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Help with Giant Day Walking Gecko (link with pics)

musashai Feb 06, 2004 11:47 PM

Cyrtodactylus irianjayaensis

I cannot find any care information anywhere! even the pet store who sold it to me doesnt know anything and they arent ordering anymore. All the information i have found on him is that the species was discovered in march 2001 and that they are nocturnal. I cant get him to eat and he doest move at all, day or night. Ive tried crickets, mealworms, wax worms, tropical fruits, baby food fruit and some tropical juice. I use a 75w nightlight blacklight heating light which keeps it at about 80; humidity is around 80 as well. It is in a 35 gallon tank by itself with bamboo/live plants, topsoil substrate and plenty of hiding places. I really need help with :
1. how do i sex it?
2. should i put a mate(s) with it? or other gecko(s)? (crested cuz they are so cute!) info on where i could get another would be appreciated as well
3. what type of heating should i use? basking, ceramic, nightlight, heatrock or a combo?
4. what humidity is needed? should i get a mister?
5. how can i get it to eat? what does it like the best to eat?
6. is it ok to handle him? it seems to not want to get back in his cage after sitting in my hand for a bit.

Please help me....I really dont want him to die

Replies (4)

lovelyleopards Feb 07, 2004 12:41 PM

Okay, your setup sounds pretty good to start off with. You might want to get the temp higher on one end of the cage, like say 86-88. These guys hail from Southeast Asia, from some of the same regions as Tokay geckos. Your humidity is good - keep it relatively high. You might want to get a mister - mist mine 1 time a day and keep them on Jungle Bark substrate. They don't drink from a water bowl, so misting and leaving droplets is important. It is probably very dehydrated. Make sure you have wood of some sort in there, like some sort of logs or cork bark. These guys like to climb (although they have claws I'd say they're semi-arboreal, I always find mine climbing/basking high up at night). The bamboo/live plants and topsoil are good. Make sure the hide spots are very dark and very secure - this is a secretive species. As far as heating - you can use just a basking lamp, or you can use a lamp/ under tank heater combo. Just monitor the temps, and keep on side in the mid 80s and the other roughly 10 degrees cooler. Have hide spots on both sides. Concentrate on making it comfortable, not looking for a mate for it. Adding another gecko will not help things at all right now. They are not social, and another animal will introduce added stress, possibly new parasites, etc. And don't put a crested gecko in there!!!!! VERY bad idea - these geckos have strong jaws and they can eat large prey items. A cresty just might look like lunch one night. Don't mix species unless you are an advanced keeper and willing to take the risk.
As far as sexing it, males will have large hemipenal bulges at the base of the tail and pronounced "spurs". As far as handling, try not to handle it or offer it food for 3-4 days. I mean completely hands off. Then late one night sneak in and drop in a large calcium dusted cricket or two. I bet he'll snatch it. Mine are voracious, aggressive feeders and they remind me a lot of little monitors. After you get him settled in/feeding, you'll want to look into getting him deparasitized. But try to get him feeding first. I've had my pair since November and I've just gotten them to the point that they'll eat with the lights still on in the room. These guys stress easily and after being freshly wild caught, he probably just needs to adjust. Give him time, get his enclosure perfect, and then try to feed one or two food items. I hope this helps some. Please don't hesitate to post again if you're still having trouble.


-----
?.?.? Leopard Geckos (eggs incubating)
1.1.1 Rhacodactylus ciliatus
2.5 Paroedura picta(eggsincubating)
1.1 Paroedura bastardi
1.1 Paroedura androyensis
1.1 Hemitheconyx caudicinctus
1.1 Cyrtodactylus irianjayensis
1.1 Gekko gecko
1.1 Pachydactylus turneri
1.1 Uroplatus henkeli
0.0.1 Hemidactylus turcicus turcicus
1.2 Teratolepis fasciata

Snakes
1.0 Blizzard Corn
1.0 Christmas corn
1.2 Reverse Okeetee corn (1 tang)
0.0.1 Ball Python

italvital Feb 08, 2004 08:58 PM

In additon to what you have done and to what betaleos said, some thick branches with rough bark and large flat pieces of bark. Pothos are a favorite. Also, many high humidity geckos that are wild caught often do not recognize still water. A commercial Bubbler Bowl, air stone, of one of the small "water falls" for sale will probably hydrate it quickly. The humidity is good for their skin, respiratory, and some drinking purposes, but this is definitely needed. They do most everything they need to do at night (eat, drink, exercise, etc.), so do not worry if you do not see it doing any of these things. For substrate sphagnum peat moss and/or ground coconut shells mixed into potting soil (with out the Styrolite "balls" is perfect. Scattering a fair amount of bark on that is also good. You actually may want to drop the temp to around 78-80 until it begins to eat and hydrate. They do eat noncitrus baby food, so leave some fresh in there at most times. Try not to handle it at all until it begins to eat well and then still try to avoid handling it as much as possible. Yeah, no more animals in there with it, including uneaten crickets is a definte. Once it eats well, you may want to find a good vet and have it wormed with Panacur just incase. If it was not gaining sufficient weight before the Panacur it should gain some. They don't become fat geckos though. Give him/her some time to chill, relax, and do some thinking, because it is obviously a little stressed; so PRETEND like you are ignoring her and respecting her quiet nature. That has worked to get every secretive gecko that I have received in a high stressed (i.e. not eating) condition to eat.
Ashton

italvital Feb 08, 2004 09:01 PM

I do not know what that smiley face is about, but, yes smile.

musashai Feb 09, 2004 10:03 AM

Is shedding a good sign? she shed her entire body last night.

Also i REALLY REALLY want to get another one....how long do i have to wait?

She was also dewormed the day i got her...any other parasitic treatment i need to take care of?

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