Chinese Cave Gecko

WaterDragon · #1 12-01-2010, 01:54 PM

Hey Yall,

Just purchased a 3 month old Chinese Cave Gecko from a breeder. Had him for about 2 days. Cool looking little guy, but I saw that there is not a lot of knowledge about the species, since its fairly new to hobbyists.

So far, I know that they like a very humid environment, and room temps are fine (70-80). Nocturnal gecko, insectivore, and grows to about 8". I also know that though they have nails, and not sticky pads, they still like to climb, which is why I got him, because I am using a 48" tall tank.

I was wondering if anybody has had experience with this gecko, and if they would offer some tips/ methods for the best environment for these guys.

So far I have not seen him eat the crickets I'm putting in the tank, and Im not sure if putting him in a smaller feeding tank would be a good idea, or if it would stress him out too much.

Also, since I have a tall tank (50 gal, 48" tall), and the heat bulb shines through the top (where the screen is) I was wondering what the best way to heat the bottom of the tank would be, without having any surfaces that could possibly burn him, or lights in the tank that he could get into.

Thanks!

Ozymandias · #2 12-01-2010, 05:57 PM

nice pick up always been a fan of the cave geckos but haven't kept them before, i would defiantly take a look over at Gecko's Unlimited our sister site if you haven't already, thay have a sub forum dedicated to cave geckos

i wouldn't worry to much about him just monitor that the crickets aren't hiding in the tank or heating him. if you get really worried you could try using a feeding dish and breaking the back legs of the crickets so thay stay in there.

as you said 70-80 degrees is fine so unless you have an abnormally cold house you should be fine with just regular lighting. if you do have a a cold house and a natural terrarium you could try under-tank heaters that are heating the substrate layers but not directly heating the gecko.

would love the see pictures of the gecko and the tank

WaterDragon · #3 12-01-2010, 07:34 PM

Ok, thanks for the info. I did not know about that site, so thanks for the link.

Here is a picture of him on my hand. These guys are great hiders btw. I took out all the hides from the tank and still couldnt find him. I think he buried himself in the soil......

Ozymandias · #4 12-01-2010, 11:07 PM

cute little guy completely understand about the ability to hide and with that size tank it probably makes it easier to do, why did you go with a 50 gallon btw?

WaterDragon · #5 12-02-2010, 12:15 AM

well, originally i wanted to build a tropical viv. with a water feature and enough climbing room for a couple of white lined geckos. But then I changed my mind because I didnt want to drive so far to go to the place that sold them.

I found this guy in the area, and I saw that they also liked to climb and also lived in a tropical looking environ. So I got him

I nixed the water portion of the tank when this guy almost drowned because he managed to swim through a small hole and underneath the false bottom

Wembily · #6 12-02-2010, 07:57 PM

Not sure if this helps at all, but my sister had a Tokay gecko and for some reason he loved meleworms. I wonder if the same would be true for your guy. Then again though, her's loved anything that moved. I am not real knowlegeable on Geckos, but thought I'd share.

JoeG · #7 12-03-2010, 09:28 AM

2 things come to mind that may help out.

1. Most keepers I know have a 2 week window where we do not touch or bother the animal in order to minimize stress and to acclimate to the new enclosure. Its not unusual that they are stressed out and might ignore food for a bit but frequent handling this early can prolong the stress.

2. Have you talked with the breeder? I would think that anyone who is successfully breeding these guys would have a bit of advise.

Good luck, they are cool looking geckos, especially the red eyes which remind me of satanics.