North American Banded Geckos of the Genus Coleonyx:
A Guide to Captive Husbandry
I noticed a significant interest in the banded gecko forums so I thought I will post a care guide that I wrote. It covers the basics of keeping these mini American geckos. This care sheets only applies to the western banded gecko, Coleonyx variegatus. (Desert, Tucson, San Diego, and Utah)
Housing: I keep one pair to one trio to every ten gallons. In a long twenty gallon aquarium I keep three males and three females. They seem to get along peacefully most of the time. One setback to this style of housing (keeping more than one male in a tank) is the fact that when a female is gravid, you are not sure what male it was. For the substrate, I use fine silica sand, purchased in one hundred pound bags at Home Depot. For those who want to go ornamental (and expensive), one of the commercial reptile sands work just as good, and they come in many nifty colors. I would avoid the calcium sand. For tank décor, I use a big log that the geckos like to hide under. I also have a fake cactus, some rocks, and some reptile hiding caves. My males like to climb to high places and “survey” their surroundings.
left side of 20 gallon long
right side of 20 gallon long
Climate: The ambient temperature should be 75-78 degrees. I provide a under tank heater that boosts one area of the tank to 85-90 degrees. Although these are desert reptiles, they do not appreciate the same climate as a collard lizard chuckwalla. These geckos are nocturnal and do not experience as arid conditions as the above desert denizens. At night, there is a significant rise in humidity. I mist the tanks nightly to replicate that. I also supply a humid hide box that also serves as an egg laying box. It is basically a deli cup with an opening that is filled with damp vermiculite.
Desert Banded Gecko Habitat
Chuckwall basking ON ROCK. Banded gecko UNDER ROCK. Totally different temperatures and humidity
Feeding: Adult banded geckos relish crickets and similar insects up to half and inch long. As a rule of thumb, the insect shouldn’t be longer than the width of the gecko’s head. Neonates like smaller crickets. The same rule applies. Adults like mealworms and waxworms as well. The neonates can’t feed on waxworms, but they enjoy mini mealworms. Although some keepers report that the geckos feed on fruit flies (Drosophila), I can’t get a gecko to even glance at them.
A commercial calcium dust should be used occasionally. Normally I dust insects every two days. For gravid females and neonates, I give it to them every other feeding.
Female on the hunt
Breeding: First, you have to know how to sex them. These guys are obvious. The males have big hemipenal bulges that are clearly visible. They also have two enlarged spurs at the base of the tail. No winter cooldown is necessary. If you have a male and a female, and you put them together, you shouldn’t have any problems at all. They are very aggressive breeders and it amazes me how productive they are. Within two to four week of mating, the female should lay. You should provide an egg laying box. Makes sense, right? Incubation should occur at 80-82 degrees Fahrenheit for 45-65 days. Soon you will have tiny little banded geckos!
Gravid Female Desert Banded Gecko Digging Nest in Moist Sand
Baby Desert Banded Gecko
A Guide to Captive Husbandry
I noticed a significant interest in the banded gecko forums so I thought I will post a care guide that I wrote. It covers the basics of keeping these mini American geckos. This care sheets only applies to the western banded gecko, Coleonyx variegatus. (Desert, Tucson, San Diego, and Utah)
Housing: I keep one pair to one trio to every ten gallons. In a long twenty gallon aquarium I keep three males and three females. They seem to get along peacefully most of the time. One setback to this style of housing (keeping more than one male in a tank) is the fact that when a female is gravid, you are not sure what male it was. For the substrate, I use fine silica sand, purchased in one hundred pound bags at Home Depot. For those who want to go ornamental (and expensive), one of the commercial reptile sands work just as good, and they come in many nifty colors. I would avoid the calcium sand. For tank décor, I use a big log that the geckos like to hide under. I also have a fake cactus, some rocks, and some reptile hiding caves. My males like to climb to high places and “survey” their surroundings.
left side of 20 gallon long
right side of 20 gallon long
Climate: The ambient temperature should be 75-78 degrees. I provide a under tank heater that boosts one area of the tank to 85-90 degrees. Although these are desert reptiles, they do not appreciate the same climate as a collard lizard chuckwalla. These geckos are nocturnal and do not experience as arid conditions as the above desert denizens. At night, there is a significant rise in humidity. I mist the tanks nightly to replicate that. I also supply a humid hide box that also serves as an egg laying box. It is basically a deli cup with an opening that is filled with damp vermiculite.
Desert Banded Gecko Habitat
Chuckwall basking ON ROCK. Banded gecko UNDER ROCK. Totally different temperatures and humidity
Feeding: Adult banded geckos relish crickets and similar insects up to half and inch long. As a rule of thumb, the insect shouldn’t be longer than the width of the gecko’s head. Neonates like smaller crickets. The same rule applies. Adults like mealworms and waxworms as well. The neonates can’t feed on waxworms, but they enjoy mini mealworms. Although some keepers report that the geckos feed on fruit flies (Drosophila), I can’t get a gecko to even glance at them.
A commercial calcium dust should be used occasionally. Normally I dust insects every two days. For gravid females and neonates, I give it to them every other feeding.
Female on the hunt
Breeding: First, you have to know how to sex them. These guys are obvious. The males have big hemipenal bulges that are clearly visible. They also have two enlarged spurs at the base of the tail. No winter cooldown is necessary. If you have a male and a female, and you put them together, you shouldn’t have any problems at all. They are very aggressive breeders and it amazes me how productive they are. Within two to four week of mating, the female should lay. You should provide an egg laying box. Makes sense, right? Incubation should occur at 80-82 degrees Fahrenheit for 45-65 days. Soon you will have tiny little banded geckos!
Gravid Female Desert Banded Gecko Digging Nest in Moist Sand
Baby Desert Banded Gecko
