find, but this species is obviously a lot less popular than many other species. I can't find a ton of information, just a few older posts here and some videos.


What I'd really like to know is:

(1) Does anyone know what I can feed him that could be gotten in a few hours or a day? I've gone around local pet stores today and gotten -- some flightless fruit flies and weighed them down with calcium powder (I saw this in a video for a different species breeder), some XS mealworms and picked out the smallest, and gotten the smallest crickets I could at a petco (the guy was very nice and hand picked out the tiniest ones he could find in the giant bucket). All these food options seem either too small (flies) or too big (worms and crickets).

(2) Does anyone know if there is anything I need to immediately change about the setup for new hatchlings of this species? My setup is attached as an image.

(3) Does anyone know if this species is a risk for eating their young? The mother doesn't seem to be interested in the hatchling and didn't have any interest in the eggs, which seems different from what I've read for other species. She's eyed him a few times, but doesn't seem interested generally, and I think he's too big for her to eat, but I don't want her to try (she'd either choke on him, or hurt him, or both).
 

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acpart

Active member
I haven't kept this kind of gecko but I can tell you some general things:
-- most newly hatched geckos don't eat anything until after their first shed which could take 3-4 days to happen. Then they eat small versions of whatever the adult eats
--they need an environment that meets the same conditions as that of the adults. A much smaller environment is often OK for newly hatched geckos to make it easier for them to find their food
--there is always a danger that an adult gecko will eat its young and it's best if you can separate them. If that's not possible, consider making sure there are lots of hiding spots
--expect the gecko to possibly lay 2 eggs every few weeks until she is "done". No guarantee as to how many will hatch

I also recommend you google "lined gecko care and breeding" and see what you get.

Aliza
 

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
Welcome aboard!
Many thanks for reaching out to Geckos Unlimited! :)
The scientific name for striped/skunk geckos = Gekko vittatus. That may help you find more information on your gecko.

Please share specifics of your heat bulb: brand, wattage, & type of bulb.
How about posting a photo of this bulb?
Currently are you using either a 5 or 10 gallon enclosure for these geckos?
What type of heat gradient are you getting on the floor beneath your heat bulb on the warm end & the cool end?

Have you seen this link? Nick inserted tidbits of care information between some images.

PS: IF you're looking for a super accurate digital thermometer/hygrometer with 2 separate probes, I highly recommend Zoo Med's combo. Several months ago I bought one. It corresponds within tenths of a degree to my small Taylor digital thermometer!

Liz
 

gildir

New member
Thanks both of you for the responses! (I feel much better that the baby may not eat the first few days, that gives me a little time.)

This is a 10 gallon tank. The heat bulb is a 75W ceramic heat emitter (Lucky Herp). The tank "furniture" kinda sets up some zones:
  • On one side is the heating pad and the heat lamp and that area is about 82-83.
  • The other side has a ceramic rock on the left, and inside the rock gets down to 68, and immediately outside the rock is 71.
  • There is a pretty even gradient in the middle area that goes from ~72-78.
If you look at the picture, she has essentially laid the eggs at the two temperature extremes. One of the two in the warm zone is the one that hatched.

Thanks also for the link to the post, the sexing information will probably come in handy later unless I want more of these guys. I did find that post before, but didn't realize it had more info later down, I was certainly skimming in panic mode yesterday :p
 

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
Hi gildir ~
Thanks for sharing! I, too, have not kept Gekko vittatus.

What type thermometer (analog, digital, temp gun) are you using to measure temperatures?
Which brand of supplements are you using? What is the exact name of those supplements? How often?

Please scroll below to link 184 for a .28 ounce size of Zoo Med's Reptivite Multivitamins with D3 that at least PetCo carries in their stores for $.99:

Here are several basic Gekko vittatus care guides I found online.

1. https://dubiaroaches.com/blogs/gecko-care/lined-gecko-care-sheet
2. https://thetyedyediguana.com/content/care-sheets/Skunk-Gecko-Gekko-vittatus-care-sheet.pdf
3. https://www.maritimegeckos.ca/uploads/1/3/5/1/13510871/care_sheet_white_lined_gecko.pdf
 

gildir

New member
Thanks for all the links!


For supplements, I haven't really been doing much, and I've been wondering about that... I've been trying to offer a variety of food options: mostly crickets, some mealworms, and a small amount of Repashy Grub Pie (the worms are actually the ones enjoying that, she mostly ignores it but doesn't mind getting some in her mouth while eating worms). The only supplement I've used so far is the Zoo Med Repti Calcium with D3. I sprinkle it on the crickets every other time I put them in.


I have four different (somewhat random) devices to check temperature...

The main device I'm using is a "Etekcity Infrared Thermometer Laser Temperature Gun 774". It's very reliable and also easy to calibrate it for reading different materials, which is helpful.

Doing the auto control of the heating pad is a "BN-LINK Digital Heat Mat Thermostat Controller" (https://a.co/d/h0z8cqP).

On the colder side is a "AQUANEAT Reptile Thermometer Hygrometer Digital Display Temperature and Humidity Monitor". This one is definitely unreliable, but it's a sanity check.

There's also one of those "stick on the outside of a fish tank" strips on the glass opposite the heating pad, just because one was sitting around. It's actually pretty good, but it's reading the glass temperature rather than the air temperature.
 

gildir

New member
Side note...

I've read a fair number of care guides for these guys, both when I originally bought the mom and again now.

Unfortunately it seems like any two guides may agree in some parts, but there is very little they all agree on :( Even simpler things like tank size, temperature range, food choices, etc. have quite a range in these guides.

So the last few months have required a fair amount of testing and observation on what she seems to like and hoping she knows what's good for her :-/
 

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
You're welcome! Thanks for all your details regarding temperature/humidity measurement & your thermostat.

"For supplements, I haven't really been doing much, and I've been wondering about that... I've been trying to offer a variety of food options: mostly crickets, some mealworms, and a small amount of Repashy Grub Pie (the worms are actually the ones enjoying that, she mostly ignores it but doesn't mind getting some in her mouth while eating worms). The only supplement I've used so far is the Zoo Med Repti Calcium with D3. I sprinkle it on the crickets every other time I put them in."

Feeder variety is best! It's also important to feed crickets a nutritious diet 24/7/365 prior to feeding them to your geckos. For this 'maintenance diet' I've used finely ground Zoo Med's Natural ADULT Bearded Dragon Food for over 9 years. Some gecko keepers also gut load bugs & worms they're about to feed off for 24-48 hours prior to feeding them to gecko(s). A 'gut load diet' means feeding those bugs & worms a high calcium carbonate diet to approximate a resulting 1:1 calcium : phosphorus ratio.

I monitor supplements weekly. I place feeders in a tall container with supplement powder. Then swirl to lightly cover them with that powder.
*** Dust Zoo Med's Repti Calcium with D3 onto ALL crickets/feeders @ 1 feeding per week.
*** Dust Zoo Med's Reptivite Multivitamins withOUT D3 onto ALL crickets/feeders @ 1 feeding per week.
*** Then, possibly, dust Zoo Med's Repti Calcium NO D3 (plain calcium carbonate OR Amazon's NOW brand Calcium Carbonate) onto ALL crickets/feeders @ the 3rd feeding per week.

Calcium carbonate (CaCO3) is a mineral & never expires.
 
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