Yellow-headed Gecko (Gonatodes albogularis fuscus)

Yellow-headed Gecko Gonatodes albogularis fuscus
Name	Yellow-headed Gecko
Name Lat.	Gonatodes albogularis fuscus
Family	Sphaerodactylids
Family lat.	Sphaerodactylidae
Order	Scaled Reptiles
Order lat.	Squamata
Origin	South America
Habitat	Forests
Diet	Insects
Humidity	60-80 %
Behavior	♂ territorial
Keeping	Individual, pair
Care Level	Moderate
Reproduction	Oviparous
Housing	Semi-humid terrarium
Life Span	3-5 years
Protection	No
Metric Units
Size	10 cm
Temperature	24-30 °C
Temperature Local	35 °C
Housing Size	40 x 40 x 60 cm
US Units
Size	4"
Temperature	75-86 °F
Temperature Local	95 °F
Housing Size	15" x 15" x 25"

Distribution and habitat

Diurnal, arboreal and ground-dwelling, American yellow-headed geckos are widely distributed from Central America through much of the Caribbean to Venzuela and Colombia. They live on trees and rocks, and as cultivators are also frequently found in settlements

Maintenance

Minimum dimensions for the terrarium, according to the size and number of animals

1-2 animals

6KRL x 6KRL x 8KRL (L x W x H)

Head-torso length (KRL) is measured on the largest animal. For each additional animal, increase the footprint by 15%. A terrarium of e.g. 40 x 40 x 60 cm is recommended, which should be placed in a quiet and vibration-free place.

You need a jungle terrarium with partly vertical climbing branches, roots and stone structures as well as plants like Ficus, Bromeliads, Scindapsus etc. (hiding and shadow places), structured back and side walls (e.g. cork covering), a substrate of forest soil-peat mixture and a small water basin. The substrate should always be kept slightly moist. Several times a day the inside of the terrarium should be finely sprayed with water (humidity), but a rain or mist system is better.

Temp. day: 24-30 °C

Temp. night: 20-23 °C

Temp. local: up to 35 °C

Humidity: 60-80

Thermostatically controlled floor heating is recommended. Lighting duration must be 12-14 hrs depending on the season. They do not need high light intensity, but daily UV irradiation and sunny places with radiant heat.

Diet

The food supply consists of live insects, such as houseflies, Drosophila, meadow plankton, small crickets, house crickets, grasshoppers, springtails, isopods, Zophobas and mealybug larvae. Alternatively, special ready-made food for insectivorous reptiles can be offered, possibly with tweezers for habituation. Wax moths should rarely be fed in small amounts to adults, but not to juveniles, because of their large fat content. It is important to add minerals and vitamins regularly (dusting the food). Young animals should be offered food daily, adults 4-5 times a week. Drinking water must always be available

A regular and varied diet promotes health and prevents deficiency symptoms.

Reproduction and breeding

The males can be recognized by their yellow-orange heads and they have a thickened tail root with a clearly visible hemipenis pouch. The female lays one egg every 3-4 weeks hidden in a protected place. The incubation period is highly temperature dependent and is 60-90 days at 25-28 °C. Small insects, such as Drosophila, springtails or micro crickets are suitable as initial food for the young.

Important

They must not be held by their tails, which break off easily. It usually does not regenerate completely. They have no adhesive lamellae on their fingers and toes

Adult males, but also females behave territorially and are incompatible with each other. It is recommended to keep them in pairs

For the resting phase, shorten the lighting time by 2-3 hours and lower the temperature by 3-4 °C for about two months.

With fruit and honey water as food for the feeders, their quality can be upgraded.

The terrarium must have good ventilation without drafts and meet the species specific needs. Measuring devices such as thermometers, hygrometers, etc. are necessary. The lighting has to correspond to the species-specific day-night rhythm and has to be placed in such a way that the animals cannot injure themselves. The terrarium should be locked in such a way that neither unauthorized persons can open it nor the animals can escape. Contamination must be removed regularly.

Further literature can be found in your pet store.

References

Text: petdata; Image: Franz Lowak

Source: BMELV (1997): Tierschutzgutachten - Mindestanforderungen an die Haltung von Reptilien; ENGELMANN (2006): Zootierhaltung - Tiere in menschlicher Obhut: Reptilien und Amphibien, Harri Deutsch Verlag

• Gemäß § 21 Abs. 5 Tierschutzgesetz idgF