Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Our new day gecko has been getting dark at random intervals since we put him in a new 35 gallon tank. Is this just the stress of a new environment, or something else?

On the left is his normal color, and on the right is a photo I just took while he was hiding out under a leaf.

Thanks!

Here's a photo also of the new tank we got - we're going to replace the natural wood sticks with bamboo poles, and also put a bamboo perch across the top that he can bask on.

Thanks!

Back to the normal color after a couple hours...

Your assumption may be correct. This can be caused by stress or low temps. Also, it sounds like it is not used to its new environment and may feel threatened or just unsafe. Try cover the back of the tank to provide it a place to hide in solitude. It is normal for day geckos to do this. It should get used to being in the area you placed it after a few weeks.

Thanks for the advice - we put bamboo screens on the back wall and are using a warmer light that he enjoys basking under on his new bamboo log. We're also going to plant some taller snake plants in the tank to provide more cover.

New tank pic - he really likes the snake plants (he's hanging out on the back of one)

It looks really nice. Way to go!