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Geckos are great pets for both reptile lovers and for those just starting to think of keeping cold-blooded animals as pets. One caveat: if you’re thinking of obtaining a gecko because the animated one in the Geico commercials is cute, think again. Pet purchases should never be made on the basis of media representations, especially not for less common animals.
If you are seriously interested in having reptiles for pets, however, geckos are a great start. They’re easy to care for and rather social, for reptiles anyway. In fact, geckos are so social that it’s best to keep at least two together at a time, as they’re happiest in groups and human interaction only isn’t quite enough for them.
As with any new pet purchase, when looking for a gecko go to a reputable breeder or a pet store with a reputation for healthy animals. Don’t buy one with dull coloring that looks like some shed skin might still be attached; that’s a sign the gecko might be ill. Healthy geckos have bright eyes and coloring and are alert.
Breeders and pet store employees can help you determine what exactly you will need to purchase to care for your specific gecko, but I can cover the basics here. You’ll need a large aquarium with a secure screened lid. Under no circumstances purchase sand to put in the cage; geckos are not native to sandy areas and it can cause them to have health problems.
As a general rule crickets are a gecko’s staple food, but they can be supplemented with meal or wax worms and roaches. Leopard geckos, the most common domesticated breed, will eat around one cricket every day or other day. In addition, geckos also need vitamin supplements. You will most commonly find these sold as powders, and you can dust insects in them before feeding the gecko.
Geckos will also need a shallow bowl of regularly changed water. Make sure it isn’t too deep, however, because geckos have been known to drown in even small pools.
Of vital importance, as many might guess, is to provide proper heat/lighting for your gecko. You can purchase a reptile heating lamp, or you can buy a more expensive heat pad that will run along the bottom of the tank and save space. Either way, it’s still good to have some kind of reptile tank lamp to turn on in the morning and off at night to imitate natural sunlight for the gecko.
Furnish a gecko’s cage with slate rocks, imitating their natural habitat, and smaller enclosures into which they can wriggle to sleep. You can purchase miniature hollowed out wooden branches (or imitations thereof) to suite, or use rock caves, or even PVC piping. Just make sure that you don’t use anything you find outside, as you don’t know what particulates might be on the object, and it could make the gecko sick.
You’ll also need to set up part of the cage to be more humid than the rest, to help with a gecko’s shedding. An easy homemade solution to the humidity problem is to take a large plastic cup and fill it with damp paper towels, thus creating a mini-sauna for your gecko. Clean your gecko’s cage regularly, around once a week, and clean up its excrement as the pet might get ill from insects that it might attract.
As always, when adopting any unfamiliar pet consult with your veterinarian for the specifics of how you should feed and take care of it.
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*(This image by joeltelling is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 License.)
