African Fat Tailed Gecko

Introduction.

The Fat-tailed gecko is from the subfamily Eublepharinae. Members of this subfamily include the leopard gecko of Iran. This subfamily has clearly different characteristics from other geckos. They are terrestrial, nocturnal, have moveable eyelids, have vertical pupils, and no adhesive lamellae (sticky feet).

The Fat-tailed gecko is found in West Africa, from Senegal to Cameroon. Their habitat is dry and arid, although they will spend most of their time in a dark, humid hiding place. In captivity, it is important to provide these geckos with a source of humidity that mimics these conditions.

The Fat-tailed gecko will grow to be 6 to 10 inches. Females being 6 to 8 inches, and males being 8 to 10 inches. They will live 15 to 18 years. The normal colouring is brown and tan stripes, with a possible thin white stripe along the length of the back. The under belly is pale pink or off-white.

The Fat-tailed gecko is equipped with the natural defense of being able to lose their tails when attacked by a predator. The tail is also where they store their fat, an important energy reserve. If the tail is lost the new tail will look more similar to the head (fat and stubby), and may not match the coloration patterns of the body of the gecko. With its tail, an African fat tailed gecko can go days on end without food.

The Fat-tailed Gecko is medium-sized among geckos. It comes from the Sahara desert.

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Scientific name : Hemitheconyx caudicunctus

Common name : African fat tailed gecko

Housing size : 48'' x 24'' x 24''

Housing type : Desert

Adult size : total 8 - 10 inches

Care/Keeping : Keep singularly, as a pair or in a group with only one male.

Level Of Difficulty : Easy

Life Span : up to 18 years

Diet : Insectivores

Habits

Fat tailed geckos are nocturnal. They are usually quite docile though they can be shy. Never house males together.

Appearance

Fat tailed geckos show two main patterns -- one with a white stripe down back, and one without. They come in several colours, with dark and light brown being most common. The most notable feature is the large, thick tail (used for fat storage).

Tank for Fat Tailed Geckos

A 10 gallon tank is probably sufficient for a single fat tailed gecko, but larger is better. Hides, logs, cork bark pieces, rocks, and plants can be provided.

Substrate

Orchid bark, cypress mulch, coconut fiber bedding, or peat moss can be used for a substrate and will help maintain humidity. Hides, logs, cork bark pieces, rocks, and plants should be provided for fat tailed geckos.

Temperature and Humidity

The daytime temperature gradient should be around 80-90 F (27-32 C) but can drop to 75-80 F (24-27 C) at night. Undertank heating is preferred, although a heat lamp (a nocturnal bulb works well) can be used as well if needed. No UV lighting is necessary. Humidity should be quite high (over 50%) and maintained by misting several times a week and providing a shallow water dish at all times. A humidity retreat is also a good idea (e.g. a small container with damp spaghum moss inside).

Feeding Fat Tailed Geckos

Fat tailed geckos can be fed primarily on crickets and mealworms, although adults can be offered the occasional superworm or waxworm. Prey should be always be gut loaded prior to feeding, and dusted with a vitamin supplement containing calcium. Adults can be fed every 2-3 day, and juveniels every 1-2 days. Provide a shallow dish with water as well.

Article source :

http://exoticpets.about.com/cs/lizardsaspets/p/fattailgeckos.htm

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Crested Geckos

Introduction.

The Crested Gecko, New Caledonian Crested Gecko, Guichenot's Giant Gecko or Eyelash Gecko, Rhacodactylus ciliatus, is a species of gecko native to southern New Caledonia. This species was thought extinct until it was rediscovered in 1994. Along with several other Rhacodactylus species, it is being considered for protected status by the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna.

The species was first described in 1866 as Correlophus ciliatus by the French zoologist Alphone Guichenot in an article entitled "Notice sur un nouveau genre de sauriens de la famille des geckotiens du Muséum de Paris" ("Notes on a new species of lizard in the gecko family") in the Mémoires de la Société Scientifique Naturelle de Chérbourg. It has since been renamed Rhacodactylus ciliatus.

The generic name Rhacodactylus is Greek in origin: Rhakos, meaning "spine" and Dactylus meaning "finger". The specific name, ciliatus, is Latin: Cilia means "fringe" or "eyelash" and refers to the crest of skin over the animal's eyes that resembles an eyelash.

Physical description

The Crested Gecko has hair-like projections found above the eyes, resembling eyelashes. It has a wedge shaped head and a crest that runs from each eye to the tail. The toes and the tip of the tail are covered in small hairs called setae. Each seta is divided into hundreds of smaller (approximately 200 nanometres in diameter) hairs called spatulae. It is believed these structures exploit the weak van der Waals force to help the gecko climb on most solid surfaces. The toes have small claws which aid in climbing surfaces to which their toes cannot cling.

The Crested Gecko has many naturally occurring color groups, some of which include: grey, brown, red, orange, and yellow of various shades. They have variable markings, which include spots, straight stripes, and tiger-like stripes. The markings and coloration are not geographic indicators; offspring of the same clutch may display differing coloration and markings. The colors are brighter and more prominent at night.

The Crested Gecko has distinct structural morphs in head size and crest abundancy. Geckos with a head length less than 1.3 times its width are considered "crowned" Crested Geckos. They can vary in the amount and size of the crests; some have crests that extend to the base of the tail and some lack crests on one side of their body.

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Common Name : Crested Gecko

Scientific Name : Rhacodactylus ciliatus

Housing Size : 45 x 45 x 60cm

Housing Type : Forest

Adult Size : 6 - 7 inches

Care/Keeping : Singularly,pair or group with one male

Level Of Difficulty : Easy

Life Span : 5+ years

Diet : Omnivores

Housing

The Crested Gecko is an arboreal species which will require a tall vivarium that is at least 12 x 12 x 18 inch (LxWxH). You should also provide some hide and climbing areas with branches, logs and real / silk plants.

A damp hide box should be available at all times to help with shedding (a plastic container with a hole in the lid, with moist soil or moss inside).

Heating, Lighting, and Humidity

These lizards generally do well at room temperature. In their natural habitat the daytime temperature would be about 78 degrees Fahrenheit. Their temperature should be kept between the low 70’s to 84 degrees during the daytime. At night it can drop as low as 60 degrees.

If your house regularly drops below this temperature at night then you will need to provide additional heating on a thermostat such as a heat mat on the side of the enclosure or a low wattage heat lamp above.

Over heating is more of a problematic for these reptiles than under heating. Prolonged exposure to temperatures in excess of 85 degrees may prove fatal to crested geckos. It is very important, because of this to use an accurate thermometer (digital is best) and to ensure that any additional heating is on a thermostat.

As cresties are nocturnal they do not really benefit from UV lighting and have been kept successfully for many years in captivity without any additional lighting.

Crested geckos do require quite high humidity (85%) this can be achieved by spaying the enclosure with water once or twice a day. You will need a hygrometer to measure the humidity of the enclosure.

Substrate

Coconut fibre substrate is a good choice or you can use either Exo Terra Plantation Soil, Lucky Reptile Sphagnum Moss or T-Rex Jungle Bedding, with daily misting to retain 50% humidity.

Food

Crested Geckos are insectivorous and frugivorous so feed a variety of pureed fruit (such as baby foods), Crickets, waxworms, mealworms should be offered now again as a treat.

Insects must be gut loaded at least 24 hours prior to feeding, a high quality fish food or Bug Grub would be perfect. Before feeding your Crested Geckos the crickets or mealworms etc should be coated with a calcium supplement.

Water

A shallow dish of water should be provided, and cleaned daily. Most Crested Geckos will lick droplets of water from leaves and from other surfaces in their terrarium.

Maintenance

Any debris, dead crickets and feces should be removed from the vivarium on a daily basis, Baby food should be replaced every 1-2 days.

A full clean of the terrarium and its contents should be done every 2-3 months.

Article source :

http://www.reptiles.swelluk.com/reptile-care/crested-gecko.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crested_Gecko

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Red Eye Crocodile Skink

Scientific name : Tribolonotus gracilis

Common name : Red-Eyed Crocodile Skink

Housing size : 48'' x 24'' x 24''

Housing type : Rainforest

Adult size : total 8 - 10 inches

Care/Keeping : Keep singularly, as a pair or in a group with only one male.

Level Of Difficulty : Easy

Life Span : up to 18 years

Diet : Insectivores

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Tribolonotus gracilis is a species of skink found in New Guinea. They live in tropical forests and have also been found in human-populated areas. They are commonly known as Red-Eyed Crocodile Skinks, or, rarely, Red-Eyed Bush Crocodile Skinks.

Tribolonotus gracilis is one of the few species of lizards that vocalize when in distress. When startled, they tend to freeze and have been known to "play dead" (even when handled).

These lizards looks like a miniature crocodile rather than a species of skink. The body scales are rough, with three hard, spiky projections running along their back down to the tip of the tail. The eyes are unique with a red/orange ring around the eye socket and yellow in the corner of the eye.

Red-Eyed Crocodile Skinks can be sexed using the pores on their front feet as only males have these "pores". Females have only a single working ovary (right ovary), laying one egg at a time. The female often curls around the egg. They show tendencies for mother-child family groups. Male crocodile skinks will battle other males for females and females can be territorial as well.

Sexing of Red Eyed Crocodile Skinks is difficult. A close inspection of the underside will show a section which

looks like a belly button. Males tend to have larger scales in this area compared to females. They reach maturity in their third or forth year and live to an average life span of 12-15 years.

They are native to Indonesia and have been collected from Irian Jaya and Papua New Guinea. Red Eyed Crocodile Skinks live in moist areas close to water.

• Size

Approximately two and one-half inches long at birth, they average about eight to ten inches in length as adults. Juveniles are dark brownish black with a thin white or cream mid-dorsal stripe. Adult specimens are solid dark reddish brown with a startlingly bright orange ring around the eye. Some captive-bred specimens have varying amounts of gold flecking on the toes and face. It is not know whether this is genetic or dietary in nature.

• Handling

‘Tribbies’, as they are affectionately known, will rarely attempt to bite, although they may do so if restrained. Handle gently, without pinching or squeezing. Remember that the tail may break off if handled roughly, and although it will regenerate, it will not appear original. Until accustomed to handling; the lizard should be handled inside the cage or while sitting on the floor. A frightened lizard may leap out of the keepers’ hand and take a fatal fall if held while standing. Juveniles may play dead if frightened, and this display is so convincing that we once discarded a live one into the trash before realizing our mistake!

• Caging

Just about anything can be used, with a ten gallon aquarium being adequate for a pair. When selecting a cage, pay special attention to the humidity needs of these lizards. Screen covers provide excessive air flow and should be avoided. While they cannot climb smooth surfaces, these lizards have sharp little claws and climb branches with ease.

• Substrate

These lizards prefer a very high humidity level, and we suggest the use of cypress mulch to aid in increasing humidity. We have successfully maintained these lizards into the third generation by keeping them in 28qt Rubbermaid containers with a 2" deep layer of damp cypress mulch as substrate.

• Food

A variety of small insects and arthropods are eagerly accepted by ‘Tribbies’. Hatchlings will feed on two to three week crickets and wax-worms. As they grow, provide larger crickets, wax-worms, and mealworms. Adult specimens will take an occasional pinkie mouse. Dust food with a calcium powder about twice a week to provide additional calcium for growing bones. Adults may be supplemented once weekly, unless females are producing eggs. This uses huge amounts of calcium, and supplements should be made daily.

• Humidity & Water

Provide clean water in a shallow dish. Humidity should be high, and these lizards seem to enjoy occasional misting. If kept too dry, these lizards often experience shedding problems, particularly the toes and spines along the back. Providing a small plastic container with lid (cut an access hole in the side) filled with damp sphagnum moss will allow the animal to shed properly. Stuck sheds on toes may harden and constrict the blood flow to the toes, causing loss of the toes. We place our animals into a soak bucket of tepid water 1" deep for about an hour once each week. Stuck shedding is easily removed at this time. It may be necessary to reduce ventilation of the cage to increase humidity within, if shedding problems are consistently encountered.

• Heating & Lighting

Provide a thermal gradient by placing a heat pad under one end of the cage. This should allow the lizards to choose from higher temperatures (about 82F) at the warm end, and cooler temperatures (about 72F) at the cooler end. Provide suitable hiding areas at both warm and cool areas, so the lizards can feel secure at any temperature. Temperatures below 65F should be avoided. No special lighting is required for these nocturnal animals.

• Reproduction

Males are slightly larger than females, and can be distinguished by the presence of thin rows of pads on three of the rear toes, and a small square of enlarged belly scales at the location where you would expect a ‘belly-button’. Do not keep more than one male per cage as they may fight in the presence of sexually ripe females. We have also experienced problems keeping mature females together, and now maintain our animals in pairs. We have experienced no problems keeping pairs together for five years. While there appears to be no definite breeding season for these animals, we have noticed an increase in egg production in late fall. Eggs are laid singly, usually every five weeks, although there is much variation. Incubation can take from 42 to 83 days (avg. 60), the length of time is not related to temperature. We have successfully hatched T. gracilis at a wide range of temperatures, although temperatures over 81F have proven fatal. About 76F, seems to be optimal, and daily fluctuation has not proven to be detrimental. We suspect that there is a poorly defined diapause period, possibly triggered by moisture content, which is responsible for the wide variance in incubation times. The sex of the hatchlings is not temperature dependent. While life-span is not known with certainty, all of our original animals are still thriving and reproducing after five years. A single specimen was maintained at Dallas Zoo for over ten years. Sexual maturity is attained in the third year. Much more study is needed to gain a better understanding of these fascinating lizards.

Article source :

http://www.vmsherp.com/CarePages/CareTribs.htm

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Leopard geckos

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Reptiles as a pets.

Lizards, geckos for beginners:

Leopard geckos

Leopard Geckos - the ultimate starter lizards: small, easy to handle, only need a small tank, and do not need special UV lighting. Crested geckos and fat tailed geckos have similar needs and are good choices too.

• Availability

Captive-bred leopard geckos can be found in pet stores, at reptile shows and on the Internet. Many breeders have websites where you can learn about, select and purchase healthy leopards, which range in price from MYR100 to MYR5,000. There is a huge collector market worldwide for the rarer variations of leopard geckos.

• Size

Hatchlings measure 3 to 4 inches long. Adult females are typically 7 to 8 inches, and males are 8 to 10 inches. Some males of the giant bloodlines reach nearly a foot.

• Life Span

Leopard geckos are long-lived compared to some reptiles. On average you can expect your gecko to live six to 10 years, but many males live 10 to 20 years. At least one male is still breeding at 28 years of age in my colony.

• Caging

A 10- to 20-gallon aquarium houses one or two leopard geckos from hatchling to adult size. Larger tanks tend to cause the geckos to stray away from their proper heat and hide box. Although visibility is reduced, many people use plastic storage boxes as housing. Any cage you choose should be at least 1 foot tall. Be sure to have a secure screen top on your gecko cage that will support a light fixture, provide good ventilation and keep out bothersome cats. A hide box filled with moist moss or vermiculite is needed, so your leopard gecko can shed its skin properly. This secure setting also is needed for egg laying if you plan on breeding geckos. Live or artificial plants can be added for a nice decorative touch.

• Substrate

Newspaper, pea gravel, artificial turf, flat stones or no floor covering are OK. A young or debilitated leopard gecko might consume sand or fine-particle products on the cage floor, and this could lead to intestinal impaction. Leopard geckos actually have a "bathroom" in one corner of their cages, and that area can be spot-cleaned without disrupting the entire system. Do not expose your gecko to commercial plant soils or sands that may contain fertilizer or pesticides.

• Food

Live insects are a must for your gecko; they do not eat plants or veggies. The best items to use are mealworms or crickets, but you can treat your pet to waxworms or superworms once a week if you wish. We have used regular mealworms (Tenebrio molitor) without health issues for since 1978. Avoid feeding leopard geckos pinky mice. All insects must be first given a nutritious powdered diet for at least 12 hours before being fed to your leopard gecko. This process is called “gut loading,” and it is very important to the health of your pet. Chick or hog mash is available at all feed stores, and several good commercial diets are available for this purpose, as well. Simply place the insects in a tub of gut-load diet with a piece of potato to serve as a source of water. Dusting your insects is one way to deliver important vitamins and minerals to your leopard gecko. Insects and the dusting powder can be placed in a plastic bag or deep tin can, and shook gently to coat the insects’ bodies.

When adding the dusted insects to the cage, be sure not to let the powder get into a gecko’s eyes. Another way to give the extra powdered supplements to your gecko is to keep a small jar lid filled with vitamin-mineral powder at all times. The gecko knows how much its body needs, and it will lick up the powder accordingly. Keepers can offer two appropriately sized insects for every inch of a leopard gecko’s total length. A meal every other day is fine. Therefore, a 4-inch-long gecko would receive eight mealworms three to four times a week. It is normal for leopard geckos to eat their shed skin.

• Water

A shallow water dish with fresh water must be available at all times. It should also be stable, so it cannot be spilled. Cage substrate should be kept dry, so be careful about spillage. Make sure that young and adult leopard geckos can climb easily out of the dish you use. Vitamin drops should not be added to the water.

• Lighting and Temperature

Room temperature is the most ideal. Leopard Geckos DO NOT NEED a heating lamp neither a heat rock. Our everyday climate in Malaysia is just good for them.

• Handling and Temperament

In general, do not handle leopard geckos on a regular basis until they settle in and are more than 6 inches in total length. Once your gecko is large enough, it is best to sit on the floor, and let your gecko crawl through loose fingers and hand-over-hand for 10 to 15 minutes per day until they are accustomed to your touch. This taming process takes only five to seven days. Never grab or hold the gecko’s tail, or it might be dropped. Often the tail regenerates in less than 40 days.

Article source :

http://www.leopardgecko.com/leopard-gecko-care

http://www.churpchurp.com/SivLOTD/share/nescafe-chilllah

• Morphs

Various morphs in the world. A Leopard Gecko Morph is a difference in color, size, and or genetics. Currently, there are many Leopard Geckos Morphs available. There are recessive morphs such as Murphy Patternless or Blizzards, dominant morphs like the Enigma, Incomplete Dominant such as the Mack Snow, Co- Dominant like the Giants, combo morphs like R.A.P.T.O.R.s, and poly genetic morphs such as S.H.T.C.T.

High yellow

Hatchling

Adult

Tremper Albino

Hatchling

Adult

Mack Snow

Hatchling

Adult

Hypo Tangerine

Hatchling

Adult

R.A.P.T.O.R (Red Eyes)

Hatchling

Adult

And many more...

• Breeder

Our local breeder in Malaysia :

http://thegeckoshop.com/