Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Got 3 moorish/croc/wall geckos (they go by all those names so far as I can tell) in a tank. Had them since last July. Everything has been good till now. Recently one of them lost weight..but its started eating again. The other 2 are nice n fat. Today one of them started spazzing. Normally I can put my finger on the glass near the sand and they think its a worm and they'll chase it. Today when I did that the gecko freaked right out. Started shaking and running and flipping around. He's done it several times now and even when I tried to feed them he saw the meal worm and freaked and took off.

as far as I can tell they're young adults (they mature at 2 years and they appear to be mature size)
Anyone have any ideas whats wrong with him? I've found him sitting in some wierd spots, like between a rock and the glass, laying out in the open by the water dish (they normally hide under the rocks while the day light is on, since they're pretty much nocturnal)
I'm pretty worried I've never seen him act like this before.

A "rare" possibility is a parasite in the brain from a water source with dead cricket or feces in it. Is it too hot in your enclosure (sounds as though it may be)? Is it too dry? Slight dehydration will do this to a gecko. Also, make sure you are using a high grade, reptile-safe, sand. Mix the sand with some reptile mulch/bark, not 100% sand. You should mist the enclosure every three to five days for a more appreciated hydration source. Finally, you may want to reconsider feeding solely worms. I personally believe that they should be fed very sparingly (max. 3-5 worms an animal per week). Crickets are a very good staple diet for virtually all soley insectivorious species of gecko. Finally, make sure the one spazzing gecko isn't getting bullied by the others. The Moorish gecko (Tarentola mauritanica) is an aggressive species.
Ashton

I was just curious if your Tarentola mauritanica are aggressive or you read it somewhere.My Tarentola mauritanica is not aggressive to my Green Anole or Med.Gecko.

Just wondering
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Geckos
1.1.0 Gekko gecko(Geico and Gekko)
1.1.0 Eublepharis macularius(male Blizzard and Hi-yellow female)
2.0.0 Hemitheconyx caudicinctus(striped and banded phase)
1.0.0 Tarentola mauritanica(light phase)
1.0.0 Hemidactylus turcicus
Other Lizards
0.1.0 Basiliscus basiliscus
1.0.0 Physignathus cocincinus
0.1.0 Anolis carolinensis
1.0.0 Chamaeleo calyptratus
1.0.0 Iguana iguana(Rex)
Boidae
1.0.0 Python regius
0.0.1 Boa constrictor imperator
Turtle
0.1.0 Chrysemys picta

Nope, sure don't. A good friend of mine keeps/breeds them though and on several occasions he has had serious problems. Some of the incidents included legs being mauled, snouts getting gashes from bites, etc. This guy is a professional breeder with tons of experience, and there aren't really any foolish housing mistakes taking place. I can get you in touch with him if you are very concerned about your animals. These cases of aggression have occurred between all sex combinations and usually after 6 months of age.
Regards,
Ashton

Mines not like is at all.
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Tarentolas@hotmail.com
Geckos
1.1.0 Gekko gecko(Geico and Gekko)
1.1.0 Eublepharis macularius(male Blizzard and Hi-yellow female)
2.0.0 Hemitheconyx caudicinctus(striped and banded phase)
1.0.0 Tarentola mauritanica(light phase)
1.0.0 Hemidactylus turcicus
Other Lizards
0.1.0 Basiliscus basiliscus
1.0.0 Physignathus cocincinus
0.1.0 Anolis carolinensis
1.0.0 Chamaeleo calyptratus
1.0.0 Iguana iguana(Rex)
Boidae
1.0.0 Python regius
0.0.1 Boa constrictor imperator
Turtle
0.1.0 Chrysemys picta

Dont be so sure. Not to be rude but I work at a pet shop and its the most common phrase I hear from a customer that brings back something dead. Keep a close eye on em because the species IS very agressive once it gains territory. At one point one of our employees made the mistake of putting it with a tokay and it gave the thing a beating. I ended up getting that tokay and hes big now and can probably whoop that things ass but even at that time it was slightly bigger and the croc gecko didnt hesitate to bite its eye.

well..........................why isn't mine aggressive?
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Tarentolas@hotmail.com
Geckos
1.1.0 Gekko gecko(Geico and Gekko)
1.1.0 Eublepharis macularius(male Blizzard and Hi-yellow female)
2.0.0 Hemitheconyx caudicinctus(striped and banded phase)
1.0.0 Tarentola mauritanica(light phase)
1.0.0 Hemidactylus turcicus
Other Lizards
0.1.0 Basiliscus basiliscus
1.0.0 Physignathus cocincinus
0.1.0 Anolis carolinensis
1.0.0 Chamaeleo calyptratus
1.0.0 Iguana iguana(Rex)
Boidae
1.0.0 Python regius
0.0.1 Boa constrictor imperator
Turtle
0.1.0 Chrysemys picta

How big is the tank? How long has it been in that tank? Is it similar size to the anole?

It was in a 60 gallon tall cage but now it has been in a 20g with the other 2 lizards for a few weeks.I have had him since the summer.Very fat little guy,will post pic soon.
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Tarentolas@hotmail.com
Geckos
1.1.0 Gekko gecko(Geico and Gekko)
1.1.0 Eublepharis macularius(male Blizzard and Hi-yellow female)
2.0.0 Hemitheconyx caudicinctus(striped and banded phase)
1.0.0 Tarentola mauritanica(light phase)
1.0.0 Hemidactylus turcicus
Other Lizards
0.1.0 Basiliscus basiliscus
1.0.0 Physignathus cocincinus
0.1.0 Anolis carolinensis
1.0.0 Chamaeleo calyptratus
1.0.0 Iguana iguana(Rex)
Boidae
1.0.0 Python regius
0.0.1 Boa constrictor imperator
Turtle
0.1.0 Chrysemys picta

I think the 60 would do fine but in the 20 he might act up. If its him vs 2 lizards who are together though he might not mess with them. Good luck keep an eye out.

Well he seems calmed down today. not that I can tell which he is...because they're all identical but I checked them all with teh finger trick and none spazzed. It may have been a one time thing. They aren't agressive at all. They're mature (2 years old or so from what I can tell) I've never had a problem with bothering each other the whole time I've had them. They'll even sleep around each other at times, i've also seen them be going somewhere and walk over another one and it doesn't even react.

I keep the water dish pretty clean, usually everyday I rinse it out.
and I used to feed them crickets but the lPS around here have alot of trouble keeping a constant supply of them, and no ordering off the internet is not an option.

They also seem to like the worms alot more then the crickets. When I gave them crickets they really weren't very interested in them at all. Kind of like "if you hop in front of me, I'll eat you" but when they see the worms they go right after them.

Sounds like they are doing fine, just use you intuition on what needs to be done.
Ashton