Gecko Care There are approximately 800 different species of gecko, which can be divided int o four sub

categories. These are Diplodactylinae, Gekkoninae, sphaerodactylinae and Eublepharinae. The largest of these is the gekkoninae family that has over 5 50 species living all over the world. Geckos are widespread and adaptable and pose no threat to humans at all, they wi ll live happily side by side with humans usually making a home where they can ea sily access a ceiling light that attracts insects. The gecko is found in many warm climates around the globe. One of the main diffe rences between a gecko and other lizards is the way in which they communicate wi th each other. Gecko s make loud chirping sounds when they are socializing with ot hers from their species. Another difference between geckos and lizards is they have no eyelids, instead t hey have a transparent membrane that they clean by licking with their tongues. Geckos can walk across ceilings upside down with ease as they have special pads on their feet. In warm climates, many geckos make their home inside of human s hom es as it can provide protection and shelter. There is a gecko named the house gec ko that is well known for living inside peoples home, they are rarely discouraged from doing this as they are great at ridding other insects that could pose as a problem. Some species of gecko can change color, similar to how chameleons do, to blend i n with their surroundings or adjusting with the temperature. There are many diff erent colors of geckos, some brightly colored that display wonderful patterns ac ross their bodies. Life in the wild for geckos is often fraught with danger and the day geckos have many predators, which include snakes, birds and other large lizards. Even witho ut these added dangers a geckos time is spent hunting for foods and if male, att empting to keep hold of a territory while overcoming violent confrontations from other geckos wishing to invade. The territorial disputes can easily lead to the gecko being injured by bites and tearing wounds, as they have a fairly delicate skin. Buying a pet gecko You can obtain geckos from most large pet shops, it s always best to enquire via t he telephone to ensure they sell them as there are still some pet stores that do not sell them. They are usually priced at around $80 - $250, the price they are sold for usually depends on their markings and patterns. If they have very nice patterns then they will be sold for more money. There are many other things a gecko needs to live a happy healthy life in your h ome. Firstly you will need a decent seized tank for them to live in, tanks can b e purchased form the pet store you bought the gecko from and the staff can advis e you on what size tank you will need for your particular gecko. A tank that is bigger than 40cm x 20cm is some sufficient, you should not get anything smaller than that. Tanks range in cost from around $60 right up to $400 for a tank with all the bells and whistles. Geckos are cold-blooded animals, this means they get their heat from the environ ment around them, you will need to provide this heat in the form of a lamp or a heat map. A heat mat may be a little more expensive than a standard lamp but the y are more discreet than the lamps and allow for more room in the tank. They cos t around $20 - $60 depending on their size and quality. Inside the tank you will need to provide some kind of cover as geckos like to hi de themselves away from everybody to get a good nights rest. The best product to achieve this is known as cholla, which is basically the skeleton of a plant tha t is hollowed out so the gecko can crawl inside and rest. You will need to prove water in a plastic bowl so the gecko can drink when ever they feel the need, be sure not to have the water too deep as it has been known for geckos to drown easily in deep water. On the ground inside the tank you must place something familiar for the gecko to

walk on. Usually tree bark or specialized sand is used that is sold in the pet store. It is important not to use any old tree bark that you find outside as thi s can contain traces of fungus that can cause your gecko to be ill. Geckos feed on bugs, you must provide this as the gecko owner. They enjoy eating crickets that you can buy in varied sizes from the pet stores. An average sized bag will contain around 30 crickets and most geckos of average size will feed o n just one cricket per day. You can ask at the pet store about what to feed your particular cricket, as it s a good idea to feed them on a similar, if not the sam e diet that they have been used to in the store. You must also provide you gecko with vitamins that they would normally source fr om the wild. It can come in a powder form that you can dip the crickets into bef ore you feed them to the geckos. You should try to avoid geckos that have a coloring that seems dull and emaciate d, any signs of it having shed skin still attached to its body is a good sign to leave it alone. A healthy gecko appears clean and has bright eyes, looks alert and holds its body off the ground when walking. Having a plump tail is a good sign of a healthy well-fed gecko. A gecko s tail act s as a depository for stored fats that helps the lizard to survive through perio ds when food is scarce. Species There are over 800 different species of gecko, all with their own marks of indiv iduality, below we will introduce you to some of the most popular species of gec ko. Standing s Day Gecko The standing's day gecko is a large gecko that comes from a small part of southw estern Madagascar, usually found in patches of bush land and at the edge of fore sts. In its natural environment this lizard is at home in more arid habitats rat her than the usual densely planted areas most geckos prefer. There are many variations of the skin color although the main theme is to have a sky blue skin with a green head, along its back will show marks of a black net like pattern. Similar to other day geckos these lizards spend hardly any time on the ground. I t is common for the keepers of these geckos to line the floor of the vivarium wi th just newspaper, although it is also good to use pebbles or another natural de cor. You can comfortably house 1 male and 2 females in a vivarium of 60x60x60cm in si ze. With standing s day geckos you should spray water mist throughout the day as t hey prefer to drink from droplets of water hanging from plant life. It is likel y that they will learn to drink from a shallow bowl if you place the bowl higher up in the tank somewhere. This species seems to thrive on slightly higher tempe ratures inside the tank, around 90 degrees Fahrenheit with lower humidity levels of around 70%. This species of gecko is more tolerant of their young than other species of geck o. There is a British breeder that reports of hatching juveniles to be kept in t he same tank and able to live as a family with the breeding pair, once the young matures then they should be removed as you normally would. These large day geckos can eat many of the moist insects that are easily obtaine d by the enthusiast. There are many invertebrates that you can catch in your hom e and garden to feed to your gecko, the rule of thumb is to only feed them food that you have caught from an area outside that is organic and has not been spray ed with any pesticides. They enjoy many sweet fruits and nectar, you should plac e these hung up high or dab onto an upturned jam jar lid or similar. Standing s day geckos actively hunt using their site to locate their prey, the are agile predators and fast and acrobatic in their actions. Male breeds usually ha ve a broader tail at the base to encompass their twinned reproductive organs. Al l day geckos have a visible ear opening, although it is very small. Peacock Day Gecko Most day geckos come from the islands in the Indian Ocean, mainly Madagascar. Th

e peacock day gecko has wonderful colors that allow your vivarium to really come alive as it patrols its territory. They get their name from the peacock eye mar king they have on each side of their bodies just behind their front legs. They h ave a combination of red spots and markings that cover its back while having an overall skin color of turquoise, they truly are very striking lizard to observe. They have a long and slender tail roughly half the size of the actual gecko and actually use their tail to communicate with other geckos. They use their long to ngue to clean their eyes, which is rather comical to observe. If you compare the peacock day gecko to other day geckos then they come up prett y short, they only reach 7.5cm in length when fully grown. They can live in an e nclosure 50x30x60cm on their own or as a pair. Giant Day Gecko The giant day gecko is a large attractive plump lizard that is relatively easy t o keep and breed in captivity. They have a skin color of electric lime green and depending on the species the can have an orangey-red markings like dots or blob s along their back and on the top of their head, usually in between the eyes and nostrils. You can find them in damp forests and on palm trees in Madagascar and its surrou nding islands. Having this kind of environment allows the gecko plenty of surfac es to search for insects and serves as a good opportunity to establish and retai n a territory of their own. This gecko is active in the daytime and can grow to over 25cm in length, of whic h 15cm will be made up from its long thick tubular tail. These are very agile li zards that leap from leaf to leaf and can quickly scurry under protective cover if ever threatened. Similar to other geckos they have adapted to live a arboreal lifestyle. They have great suction pads on each digit that allow them to get a good grip on any shiny surface as well as trees and bark. Bibron s gecko The bibron s gecko is a medium sized gecko, compared to others though it shows off a stocky build and can reach around six to eight inches when fully grown. It ha s a beaded pattern along it s body with black strips and white dots. Their light b rown or white underbelly can distinguish these geckos from others. These are a ground dwelling gecko that shows high aggression towards other gecko s that could be seen as attempting to hijack their territory. They are very fast runners and are quick to find any cover when they think they could be in danger . The bibron s gecko is commonly found in South Africa where its species holds a lar ge population that likes to make it s home in human homes and buildings, some woul d consider it a household pest. Tokay Gecko The tokay gecko is native to South East Asia and is a nocturnal arboreal gecko. They live in rainforest trees in their natural habitat although the frequently m ake homes in human buildings knowing they can find good food by hanging around n ext to a ceiling light. They have a relatively short life span compared to other similar sized geckos in that they will usually only live for 8 10 years. The tokay gecko is a very aggr essive species of gecko and it is common for males to fight each other and even attack their human handlers. A bite from a tokay gecko is unlikely o cause any l asting damage but it will hurt, handlers report that once they bite they do not like to let go, one of the only ways to actually get them to release their bite is to submerge them into water. They can be very attractive as display animals b ut their popularity as a household pet has diminished because of their aggressiv e nature. They can grow to lengths of 40cm making them one of the largest species of gecko . You can spot them by their grayish or bluish bodies with red or orange spots. Feeding a pet gecko Most lizards are predators which means they hunt for their food and generally ea t anything they catch. Insects are the most abundant foods found in their natura

l habitat. Note that juveniles and older lizards may benefit from having their g reen foods shredded and chopped. Geckos like to eat crickets as their main source of diet. It is important to ens ure the crickets are not too big for your gecko to handle, a good way to judge t his is to never feed a gecko a cricket that is larger than their head in size. Before you feed the crickets to the gecko you will first need to gut load the cr ickets, this means to feed the crickets so they have some nutrients and goodness to pass onto the gecko once they have been eaten. You can feed crickets on trop ical fish flakes, vegetables and orange slices to name a few, you can even feed them on dried dog food. You should aim to feed the geckos around 12-24 hours bef ore they are given to the geckos to eat. The crickets can also be dusted with a calcium supplement before they are fed to the gecko to give that extra boost in vitamins. You should dust the crickets only every other day to not over do the v itamins. Feed the geckos twice a day in their beginning months then reduce to ju st twice a week once they are over 7 months old. The amount of crickets that should be fed depends on the age and size of your ge cko. You should only feed them enough that can be consumed within 15 20 minutes otherwise crickets are left to roam wild inside the cage, this can also allow th em to disturb your geckos sleeping patterns. Another live insect that the geckos enjoy are mealworms , try to only feed these ab out once every week, as they are not particularly nutritious. You are advised to pull or snip the head off the mealworm then serve them in a shallow bowl. Fruit flies of the drosophila species are very popular with baby geckos. Geckos also enjoy wax worms but they should only be fed as a treat, not as part of the main diet. Feed them no more than 3 a week at the very most. When your gecko reaches adult size you can introduce a pinkie (one day old mouse ) into their diet to keep them healthy. It is extremely important that you monitor how much your gecko eats to ensure th ey are getting enough food. It may be easier for you to provide a separate conta iner to the one they usually live in to feed them their foodstuffs. This way it is much easier to monitor the number of insects your gecko eats everyday, it als o creates less mess inside their main tank. There are many supplements to feed your pet gecko available in mainstream pet st ores. These provide your gecko with much-needed extra vitamins and minerals on t op of their usual diet. They are applied by dusting their usual food in the powd er before you serve them. Always read the labels and use these products in moder ation, they should never supplement your geckos main diet. Housing a pet gecko The start up costs needed to buy and equip a vivarium are relatively high compar ed to the cost of your actual gecko. It is always best to buy the best possible quality equipment, as it will last longer and aid you in creating the right envi ronment for your pet gecko. The time and effort spent preparing the geckos home will be rewarded as you can view your pet gecko in a wonderful environment that keeps them happy. It will depend on your choice of gecko and its size as to what size tank you wil l need, the most important factor is keeping the temperatures correct with the r ight amount of heat, light and humidity, as long as their basic needs are met, t hey do not care about how elaborate the tank furnishings are. You can comfortably house up to 3 average sized geckos in a tank around the size of 32 x 15 x15 . More geckos will require a larger tank. It is unnecessary to provi de a full spectrum lighting kit as geckos normally hide away in the daytime and come out to be active at night times. You can heat the tank with a 60watt bulb, which will keep the heat at around 88 degrees Fahrenheit during the daytime hours then bring it down to around 75 degr ees Fahrenheit at night time. You can achieve this by using a thermostat or dimm er switch for the bulb. Always have a thermometer inside the cage so you can mon itor the temperature regularly. Across the bottom of the cage you can use bark to be used as a substrate, as the

gecko gets older you can substitute this for specialized reptile sand. Remember that gecko like to hide away and at most times keep themselves to thems elves, you can aid this desire by kiting out the tank with artificial plants and rocks which will give them shelter and places to hide. It is a good idea to create a hide box with a hole in the side to enter and exit through, filled with vermiculite that is moist, this provides an ideal place fo r your gecko to shed their skin. Keep the vermiculite moist by giving it a simpl e spray of water everyday. Keep a small water bowl inside the cage and replace twice a day with fresh water . It is important not to use a bowl that is too deep, if you only have deep bowl s only fill the water up to a shallow level as to avoid the gecko drowning accid entally. Some geckos prefer to drink from water droplets so it is essential to s pray water mist into the tank a few times a day, this can also help with the hum idity levels inside the tank. Use naturalistic backgrounds, cork bark, real, plastic and silk plants and drift wood to make their tank more attractive and provide them with much needed cover. You may find that manufactured furnishings are easier to clean than the natural ones, search the pet store for what suites your tank or enclosure. Handling Young geckos can show signs of nervousness when being handled for the first few times, some will scream and lunge at you while making hissing sounds. It is impo rtant not to jump yourself as the more you handle them and the older they get th e easier they will be handled. It is good to start by placing your hand inside the cage with a very slow moveme nt first to get them used to your hand. Just place your hand in the cage, leave it there for a couple of minutes then remove it, this will show the gecko that y our hand is of no threat. It is common for geckos to get very inquisitive and co me and see your hand after the first few tries of this. Another tip is to place a wax worm on your hand, be careful as not all geckos have a great lunging aim a nd they could get your finger, this should not hurt you at all but the geckos ja w could be damaged in the process. Always handle your gecko with great care, never hold them by their tails as they are easily broken off, they do grow back but this would be a very stressful exp erience for the gecko and they could loose trust in you. When a geckos tail brea ks off it is prone to infection, you should place the gecko into a separate tank with minimal furnishings as to limit the chance of infection. Use a paper towel on the floor that can be replaced easily every time it is soiled. You can treat the open wound by cleaning it with betadine then covering with an antibiotic su ch as Neosporin or polysporin. Ensure the temperature of the substitute tank is kept the similar to what your gecko is used to. At this stage you should feed th e gecko very regularly and feed them all the food that they can eat to replenish fat reserves that it will need to rebuild its tail. Never leave any crickets al ive inside the cage with them as they will try to nibble at the wound. The tail will re-grow after time but it is unlikely that it will ever look the same as it was originally. Breeding It is known for geckos to breed well in captivity, this may be the route that yo u are looking forward to pursuing as a gecko owner. Most importantly you will re quire a completely separate home including the tank, heating equipment, rocks fo r cover etc, this will be used to house the new offspring in quarantine. Geckos will almost always mate behind some kind of cover, so it is wise to add i n some extra rocks or branches into the tank to provide more cover. The first si gns you will normally notice is that the female has a swollen belly. A female ge cko is able to lay several clutches of two eggs every year. They will lay and bu ry their eggs either under shelter or in between plastic plants or similar cover . You can attempt to encourage your female gecko to lay her eggs in the most sui

table spot in the tank. It can help to create this spot for her, use a small pla stic plant pot upturned with a hole cut in to provide a perfect place to lay her eggs. During this period you should check the tank very often, especially in th e morning and evening times. Once the eggs have been successfully laid they should then be transferred into a n incubator to lessen the chances of desiccation. Geckos lay their eggs in clutc hes of two and dissimilar to bird eggs reptiles eggs should not be turned. Place them in a incubating medium, vermiculite is a good choice, then proceed to cove r. You must provide airflow while keeping humidity at around 75% and maintain th e temperature at around 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Always keep checking the incubated eggs regularly, any eggs that you notice to b e mouldy or shriveled must be removed to prevent contaminating the healthy eggs. There are times when you will notice the eggs are white and slightly indented, this is a sign that the egg needs higher humidity levels. Young will usually hatch after around six to twelve weeks. The markings on the g ecko will grow and change over time, young leopard geckos have yellow and black marks in bands that over time will break apart into the familiar markings that y ou see on adult geckos. If possible, house the juveniles in separate small rearing containers. If you ke ep them all together communally then you must provide the tank with many more hi ding places and water dishes. You will need to keep a sharp eye on any domineeri ng individuals and once then begin to harass the other geckos they will need to be removed. Spray a water mist into the tank throughout the day to promote good skin conditi ons and allow frequent shredding as the young start to grow. Provide them with p lenty of fatty foods like well fed crickets and wax worms, some geckos also thri ve on small spiders. All the food should be dusted with a vitamin and mineral su pplement to give them the best possible start in life. It is a fact that the incubating temperatures of reptile eggs will determine whi ch sex the hatchling will be. At around 86 degrees Fahrenheit sexes are most lik 82 degrees Fahrenheit the majorit ely to be mixed. At lower temperatures like 76 y are likely to be female. If the temperature is raised to 90 degrees Fahrenheit the eggs are likely to produce males. Communication Geckos are thought to communicate in three different ways using body language, c hemicals and sounds. The most common sound to be heard is that of a loud high pi tched hiss or scream, this is often heard from young babies who will make the no ise whenever they think they are threatened, some report it as very disturbing. The noise is similar to the noise from air releasing from a balloon when you str etch the sides. There are noises often reported to sound like that of a crackle, gurgle, chirp o r clicking sound, many different people describe this differently but it is usua lly how the sound is described if a handler has picked up a gecko that does not want to be picked up. A gecko s body language consists of its tail movements. It is very common for baby geckos to move their tail a lot at the site of you or other geckos, this seems to calm down as the gecko gets older with age. Similar to how a dog wags it s tail a gecko will wag it s tail rapidly when it gets excited. When a gecko is stalking its prey, the end of their tail will rapidly m ove from side to side, this could be aiding them with their hunt or it could jus t be because they are excited that they are about to eat. This same movement can be observed in male geckos when they are interested in mating with a female. So metimes the end of the tail moves so fast is makes a buzzing sound similar to a wasp flying past your ear. When a gecko is under threat, its tail movements are slower and more deliberate. A female can also make these movements when they see a mating partner, this cou ld be observed as a kind of dance or ritual to let the male know they want to ma te. The female will also stand up as tall as they can while at the same time arc

hing their back. The chemical communication between geckos is the most discrete communication the gecko can offer. It is similar to our sense of smell but as humans we cannot de tect it so well. Geckos have an organ known as the Jacobson organ that is locate d in the roof of their mouth that is very sensitive to these chemicals. Sometime s when a gecko is flicking out their tongue they are detecting these subtle chem ical discretions. When geckos are handled outside of their tanks and they want to go back in the t ank a slight musty smell can be sensed in the air. This could be interpreted as them saying to put them back in the tank for whatever reason. When keeping your own geckos you should record any signs of communication that y ou notice so you can look for it again in the future, at meal times they may dis play certain behavior along with when another gecko is introduced into their tan k. The longer you observe the geckos the more you will notice communication is c onstantly going on, despite them seeming to be fairly quite reptiles. Behavior A leopard gecko is now considered to be one of the best reptiles to house as a p et in captivity. Having a generally calm nature they are fairly inactive and tol erate being handled well. They are a nocturnal species so they are most active i n the evenings and at night times, while spending most of the day hidden away sl eeping. The gecko is a somewhat clean reptile and they will naturally choose a s ingle place inside their tank to use as a toilet area. As they are a nocturnal species you are unlikely to witness much activity during the daytime, they will usually spend all day resting inside their hiding area. Some geckos will come out as soon as the light turns off, it is important not to do this just to see if the gecko will make an appearance as you will disturb th eir sleeping pattern. It is known for some geckos to come out a little before th e light usually goes out to bask in the light for a short while as if it is the rays from the sun. Even when your gecko comes out at night when it is dark then they do not display much activity, they will normally walk about a bit before climbing onto a rock or similar object to sit and rest. The most active you will see them is when the y devour their prey to eat. Like people, geckos can be quite individual in their food preferences. You may h ave one that adores to lick honey from a jam jar lid, while you have another tha t prefers mangoes and grapes. Note that while most of their diet is made up from insects, geckos have a sweet tooth and will cater for many different tastes, it is up to you to try and experiment to keep them happy. When you place different foods inside the tank you can record what you placed in the tank and if they we re interested or not so you know for next time. Health It is always wise to do as much research about any pet that you are planning to bring into your home. There are some pets that have very specific wants and need s and doing so allows you to prepare well for their arrival. When you first bring your gecko home you should take a sample of its feces to yo ur local vet to analyze for any presences of parasites. It can take some time fo r a gecko to show any signs of being infested with parasites so by taking this f irst step you can eliminate the worry from your mind. Always practice a strict quarantine procedure when you plan to add any more geck os to the same tank, they should be kept separately for at least three months un til you are certain they are healthy. The most important part of keeping healthy geckos is cleanliness, their tank mus t be kept as clean as possible. This means removing feces as soon as you can, ho w your tank is set up will be the deciding factor in how effectively you can do this. Using paper towels as a substrate has great advantages as they can be easi ly removed once feces has been laid on them allowing you to keep a very clean ta

nk with less hard work. You should monitor how much your gecko is eating, their toilet habits and genera l behavior in the tank and towards other geckos if any. It can also be useful to weigh your geckos regularly so you can monitor their weight also. This can be a good indication of how healthy they are. Note that it is common for female geck os to lose some weight during the breeding season as it consumes a lot of energy producing eggs. Make sure that you are giving females sufficient foods during t his time, the weight that was lost should be put back on after breeding season i s over. Shedding It is known that the different species of gecko to shed their skin a little diff erently to one another, the most common gecko to be kept in captivity is the leo pard gecko so we will concentrate on their shedding behavior here now to give yo u a good indication on how geckos shed their skin. A leopard gecko will shed their skin roughly every 2 to 4 weeks. As your gecko i s edging nearer to the time they will shed you will notice their skin color dull s a little. It is important that you have an area in the tank that is kept moist to aid in t he shedding, some people spray the entire tank with a water spray in the days be fore the shedding will occur, do not soak, just mist. The gecko s skin will become loose and the shed will begin, the gecko will pull the skin from its body and e at it, this takes no more than 2 hours to complete and is very fascinating to wa tch. Once the shedding is complete it is important to notice if all the skin has been removed or not, sometimes geckos can leave a little skin around their toes, sno ut and eyes. Skin that is left can cause problems for the gecko, for example, sk in let around their toes can end up restricting the blood flow to the toes and t hey can fall off if the dead skin is not removed. Any skin that is left on the gecko is fairly easy to remove. One method is to pl ace the gecko in a tub with ventilation holes with a damp towel on the base for the gecko to stand on. Leave the gecko inside for a few hours while regularly ch ecking to ensure that they do not get too cold, inside this humid environment th e gecko may be able to easily remove their skin. If the gecko does not remove th e skin themselves then you may need to intervene, if they have been placed in th e tub with the damp towel then this should have loosened their skin making it ea sy for you to remove it. You can use a wet cotton bud to wipe away at the skin g ently. This is easy for the feet as you can soak them in the water but what if the skin has not removed from their snout or eyes? If this is the case then dampen a cot ton bud and wipe away at the skin ensuring to keep the cotton bud wet. This can take a lot patience and sometimes even several attempts until the skin is remove d. The skin should flake off as you rub it, never pull at the skin as you can ea sily damage good skin underneath leaving a wound prone to infection. Always be very careful when removing skin from the eye area as to not damage the gecko s eyes or eyelids. Also take care when removing skin from the nostril area as to not let any water get into the gecko s nostrils. If you have tried but to no avail then it can help to rub a small amount of vegetable oil over the dead ski n to help soften it before you try again. Parasites Parasites are organisms that can live on the body of another organism of a diffe rent nature, this would be the host for the parasite. They contribute nothing to the survival of the host and are usually much smaller than the host and live a shorter life cycle. You should know that in the wild reptiles would have some kind of parasites that live on their bodies. It is wrong to assume that just because your reptile is k ept in captivity then it will be free of any parasites. To the contrary if you k

eep a reptile I captivity it may have more chance of contracting parasites. This is because in the wild it is free to move around and lives in a much larger ope n space, they can shed their skin and leave it behind and move away from their f eces easily. When captive, they are in a confined space a lot smaller than in th e wild, the space is also kept in perfect conditions for the gecko, this also me ans perfect conditions for the parasite. Cage hygiene is of the greatest importance if you want to lessen the chances of an overflow of parasites. The water inside the cage must be changed at least eve ry 2 days and the water containers must be cleaned, there is no harm in cleaning and changing more often. Any feces left in the tank must be removed as soon as possible, this also goes for uneaten live foods like it s regular dose of crickets . Crickets can carry a parasite known as pinworms. An example is for you to feed y our gecko some crickets that are infected with pinworms and your gecko eats the crickets thus becoming infected with pinworms, your gecko then sheds some feces that are covered in pinworms, the crickets in the tank eat the feces thus becomi ng infected with a higher load of parasites, this can easily spiral out of contr ol and is a good reason why you must never leave uneaten crickets loose in the c age. If you have more than one tank housing your geckos it is important not to let an y parasites spread to the other cages, it is just as important to ensure you you rself do not contract the parasite from your geckos. These parasites can also be passed on to humans just as they could be from a pet cat or dog. It is not to s ay that they are dangerous, but there is a possibility that you could become inf ected. Practicing standard hygiene is the best way to avoid this happening. To find out if your reptile has parasites you will need to observe them closely. There are parasites that live on the outside of the body called ectoparasites, these are visible to the naked eye. Endoparasites live inside the body and can b e identified by looking at their feces. When you buy a gecko for the first time you should have its feces examined by a qualified vet, this is the best way for internal parasites to be discovered if they are present, it also allows you to h ave the gecko treated as early as possible. To ensure your gecko stays parasite free they should have periodic checks about once a year. All new geckos should s tay in quarantine for at least three months to ensure they are clear and healthy before they are placed with other geckos. Possible problems Here we will outline a few of the possible problems that may arise with your gec kos while they are in captivity. Appetite loss Loss of appetite can occur for a few reasons, the main one being that it is all natural and the winter months are approaching, it could be that they are enterin g brumation which is a form of hibernation, during this period the gecko will vi rtually eat nothing and hide away. As long as the gecko still has a fat healthy tail then there is nothing to worry about. If your gecko looses a lot of weight within a short time period then you should consult your vet, there may be a seri ous problem and there are common parasites that can cause this to happen. Regurgitation If a baby gecko eats too much food then they will regurgitate what they have eat en back up, this should not happen too often as after they experience this they usually learn their lesson. Food in the cage that you thought was eaten could of passed through the gecko without digestion, this is a serious problem and your vet should be consulted. When regurgitation occurs often it could also be a symp tom of health problems, consult the vet. Diarrhea Remember that a geckos stools will differ depending on what they are eating and

the amount of water they drink. Although you must keep an eye out for any stools that are loose, contain undigested foods, contain blood, are watery as this cou ld be an indication of a more serious problem. The best practice is to take a sa mple of the feces to your vet to examine for signs of parasites. Eye infection It is fairly common for a geckos eye to become infected over the period of its l ife span. The symptoms are a gentle swelling of the eye, trouble opening the eye or a slight cloudiness inside the eye. They are normally the result of some kin d of irritation like dust or a scratch to the eye either from another gecko or f rom something inside the tank. A qualified vet must treat all eye infections, th ey will usually take a swab from the eye to determine the best treatment. Skin infection You gecko can get a skin infection from walking on soiled substrate or when the ground is damp, signs will usually show on the underbelly like small black or br own spots. Note that skin infections are prone to anywhere on the body, a common area is the toes if all shed skin has not fallen off completely. You should spe ak to your vet as soon as you notice any of these signs. They will advise you to keep the gecko in a separate housing with paper towels as substrate to prevent any further infection and promote good healing conditions, they may also advise that you treat the infected area with a Neosporin or polysporin. Respiratory problems Respiratory infections are known to be caused by excessive cold temperatures, th is leads to the immune system suppressing. Signs are usually the gecko having di fficulty breathing or showing a gaping mouth. You should contact your vet, ensur e the heating equipment is working correctly, you could even try raising the tem perature slightly to see if it helps. Tail loss A gecko will drop it s tail when it is threatened or grabbed by the tail (never ho ld a gecko by it s tail), it does this as a defense mechanism. When it first drops the tail it will wriggle around on the floor, this is hoped to distract the ene my while the gecko makes their escape. This is labeled as autonomy and is used a s a defense mechanism by many species of gecko. The connective tissue around the tail is specially designed to allow the tail to break off easily. Sometimes the tail does not break off fully and either heals or in some cases it heals and a new tail will also start to grow thus leaving th e gecko with 2 tails, there are reports of geckos being sighted with 3 tails sti ll attached. When the Tail or part of the tail first disconnects the nerves go through a proc ess called vasoconstriction. This stops the blood flow to the open area of the t ail that prevents the wound from loosing and blood. Over time the tail will grow back but it is unlikely that it will resemble the original tail in its looks. If your captive gecko looses its tail it is very important to discover what init ially made the gecko drop it s tail to ensure that they will not suffer any additi onal stress. The tail will heal itself so no intervention is required on your pa rt, you may if you wish treat the wound with Neosporin to help prevent any infec tion. You should place the gecko in a separate container in a quite environment to avoid added stress and to prevent any other geckos attempting to feed from th e wound. When a gecko looses it s tail then they also lose all the stored fat reserves that they had in the tail, thus it is important to feed up the gecko on some fatty f oods so they can replenish lost reserves. Remember to still keep an eye on extra food that it not eaten that can easily build up when you are trying to do this. A gecko without a tail can become the subject of bullying from other geckos that may be present. Signs of bullying are not often too obvious to the owner as it will usually take place at night times. Geckos bully each other by biting either

at the legs of the lesser gecko. You should look for any scuff marks that could be showing on the geckos head, sometimes you can clearly see the bite marks but other times it is not so evident, the best you can do is to regularly check eve ryday and if you notice anything out of place then note it down. Bullies will ne ed to be separated. Sometimes it is the better option to remove the wounded geck o from the tank as opposed to the bully. You can help cut down the chances of bu llying by making sure there is a choice when it comes to drinking water and hidi ng places, this is what fighting will most likely take place over. Anatomy Lizards are vertebrate animals that similar to humans have a backbone, skull and ribs. Of the 3000 plus different species of lizard that have been discovered th ere are considerable differences in the shape, size and lifestyle of these lizar ds, there are however some common characteristics that bind them together. Of th eir external features they all have skin, a tongue, ears, eyes, limbs and a tail . Skin The skin acts as a protective coating that prevents the lizard from dehydrating. The formation of the scales varies from species to species, in some it allows t he lizard to change color to adapt into the environment. Tongue Their tongues are short and fat, although chameleons and a few others have a lon ger tongue. The tongue works in conjunction with the Jacobson s organ and analyses and tastes whatever comes in contact with it. Ears Most lizards have a visible external ear hole or opening, sometimes it is covere d up by a tympanum (ear drum). Eyes Most lizards can blink and shut their eyes, this is dissimilar to snakes who hav e no moveable eyelids. There are a few burrowing lizards that have no eyes at al l. There are also special adaptations between species such as the gecko, which h as large eyes to aid their night vision, and chameleons that have independently moving eyes. Limbs The limbs are specialized organs and the fingers and toes are adapted according to the species and lifestyle. An example is most geckos have adhesive pads on th e tips of their digits to enable them to climb many surfaces such as trees, wall s and ceilings. Tail The tail is also used differently depending on the species, it can be used for f ighting, grasping, balancing and storage of fatty deposits to name a few. The ta il can be shed as a means to defend from a predator, this is a good reason why y ou should never pick your lizard up by it s tail. Internal organs The lizard is equipped with organs very similar to those of mammals. They have a skull that houses their brain, lungs to breathe air just like we do, a liver to remove toxins and the alimentary canal to process its food. Thermo regulation Lizards are totally reliant on the external living conditions. Unlike mammals th ey do not have the equipment to internally generate heat, they are therefore col d-blooded, also known as ectothermic.

Lizards thermo regulate (warm up and cool down) by moving around their habitat. When it is cool in the morning they will seek out the suns rays or the heat pad or spotlight in your vivarium so they can bask in the heat and recharge their ba tteries. Once they reach their optimum temperature they will then move on to hun t for food and patrol their territory. On hot days they will avoid overheating b y resting in the shade, cooling off in water or seeking the coolness of their re treat or burrow.