Only a few reptiles enjoy being held, and Chinese cave geckos aren't one of them.
These are a “look but don't touch” kind of terrestrial lizards.
Here's a little background on Chinese cave geckos.
Originally from Southern China.
They live in the lowland rain forest.
The Chinese Cave Geckos are named after where they are found, in caves.
The exotic pet trade has been driving numbers of this rare species down since its categorization
in the early 2000s, and could eventually lead to its extinction.
Coloration.
The base color of Chinese Cave Geckos is black/purple, with orange/yellow/white stripes crisscrossing
their bodies.
These geckos' most striking feature are their blood red eyes.
Young animals tend to be more heavily banded.
The bands become narrower and shift towards more yellow/white with age.
Their yellow banding and red eyes make them an amazing species to add to any collection.
Size and Lifespan.
Chinese Cave Geckos can grow up to 8.5 inches in length as adults.
They're about 3 inches long when they first hatch.
Chinese Cave Geckos can live for a pretty long time with proper care.
Exact oldest age is unknown, but easily exceeds 10 years.
Housing.
For 1-2 adults, a 10 gallon tank or 18x18x12 Exo Terra Glass Terrarium is sufficient, but
there's no harm in providing more space.
Coco Fiber or a mix of sand and peat moss works well as a substrate.
Virgin cork bark makes your gecko feel at home.
These geckos like it cool and humid.
Ideally, keep your geckos between 65 to 75°F and a relative humidity of about 50%.
They can tolerate temperatures up to 80°F on occasion.
Make sure to keep tabs on your geckos’ temperature and humidity with a digital thermometer/hygrometer.
Do not let your Chinese Cave Geckos get excessively warm, as high temps can quickly be lethal.
Diet.
Chinese Cave geckos are insectivores, and thrive on a staple diet of crickets, dubia
roaches and black soldier fly larvae.
They are very shy so you will most likely not witness them eating their insects.
Give the geckos about 8-10 insects every 2-3 days.
Be sure to put the insects in at night when the gecko is most active.
Check the enclosure in the morning and remove any uneaten bugs.
It's also recommended to feed your crickets a mix of dark leafy greens and veggies every
day.
Breeding.
All you need to do if you want to breed your Chinese Cave Geckos is keep a male and a female
together.
Breeding season runs from February through September.
Females will lay 2 eggs every 30-45 days during this period.
The animals should be cooled from October through January.
Males may be removed to give the females a break.
Substrates and Humidity.
Chinese Cave Geckos demand a higher level of humidity than most reptiles.
The humidity in the tank should be between 60 and 80 percent.
If you keep your gecko in a glass terrarium, you will probably need to mist your gecko
twice a day to maintain humidity.
Tubs or PVC enclosures will help maintain humidity better, but some people do not like
the look of these types of enclosures.
If you would rather have a tank, be sure to cover up half the top with plexiglass to limit
airflow and increase humidity.
Typically in tubs or PVC enclosures you will only have to mist every other day to maintain
the correct humidity levels.
Be sure to have a good digital hygrometer in your enclosure so that you can monitor
the humidity and make sure it never gets too dry in the enclosure.
Water Supply.
A modest, shallow water dish should be given for all geckos.
Despite the fact that these geckos rarely drink from bowls, it is always a good idea
to provide water in case the gecko becomes thirsty.
Be sure the water dish is shallow enough so that the gecko can stand in it without submerging
their head.
If the water is too deep, there is a potential of the gecko drowning.
When using water, be sure to either use spring water or tap water with dechlorinator added
to it.
Do not use distilled water.
Distilled water removes trace minerals from the water which are an essential to keeping
your gecko healthy.
Bedding.
Throughout the cage, a mixture of peat moss and cypress bedding is recommended.
If you're experiencing trouble with humidity, add sphagnum moss to the mix to help the bedding
retain moisture.
We also recommend stirring up your bedding once a week to make sure no mold growth occurs
in your enclosure.
Provide your geckos of all ages a moist hide.
The moist hide should have a handful of sphagnum moss to help aid in shedding.
These geckos also do great in bioactive enclosures.
If you go bioactive, you'll want to make sure you have a good drainage layer so that you
never accumulate standing water.
Because these guys are insectivores, they may try to eat your isopods.
We recommend sticking with dwarf species of isopods so that your gecko doesn't deplete
your isopod colony in your enclosure.
A Place to Hide.
Three hides, one moist, one on the cold side, and one on the warm side, should be provided
for Chinese Cave Geckos.
Half-cut coconuts are one of the favorite hides for Chinese Cave Geckos.
They work for babies and adults and hold up well in high humidity enclosures.
Use fabric leaves from craft stores for cover as well.
Be sure that any foliage from the craft store is soaked in warm water for 15 minutes to
get off any residual dye before putting it into the enclosure.
Place leaves between hides to provide the gecko with cover so that it feels safe and
secure in its habitat.
Be sure to rinse off any new decor in case it has any chemical residue on it.
Alongside those items, you can also provide these geckos with rocky outcrops.
Be sure the rocks do not have any jagged edges.
You don't want your gecko getting injured on sharp rocks.
These geckos will climb if provided with the space, but are not always the best climbers.
You can put cork flats in the enclosure to provide them with wide pathways that they
can easily climb on at night.
Chinese Cave Geckos can be kept with live plants.
Pothos work as a great plant for coverage in their enclosures.
You can get your live plants from any hardware store or nursery, but you want to make sure
to repot them in organic soil and wash off the leaves so no pesticides or fertilizer
remain on the plants.
Supplements.
Ensure that the food is supplemented.
At all times, keep a small bowl of calcium and a multivitamin in the enclosure..
It's most important to offer the calcium, but you want to offer the multivitamin about
every 3rd or 4th feeding.
Make sure that the gecko has a small dish of freshwater.
You will want to change it daily or every other day to prevent bacteria growth.
It's ideal to keep the water bowl on the cool side of the enclosure.
Handling and Temperament.
Chinese Cave Geckos are somewhat flighty and shy.
They are not super quick but will not enjoy being handled frequently.
Consider them a hands off species and only handle them when cleaning the enclosure or
doing health checks.
These geckos can easily stress when overhandled.
Keeping handling down to a minimum and only getting them out once a week to keep stress
to a minimum.
Cleaning.
We recommend completing a full bedding change and tank cleaning every 6-8 weeks, as well
as spot cleaning the cage at least once a week.
Every week look for poo, dead insects, shed, and food smears on the ground or glass and
remove it from the enclosure.
When cleaning the entire cage out, first remove all bedding and wipe down all surfaces with
hot soapy water.
Place the reptile in a deli cup or another small enclosed space when cleaning the habitat.
Do not reintroduce the reptile to the enclosure until it has been thoroughly cleaned.