Stowaway

Stowaway

Postby algernon » Thu May 12, 2011 5:40 pm

Hi from London UK

We received a shipment of goods by air from SA this morning with this little chap stowed away in one of the cartons!

He's about 10cm long, can anyone id him/her please? Is it a juvenile and what should we give him as a snack? Any other tips or info?

Thanks
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Re: Stowaway

Postby fastback » Thu May 12, 2011 5:42 pm

There is no picture uploaded!
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Re: Stowaway

Postby algernon » Thu May 12, 2011 5:46 pm

oops, file was too big - try again...
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Re: Stowaway

Postby Fooble » Thu May 12, 2011 6:43 pm

That's Hemidactylus mabouia - Tropical House gecko.

That's how they get around and colonise the world ;)
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Re: Stowaway

Postby mgiddings » Thu May 12, 2011 6:44 pm

That looks like Hemidactylus mabouia. A tropical house gecko. These are very common and the Genus is spread widely over the world, on many continents.
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Re: Stowaway

Postby iiviii » Thu May 12, 2011 7:05 pm

I think in some parts of SA they are being concidered a pest already (although they do tend to keep the insect numbers down). Really nice creatures though. You can give him moths as a treat. We often sit and watch them stalk their moths at night on the ceilings.

Enjoy it!!
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Re: Stowaway

Postby Groenslang » Thu May 12, 2011 9:34 pm

It will take smallish crickets that are dusted in calcium powder. Is it 10cm head to tip of tail or 10cm head to base of tail?

Awesome little geckos! A decent sized viv with enough hiding space is a good idea. Also remember that they are arboreal (likes to live off the ground) so if you can give him/her plenty of space to climb it will be happy. Try to keep it at about 26 degrees celcius for now, but I am sure you will find a care sheet or 2 on the net with everything laid out nicely!

Hope you are going to keep it as they truly epic little animals!
The future depends on what we do in the present. - Mahatma Gandhi

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Re: Stowaway

Postby Groenslang » Thu May 12, 2011 9:41 pm

Just to clarify, the 26 degrees temps is only a very rough estimate and should suffice for a day or two until everything else can be sorted out. They need a temperature gradient, but I am sure it will be on a care sheet if you find one!

Good luck!
The future depends on what we do in the present. - Mahatma Gandhi

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Re: Stowaway

Postby Bianca » Sat May 14, 2011 6:57 pm

This is the first care sheet I found on Google, should give you an idea until you can spend some time reading for yourself.

Food & Water

Like most lizards, the House Gecko needs a varied diet consisting of properly gut-loaded feeder insects. Give them crickets, mealworms, small silkworms and other small insects. The insects will need to be dusted with a multi-vitamin/calcium supplement. Give your House Gecko's new and clean water each and every day.
Lighting, Temperature & Humidity

House Geckos will not need full-spectrum UVB lighting. They need a heat gradient ranging from 75 degrees F to 89 degrees F during the daytime hours. Keep the lights on for a 10 to 12 hour cycle. An incandescent bulb should be the lighting source, with a ceramic heat emitter or a heating pad used at night. During night hours, keep the temperature between 65 degrees F and 70 degrees F. House Geckos need a moderate humidity level. Keeping it around 60% should suffice.

Housing

Since these Geckos are small, they do not need much room. For a single House Gecko, a 18" x 18" x 18" habitat should be used as a minimum size. Bigger is always better. For multiple House Geckos, increase the size accordingly. They will need a lot of branches and plants to climb and hide. They need even more spaces to hide if you house multiple House Geckos. Use a mulch, bark or playsand as the substrate.
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