Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi,
I'm new to this forum and i'm about to aquire an adult and sub-adult pair of leachies.

I have worked with reptiles most of my life and I currently breed boids, but I have never owned a species of gecko, even though I have studied them extensively.

I was just wondering your opinions on the best enclosures for R. Leachianus, (size, substrate, ventilation, & lighting).

Thank you in advance!!!!!!!!

.....................................Jose

What stage animal are you asking about? That is, are these questions pertaining to a hatchling, juvie or adult animal?

It's for a sub-adult pair, to be housed separetly.
I would like the enclosure to be large enough to house them as full size adults as well.

Jose

Sub adult in Leachies is sort of unclear as they get so big. Giving an SVL (snout to vent lenght) will help folks determine the size of the gek. I have found that you generally have better success with single animals, especially new ones in a smaller rather than larger cage. They find their food more readily and generally feel secure, plus it is a lot easier to keep an eye on them for food consumption and feces analysis. You can easily put an adult GT Leach in a 10 gallon tank in the short term, such as for quarenteen.

I have an adult C. paulsoni in a 10 gal tank, and she does fine. Yes a bigger cage would be better but space for her in a larger cage is not currently available. A snake analogy so to speak.

The other mind set you have to get into with stickey foot gex is going VERTICAL. Think emerald tree boa. You can put gex in a small foot-print cage (floor area) but tall, as long as you fill the open space with branches to climb on. I run trios of R. ciliatus and R. auriculatus in the equivalent of 30 long aquariums set upright, on their ends, and there is plenty of space.

The other thing a gek needs is a hide box, either a half flower pot or a plastic container with a moist soil in the bottom, same thing as for a snake shed box. Leachies will eat pinkies and/or fuzzies depending on size. They are sight feeders so if using FT then you may need to aggrevate them by poking the mouse into their snout to take the FT. With gex movement (not smell) is food, watch those fingers a Leach can do damage, think carpet python, I have been bitten by both, I would rather the python...

I am sure others can advise on final housing and pair housing. My post was just for dealing with the animals short term from a snake keepers point of view.

Good luck they are SUPER animals, you will not be dissappointed.
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Rhac 'n Roll Reptiles deadrats.net

Thanks for the information and tips.
I believe I'll be housing the leachies in the vision aboreal style setup, with plenty of climbing limbs and hides throughout the enclosure, as well as cypres mulch substrate.

Oh ya, and whats the best way to present them with their mixed diet food items?? like tropical baby food mixed with supplements, etc.

Thanks, Jose

No problem, going from snakes to gex.I understand the the apprehension. I went the other way. Snakes are easier than gex.

Most gek folks use Minerall-I as a caco3/D3 and Herptivite as a vitamen supplement. The caco3 reacts with fruit, so it is easier to do the vites once a week with fruit and the caco3 dusted on live food. If you do mice, the caco3 is included as the bones.

I feed 3X week, 2 live food, 1 fruit. See what they like. It is sort of a trial and error type of thing. For such a large animal, they do not eat a lot, a BT skink will easily out eat a Leach.

I would loose the mulch and go with paper towels or newsprint. You will loose most of the food items burrowing in the mulch, gex are messy and cleaning will be a pain and the animal will ingest the mulch which is not good. Plus mulch is kinda dry and the humidity needs to be there, not python there, but not dry. If ya want the look, then potting soil is a better choice.

Post a pic when you get them. What sort ??? Island, GT or ???

Pic is a bull male GT, enjoy them...

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Rhac 'n Roll Reptiles deadrats.net

Thank you again for all the tips and info....

I'll make sure to use paper towels as a substrate. (It's my preferred choice for all my young BRB's).

I was looking into a nice pair of pine islands, but I'd much prefer to purchase a pair of Grande Terre's, unrelated, of course.....I have just not been able to find any that are available....

If you don't mind me asking, where did you fing your GT's???

There is a guy in NY doing GT's who is yet to get back to me. I met a guy at the Buffalo show from across the boarder who said he had them but have had no contact for a month, I figue him to be bogus. Need to prod the NY guy and see if he is for real, soon.

Else I know Tim Tytle was doing GT in 2002. Got mine from him then, at Daytona. No idea where he is presently.

Not so sure about color, but they are the BIG guys, have not seen a bigger gek than a GT leach, good luck.

You get a line on a GT female, let me know. Have $$$ for that, but seems the Island species are what is available, I wait. I want a Pine Isle Chahoua female, just as hard to get.

As a side note, where ya located, what ya got to trade ???

Really like the bent toes, pic of pulchellus.

Contact me privately, I am at deadrats.net

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Rhac 'n Roll Reptiles deadrats.net