House Gecko
(Hemidactylus frenatus)

Habitat
: Tropical Forest    Diet: Insectivorous    Adult Size: 3-5 inches   
Lifespan
: 5-7 years or longer   
Native To
: Southeast Asia, but have spread to other continents

Did You Know:

  • The House Gecko is nocturnal.

  • A truly "urban lizard," the House Gecko lives almost entirely in cities and villages, making a home for itself on buildings. This hardy lizard has spread from its native Southeast Asia to other continents by stowing away on cargo. This has given them the widest range of any lizard in the world.

  • Like the Day Gecko, the House Gecko is able to walk on vertical surfaces and ceilings. It also emits a clucking sound, making it one of the world's most talkative lizards.
     

The material below is a general guideline, and is not intended to serve as your sole source of pet care information. Visit a veterinarian trained in caring for reptiles and consult a broad range of literature to ensure that your pet receives adequate care.
 

What You Should Know About The House Gecko

The Basics:

Although they are relatively hardy, House Geckos
can be nervous and jumpy. A light brown lizard with attractive markings, the House Gecko reaches an adult length of 4-5 inches, though some can be slightly smaller or
larger. Typically, they reach their adult size within 18 months. Although some House Geckos may live up to 10 years, a lifespan half that length is not unusual. Captive bred
House Geckos will have a longer lifespan. Nocturnal animals, House Geckos are not active during the day. Like the Day Gecko, this lizard can walk up smooth vertical surfaces and make a variety of vocalizations.

Enclosure:
Vertical Space With Lots Of Plants
:

House Geckos like to climb, so provide them with an enclosure that offers ample up-and-down space, and plenty of climbing branches. It's also a good idea to attach cork bark to an inside wall to provide a climbing area. House Geckos are ideal pets for elaborately planted terrariums, planted with nontoxic plants like Pothos. Shy animals, they do best when secure hiding places are provided in their enclosures. House Geckos are rarely territorial or aggressive, so they can be housed in pairs or small groups. However, do not place more than one male in the same enclosure since they will fight. A 20-gallon aquarium or larger, with a secure screen top, should be used for a pair of House Geckos. Larger tanks should be used for larger groups.

Substrate:
Maintain Thick Bedding:

A House Gecko's enclosure should have 2-3 inches of
reptile bark, coconut fiber or mulch bedding. This will help maintain humidity levels and support live plants. This bedding should be cleaned daily, and replaced monthly. If a
House Gecko shows a tendency to eat bedding, the substrate should be switched to something edible, paper or indoor/outdoor carpet. Sand, aquarium gravel and any bedding prone to mold should be avoided.

Lighting:
UVB Lighting Plus A Night Light:
Since House Geckos are nocturnal, some lizard keepers claim that they do not require the exposure to UVB lighting that Day Geckos and most other reptiles need. We disagree, and believe that providing UVB lighting in the enclosure will enhance the well-being of the gecko. There are a variety of full spectrum lights available at PSP that emit UVB light. Fluorescent lamps producing UVB rays should be replaced every six months. Glass blocks out UVB light, so overhead light sources should be kept behind a wire mesh cover, not a glass or acrylic tank top. A timer should be used with the light source to vary the level of exposure according to the season, providing 10 hours of light in the winter, and 14 hours in the summer. Since House Geckos are nocturnal, their keepers should consider installing a reptile "moon light" in the enclosure. This will make it easy to observe House Geckos at night, without disturbing them. Important - see the Note About Day/Night Light Cycles and Heating below.

Temperature:
Moderate Temperatures:

House Geckos must be provided with a thermal gradient, ranging from 75º to 88º Fahrenheit during the day. This will allow them to regulate their body temperatures by moving in the enclosure. Nighttime temperatures should be lowered to 70º. Temperatures in the enclosure should never be allowed to drop below 65º. The House Gecko keeper can maintain proper temperatures using an under tank heater and a lamp. A thermometer should be positioned in the warmer and cooler areas to monitor temperatures. Important - see the Note About Day/Night Light Cycles and Heating below.

Note About Day/Night Light Cycles and Heating:

All reptiles, including this pet, must have distinct day and night periods in their enclosure to maintain their biological rhythms. (See the lighting entry above for the specific length of this animal’s day/night cycle.) The day period must be light; and night must be dark. A timer should be used to set day/night periods. If a heat source is required to maintain correct nighttime temperatures, use heat mats or strips mounted below or on the side of the tank, infrared heat lamps, ceramic heat emitters, or a combination of these products. This will allow the enclosure to be heated while remaining dark. Follow directions carefully with all products. If ceramic heat emitters are used always choose fixtures with porcelain or ceramic sockets and to protect against fires do not place them by dry wood or flammable fabrics. Ceramic heat emitters must be kept out of the reach of children and all pets, including dogs and cats.

Humidity:
Relatively High
:

It's important to maintain relatively high humidity levels in a
House Gecko's enclosure. The humidity level should be kept at 65-75%. This can be accomplished by misting the enclosure once or twice a day with chlorine-free water, and using live plants like Pothos. A hygrometer should be used to measure humidity levels. However, care should be taken not to create an enclosure environment that is too humid, since this will promote fungal infections and jeopardize the health of the gecko. Signs that an enclosure is too humid include: substrate that appears soaked or saturated rather than just damp, and moisture build up on the sides of the tank.

A NOTE ABOUT WATER: All water given to this pet for drinking, as well as water used for misting, soaking or bathing must be 100% free of chlorine and heavy metals. (Not all home water filtration systems remove 100% of the chlorine and heavy metals from tap water, so check your system's specifications before using it to filter water for your pet.) We recommend that you use unflavored bottled drinking water or bottled natural spring water and never untreated tap water. If tap water is used, you should treat it with a dechlorinating treatment or allow it to stand for at least 24 hours before being introduced to the pet's enclosure to allow the chlorine to escape. Do not use distilled water, which can cause severe medical problems, since it lacks minerals that are essential to important body functions.
Diet:
Insects, Insects And More Insects:
The House Gecko should be fed small commercially available insects that are gut loaded (fed 24 hours before being offered to the lizard.) and dusted with a supplement. Small (½" or less) crickets should be the mainstay of their diet. Other insects include waxworms, butterworms and silkworms. Mealworms should also be offered for variety, but they are less nutritious than crickets. (Juveniles should be given pinhead crickets.) Feed adults every other day (3-6 crickets per feeding) and juveniles once a day (also 3-6 appropriately sized crickets per feeding). Always offer one insect at a time, and remove uneaten insects, since they can harm the House Gecko. Place feeder insects in a shallow feeding dish. Chlorine-free water should also be offered in a shallow dish, though most House Geckos will only drink droplets from leaves or surfaces. This is one reason why it's important to mist the enclosure with chlorine-free water.
Supplements: Dust insects with calcium supplement and vitamin supplement. As a rule, a growing juvenile's food should be dusted more often than an adult's. Consult product labels and outside literature for specific instructions on supplementing.

The following is a possible supplementing schedule for this reptile. Feeder insects should be dusted with a supplement every other or feeding or a little less often. However, this is only a general suggestion -- the best specific schedule may vary depending on the supplement products used and other factors. Please consult product package directions, outside literature and a veterinarian to determine the optimal supplementing program.


How to Handle A House Gecko
Small and fragile, House Geckos are meant to be watched, and not handled. House Geckos are extremely fast, and will not hesitate to jump out of a person's hand, and race off never to be seen again. However, there will be times when it's necessary to handle a House Gecko, such as when the enclosure is cleaned, or the animal is taken to a veterinarian. The House Gecko keeper should have a small fishing net for this purpose. Carefully coax the gecko into the net and place your hand around its back and head, gripping very gently to keep it from jumping out. Transfer the House Gecko into a
temporary holding enclosure as soon as possible.


Look Out For This:

House Geckos will not readily accept water from a bowl. Many will only drink by taking droplets off leaves and rocks, so their enclosures must be misted every day with chlorine-free water.


Recommended House Gecko Supplies:

  • A top-opening glass tank or other enclosure that offers height, with a secure top

  • UVB and UVA emitting light

  • Heating element to maintain enclosure temperatures

  • Two thermometers, so temperature can be monitored at both ends of the enclosure

  • Substrate

  • Shallow water dish

  • Live plants and climbing branches

  • Hiding areas

  • Hygrometer to measure humidity levels

  • Thermostat and rheostat to regulate heat

  • Nighttime light for observing House Geckos