Reptile & Amphibian Forums

hey there, i just bought a golden gecko the other day. All the information about them on websites are pretty general and dont get too specific about certain things. This is my first reptile so im pretty much a newb. lol.
*how do u sex a gecko
*what type of heat source do they require (rite now i have a normal lamp over a spot in his tank which seems to be fine for the time being.)
*when they mention i could try to feed them veggies..i couldnt possibly see this gecko eating veggies..but what kinds would be recommended and how should they be prepared?

I'm going to a pet store in a min to buy more crickets and possibly get a book on them, but from personal gecko experience or much greater knowledge than i hold, what are your opinions on these types of geckos and if anybody owns them what are your sucessful methods of keeping them in good health?

thank you

i don't know much about golden geckos, but from what i can find online, they are nocturnal geckos, so don't need UVB producing light. the cage temps should be between 76-86f daytime and around 69-76F nightime. humidity should be around 75percent.

they are omnivorous but should get more insects than fruit. they don't seem to eat much in the way of greens, but are more nector eating geckos, like crested geckos, so offer pureed mango, peach, apricots, necterines, cantalope, honeydew melons etc. fruit babyfood of the above list can be used as well. calcium and minineral suppliments should also be offered, either mixed into the fruit or dusted on the insects a few times a week.

insects can be crickets,[about the size as teh space between the gecko's eyes], superworms, silkworms, butterworms, some mealworms and waxworms [these last two should be giving in moderation, and infrequently, as mealworms are high in chitin which isn't digestable, and waxworms are high in fat]. some smaller species of roaches could be offered as well.

they also need a shadow water dish, big enough for the gecko to soak in. it should be changed daily to keep it from being soiled.

the males have obvious hemipenis bulges near the base of the tail. they also tend to be a bit brighter in color in that area as well. if the gecko is quite young, it may not show these bulges right away.

getting abook about teh species certainly is a good ideal, the new the publishing date the better. these geckos also tend to bite, if they feel threatened, so handle with care, especially in the first couple months you own it. they do tame down with regular gentle handling.

Hi, it seems you got one of the difficult species of geckos. Golden geckos need more vertical space than floor space. They are arboreal so its good to have a minimum tank of 20 gallon high to keep them in. But later on they need a 30-40 gallon tank. They are nocturnal so uvb is not neccessary. temps should be at 75-85 and a slight drop at night. They are omnivorous so crickets, and fruits are the staple diet. They need more protein then veggies, especially when young. They are not very handable but not as aggressive as the tokays. There have been some cases where they were able to tame their goldens but its very rare. Anyways good luck with your guy.
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1.1 Green Iguanas
1.0 Bearded Dragon
0.2 Leopard Geckos
1.0 Pictus Geckos
1.0 Flying Geckos
1.0 Emperor Scorpion
0.1 Cobalt Blue Tarantula
1.0 Brazilian Rainbow Boa
1.0 Cornsnake

oh yea i forgot to mention, to sex geckos, they have preanal pores in the shape of a v. If the pores are substantial, they are males. Also right after the vent and into the tail are two large bumps that hold the hemipenes. That is how you sex geckos. Its pretty easy.
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1.1 Green Iguanas
1.0 Bearded Dragon
0.2 Leopard Geckos
1.0 Pictus Geckos
1.0 Flying Geckos
1.0 Emperor Scorpion
0.1 Cobalt Blue Tarantula
1.0 Brazilian Rainbow Boa
1.0 Cornsnake