Josh's Frogs
Chinese Cave Gecko Husbandry and Care
Looking for a neat pet that's cool, unusual, and something you've probably never seen before? Thinking of Chinese Cave Geckos? I'd guess the answer to both of those questions is a resounding YES - how else did you come across this blog?These nocturnal geckos are easy to care for, display interesting color and patterns, and are all around some seriously cool critters. Best of all, we probably have
Chinese Cave Geckos for sale right now at Josh's Frogs!
Name
The Chinese Cave Gecko is scientifically known as Goniurosaurus hainanensis. Commonly known as the Chinese Cave Gecko, this easy to keep and breed species is also sometimes called the Hainan cave gecko. Appropriately enough, Chinese Cave Geckos are native to the Chinese Islands of Hainan and Cat Ba. These geckos have been available in rare spurts since at least the 1990s. They've recently had a resurgence in popularity, as more and more people realize how easy and rewarding it is to care for these awesome geckos.Coloration
Chinese Cave Geckos have a black/purple base color, with orange/yellow/white bands that crisscross their body. Most notable are their red eyes. Young animals tend to be more heavily banded. The bands become narrower and shift towards more yellow/white with age.
Housing
A 10 gallon tank or 18x18x12 Exo Terra Glass Terrarium is suitable for 1-2 adults, but There's nothing wrong with providing extra space. Coco Fiber or a mix of sand and peat moss works well as a substrate.Provide virgin cork bark or other similar reptile hides and caves to make your gecko feel at home.These geckos like it cool and humid - ideally, keep your geckos between 65 to 75F and a relative humidity of 70 to 80%. Humidity shouldn't be allowed to drop below 60%. They can tolerate temperatures up to 80F on occasion. Make sure to keep tabs on your geckos' temperature and humidity with a digital thermometer/hygrometer. Do not let your Chinese Cave Geckos get excessively warm, as high temps can quickly be lethal.Provide an easy to clean reptile water bowl and mist frequently with a quality hand mister. Substrate can be allowed to just dry out between mistings, and should not be bone dry or soaking wet. Geckos are fine housed alone. As juveniles, they can be housed in groups, but this may result in the occasional geckos losing it's tail (no worries - it grows back!). Adults can be housed in groups, but no more than one male should be housed per enclosure.
Size
Adult Chinese Cave Geckos measure up to about 8.5 inches. At hatching, they measure approximately 3 inches. Juveniles sold by Josh's Frogs will measure approximately 4.5-5"". Chinese Cave Geckos can live for a pretty long time with proper care. Exact oldest age is unknown, but easily exceeds 10 years.Diet
Chinese Cave geckos are insectivores, and thrive on a staple diet of dubia roaches or crickets. Waxworms, black soldier fly larvae, butterworms, and the occasional mealworm make a great treat. At Josh's Frogs, all of our Chinese Cave Geckos are fed exclusively dubia roaches gutloaded on our Roach Rations diet and thrive! All feeder insects should be dusted with a vitamin/mineral supplement, and fed using an escape proof bowl. A well fed gecko will have a fat tail. This fat reserve functions as a nutrient source during lean times.
