Care Sheet for Geckos: GoldenAverage Rating Given To This Care Sheet Is 4.44 (1=lowest, 5=highest) Last Updated: 04/18/2009 |
Main Category: | Lizards |
Sub Category: | Geckos: Golden |
Care Sheet Submitted By: | KrazyKelli |
Years Experience: | 3 to 5 Years |
Species: | Golden Gecko (Gekko ulikovskii) |
Other Species or Phases this Care Sheet May Cover: | N/A |
Sexing and Characteristics: | Male - Two bulges at the base of the tail along with an open V vent in the crotch area.
All male golden geckos are a golden color, females tend to have a more olive-brown coloration. However a male, when stressed or hiding in a dark location, can become a darker gold. |
Mostly Active During: | Night |
Substrate and Water Needs: | Being that the golden gecko is from the rain forests of Vietnam, the substrate should preferably be unfertilized potting soil, Bed a Beast, Jungle-Mix, or some other dirt substrate. Do not use dirt from your backyard. I recommend using paper towel when first getting a Goldie until it’s been checked over by a vet and parasites are ruled out.
A shallow dish of water is recommended, changing the water once a day. Big enough dish for the gecko to soak themselves in (will help for shedding. I use a cheap flower dish). Goldens tend to drink from misted water on the side of the cage or on plant leaves. So if they’re not drinking from the bowl, keep that in mind. |
Lighting and UVB: | A 40 to 60 watt regular bulb during the day should do the trick. UVB is optional. Red or purple night bulb (40 watts) optional.
Do not have room light on during the night as it could/will stress the golden out. |
Temperatures and Humidity: | Regular temps- 85 to 88F daytime, 75 to 80 nighttime.
Humidity should be around 75% |
Heating and Equipment: | You don’t need an under tank heater or such as the lizards are arboreal. However if you use a lamp, do not have it directly in or touching the tank, as the goldens will go on the walls/lid.
A fogger is optional and will help maintain humidity if timed to go off in the morning. Or you can use a regular water bottle with nozzle and mist the tank 2 to 3+ times a day thoroughly.
There should be branches/sticks/logs/vines in the tank for the lizard to climb on. The higher the better. I don’t recommend a grapevine limb as they’ll mold and corrode with all the humidity. If you use wood from your backyard, make sure to boil/bake it for sanitation concerns before placing in tank. Never use pine or cedar as it will release toxins that can kill your reptile.
There should be live or fake plants in the tank to provide shade and hold water from misting. I found that fake vines from hobby shops are considerably less expensive than fake vines from pet stores. |
Caging Provided: | 20 gallon high tank (minimum) per gecko. With a lid (clamps for lid are optional, as the Goldie will climb on the underside of it). I recommend glass tanks over mesh caging as the glass will help hold the humidity better. 30 gallon tank is more preferred for a single gecko, however 20 is the minimum you can go.
As an additional note - cover three sides of the tank with a paper grocery bag or something to that effect. It will make the gecko feel much more secluded and comfortable. |
Diet: | Carnivorous |
Description of Diet: | Well, Insectivorous is a better ’Diet Type’. While you can give them baby-food (apricot flavor is preferred), their main diet should be with crickets, mealworms, or silkies. Waxworms as a snack. Goldens also love moths.
Other fruits you can give to your goldie are: mangos and bananas. Make sure the fruit is aged and mushed up. Avoid more acidic fruits like apples.
Feeding the gecko every day to every other day is preferred. They eat at night, so putting the food in the tank around 8 to 10 pm should give them a delicious wake up call. Making the feeding days unpredictable (feed two days in a row, skip a day, feed again, skip two days, etc) will keep the gecko entertained and will also keep the feeding for the gecko far from monotonous. |
Supplements, Nutrition and Usage: | Have the following suppliments: A calcium without D-3 (a good brand is JurassiCal), A calcium with D-3, and standard lizard vitamins.
Provided you feed your goldie every other day (or 4 times a week), then dust 3/4th of the time with the non d-3 calcium. 1/4 of the time with a mix of 1/3rd vitamins to 2/3rd d-3 calcium. If you feed every day, 5/7 with non d-3, 2/7 with d3, 1/7 with a mix of vitamins. Also make sure to gutload the insects before feeding.
The D-3 in the calcium will help the lizard absorb the calcium into their bodies. However too much of the ingredient will become toxic to your lizard. |
Maintenance: | The more you leave the gecko alone, the happier the gecko will be. Do not handle much or at all unless you absolutely have to. If you need to syringfeed your gecko, do it twice a day for 10 minutes each time. If you absolutely need to force feed the Goldie, do it once a day for 10 minutes.
Clean the tank lightly (IE, change/scoop substrate, wash down tank walls) every week. Bleach the tank every two to three months. Make sure to rinse thoroughly after bleaching and giving the tank a few hours to air out. |
Some Words on this Species: | Golden geckos stress easily and have delicate skin. So be careful when you catch/hold them. Never touch a gecko by its tail, as it’ll drop off. Even if the tail of this specific species grows back, it’ll be discolored or bulged slightly in the area that the initial break was. Goldies also have extremely delicate skin, so be very gentle when holding.
They are the third hardest gecko to take care of. They’re related to the Tokay and Marble, so expect a gecko that will bite and twist, then defecate all over you to prove a point. Seriously not something for beginners.
Most golden geckos in pet shops are either taken straight from the wild or market-bred, so can and Will have parasites. Therefore if you get one, schedule a vet appointment quickly afterward. |
How Members Rated
This Care Sheet | Rate This Care Sheet
Please keep all comments constructive to Golden Gecko (Gekko ulikovskii) husbandry methods and care. Any degrading, sarcastic, or disrespectful comments will be removed. |
Total Members Rating: 34
| 1 |  ( 0 ) |
| 2 |  ( 2 ) |
| 3 | ( 5 ) |
| 4 | ( 3 ) |
| 5 | ( 24 ) |
|
|
