25 replies to this topic

[dspdrew]

I found these Western Banded Geckos in the Mojave Desert last year while I was out anting.
 
Here they are just after I found them as little babies.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
Here's one of them now, a little more grown up.
 

 
 
Here is the new terrarium I just set up for them. It's just like home.
 

[Crystals]

Nice!

They are so pretty.  How many do you have?

[dspdrew]

Two.

[dspdrew]

They're all grown up now, and I think the female might be gravid... not sure though.
 

 
 
Male and Female
 

 
 
Female looking gravid.
 

 

 

 
 
The female also seems to lay around and sleep a lot more than usual now, so I don't know. I sure hope they have a couple little babies like they were when I first got them.

[Gregory2455]

She definitely looks gravid.

[dermy]

Those look nice I hope if she does lay eggs that they hatch for you! I've heard it can be quite difficult.

[dspdrew]

I created a little nest for her to lay her eggs in. I read that it should stay close to 80 percent humidity so I created it with a little hydration system that should allow it to last a while before needing to be re-hydrated. It's also transparent, so I can easily move the gravel off the top to get a good look inside.
 
Crafted a little hideout. Drilled holes for moisture to make its way in from the water chamber below.
 

 
 
Water chamber with refill holes.
 

 
 
Nest with a thin layer of Hydrostone poured over the bottom with some peat moss sprinkled on top. I put steel mesh over the large holes first so there's no chance of the Hydrostone breaking and allowing anything to fall in the water chamber.
 

 
 
Here it is finished and put together.
 

 
 
Here it is installed. It took a while for the Geckos to see it, but once they did, they were quick to crawl in.
 

 

[DesertAntz]

That's pretty [censored], excuse my French. 

 

I wish I was handy with creating things.. such as formicaria for ants. 

[Gregory2455]

Drew has a lot of equipment, its not just skill needed.

[DesertAntz]

Well I would imagine so. I'm one of those guys that has no know-how when it comes to tools and building things. 

[dspdrew]

I guess that female gecko either wasn't gravid, or something happened, because I don't think she ever laid eggs.
 
Most of the winter these have barely come out from underneath their rock, but for only a couple hours a night. Lately though, for some reason the male has been coming out in the middle of the day and sleeping on the tip of a little branch. I have no idea why.
 

 

[kellakk]

Trying to bask maybe? Is that the spot closest to the light?  Based on their lowered activity during the winter, they should breed for you as soon as spring comes.

[BugFinder]

Those Geckos are very cool bud!

[dspdrew]

He's only getting more strange now. The lights have since turned off, and now he's still out but standing funny.
 

[dspdrew]

Trying to bask maybe? Is that the spot closest to the light?  Based on their lowered activity during the winter, they should breed for you as soon as spring comes.

 

Yeah, I've read that before. They both live under a little fake rock, and the female I haven't seen come out all winter long. BTW, there is a branch that gets closer to the light. Also, right now all they have on during the day is a fluorescent light, so it's not really giving off much heat.

 

 

Those Geckos are very cool bud!

 

Thanks.

[dspdrew]

This gecko slowly got weaker every day until it eventually died a few days ago.

 

Hopefully I can find another male this summer. I was hoping to get some little gecko babies.

[Chromerust]

I wonder what the lifespan of these are.

[dspdrew]

More than a year and a half. I know that much.

[Michaelofvancouver]

Awww, hopefully if you can get a new one you'll be able to breed them in captivity, which would certainly be very cool.

[kellakk]

That's too bad.  He must have been an older male.  I think these can get to around 10 years.