Geckos care. How to care for a house gecko. Natural habitat

The gecko lizard is an amazing creature that has long attracted the attention of people because of the special structure of its paws, which allow the animal to easily move along any smooth vertical surfaces. It is believed that such skills were acquired by these creatures in the process of adaptation to their natural environment, where dangerous predators lie in wait for them at every step.

The gecko lizard is an amazing creature

This is a large family that includes many reptiles that differ in shape, color, size, and habitat. Although many gecko species are currently kept as exotic pets by humans, the lizards remain largely a mystery. Geckos are very fastidious in terms of food, but they are so fascinating to watch that it is difficult to choose the best pet.

Most species of these creatures inhabit regions with tropical and subtropical climates. Currently, 1103 species of geckos have been described. They are combined into 56 genera. Some gecko species range as far north as the southwestern United States. In the New World they spread from 50°N to 40°S. Particularly large populations are observed on remote oceanic islands. In the Old World they settled between 35°N. and 48° S Some varieties have spread to the territories of Southern Kazakhstan, Crimea and the Caucasus.

The species is now known to be highly diverse in the arid and semi-arid regions of Africa and Australia, as well as in the tropical jungles of South Asia and Madagascar. Geckos exhibit significant geographic variability depending on whether they live in forests or deserts. These animals are usually strongly attached to natural conditions, soil type, certain types of trees and even stones.

Characteristics and appearance of the lizard

The gecko is a creature with many faces. Depending on the living conditions, these reptiles in different regions of the planet acquired unique features. There are real record holders in the gecko family. For example, the smallest reptile currently living on Earth is considered to be the Virginia variety; the body length of this little one reaches only 18 cm. It has all the skeletal elements, as well as tissues and organs that are characteristic of larger representatives of the family. The largest species of gecko is the South Asian toki. Its body length reaches 35 cm.

However, all reptiles belonging to this family, regardless of their size and place of residence, have certain similar anatomical features, including:

• large head;
• dense flattened body;
• medium-length thick tail;
• short limbs.

The coloring of these animals is largely the result of their adaptation to their natural habitat. Their thin, delicate skin is covered with small scales, among which there are chaotic rows of larger elements. Some varieties have very bright colors, including many shades of red, blue, green, yellow and even turquoise. It is believed that certain varieties of geckos have acquired the ability to change the color of their skin to scare away predators or become more invisible. Some desert-dwelling geckos have an orange-brown tint to their skin, making them virtually invisible if they remain motionless.

Individuals living among the stones acquired a characteristic gray tint with small black inclusions. The most amazing varieties are those whose skin very accurately imitates moss, tree bark and even leaves. It is almost impossible to notice a gecko with such decoration in its natural habitat. For example, the cat gecko, which looks like a dried leaf, is very slow, so it is extremely difficult to see it. There is even a black gecko, which is active mainly at night, so this coloring serves as a good camouflage for it. Some varieties of these creatures are covered with bright orange spots, while others have a relatively uniform coloration of the integument. The animal’s eyes can also have a characteristic camouflage color, thereby complementing the overall image.

The organ of vision deserves special attention when considering such amazing creatures as geckos. These animals have large eyes relative to the mass of the head. They are believed to have perfect full-color vision, so they can spot both their prey and potential predators from a great distance. Geckos do not have eyelids, but they have a special membrane that cleans the animal's eyes. In some cases, when this is clearly not enough, the gecko can lick them with its long tongue. This organ of the gecko is also quite remarkable. The tongue is wide and slightly forked at the end. There are many suckers scattered across its entire surface, which reduces the risk of the victim of this animal being released.

The paws of reptiles are interesting. They can vary significantly among individuals depending on living conditions. However, all representatives of this species have 5 toes on each foot. They are widely spaced, and on the inside are equipped with small ridges equipped with short bristles, the apex of which is shaped like a triangle. Thus, they work like a plunger, securely attaching the animal's body even if it crawls along a smooth vertical surface. These bristles can cling to existing roughness. If desired, geckos can even hang on one limb without the risk of falling from a great height. Some varieties of geckos have claws that can be retracted, just like regular house cats.

The creatures described are cold-blooded, so it is no coincidence that they choose to live in areas where the air temperature rarely drops below +25°C. This allows the creatures to remain active even at night. The health of a gecko can be judged by its tail. In this part of the body, the animal accumulates fat, which allows it to survive hungry times. If the tail is thin, the reptile has not had enough water and food for a long time. Geckos can also drop it in moments of danger in order to distract the predator from themselves. In the future, this part of the body may grow back, but it will no longer be as attractive as before. Lizards have well-developed vocal cords. The sounds they make are quite loud, vaguely reminiscent of croaking. In addition, reptiles may include clicking and chirping sounds in their songs.

Gallery: gecko lizard (25 photos)

Nutrition and behavior of geckos in their natural environment

These creatures are voracious. During the day, if given the opportunity, they can consume a significant amount of food. After digestion, most of the energy is stored as fat in the tail. In their natural environment, the diet of lizards is extremely varied. They can feed;

• small midges;
• worms;
• larvae;
• butterfly caterpillars;
• cockroaches;
• cicadas.

Some large gecko species actively eat scorpions. In small quantities, they can include frogs, small mice, young snakes, bird eggs and even chicks in their diet. These animals are predators, so plant foods are not included in their diet. Different types of geckos are highly adapted to particular habitats. For example, in some cities located in tropical and subtropical regions, each individual house has its own population of these reptiles. Lizards have long realized that the light emanating from outdoor and indoor lighting lamps naturally attracts moths and other insects. The gecko just needs to choose the wall that is most convenient for him, which has a lighting element, and wait until his prey arrives.

In some caves in South America, geckos have become well adapted to coexist with bats. In such natural niches, the entire floor is usually covered with droppings, which provide a breeding ground for cockroaches. It is insects that attract reptiles, which can feed on them without much effort. Some species of geckos are so tiny in size that they are able to permanently live exclusively on the forest floor. They feed on even smaller creatures that are difficult to see without a magnifying glass.

Most gecko species are oviparous. Their offspring can appear both in the hard shell and in the soft shell, but there are also viviparous ones. The strategy for obtaining offspring largely depends on the characteristics of the environment in which the animal lives. For example, New Zealand green geckos bear young, which are born fully formed and ready for independent life.

How a gecko crawls along walls (video)

The gecko (from the Latin Gekkonidae) is a vertebrate lizard. Dwarf geckos are miniature in size - up to 5 cm in length. And the large Toki gecko reaches a length of 35 cm. Geckos are divided into three subfamilies based on the shape of their vertebrae and the structure of their eyes. They include 80 genera and 600 species. Popular types of lizards:

• Toki the gecko;
• spotted leopard gecko;
• crested gecko;
• tape;
• half-toed;
• lobe-tailed;
• prehensile-tailed;
• skink;
• Madagascar;
• steppe;
• grey;
• squeaky.

Geckos live up to 25 years. The color of the lizard is varied, often bright, with pigmentation in the form of stripes and dots. In some species, body color changes depending on the time of day or the physical condition of the animal. On the head of geckos there are numerous granular scutes. Geckos have large eyes, covered with a transparent, motionless membrane, without eyelids. The pupils are vertical, in the form of a thin slit during the day, and dilate at night. The tongue, with a notch in front, is covered on top with small papillae.

The delicate, easily damaged skin of geckos is covered with granular scales, among which larger smooth or warty scales are located in disorder or in regular rows. Representatives of some genera are characterized by tile-like scales, reminiscent of fish.

A characteristic feature of geckos is their extended toes, covered underneath with horny plates, thanks to the structure of which lizards can easily rush along vertical surfaces, and also sit effortlessly on the ceiling. Their tail is brittle, but quickly regenerates.

Another feature of geckos is their loud “singing” and a set of sounds that constantly accompany their life activity: chirping, croaking, squeaking, and clicking.

These reptiles have sharp teeth, strong jaws, and it is difficult to unclench them without damaging them. In moments of aggression, the gecko swells greatly, hisses, opens its mouth, makes frightening croaking sounds and makes sharp lunges, trying to attack the troublemaker.

Habitat in nature

Geckos live all over the world, but most species prefer to live in the subtropical and tropical zones of our planet. They are heat-loving reptiles; the normal temperature for their habitat is +20-30°C. They were given the nickname “digital climbers”, because... lizards' favorite places are tall trees, rocks, caves and cliffs above water bodies. Most gecko species are crepuscular or nocturnal.

In nature, geckos live in large colonies, with each one getting a territory, which the animal vigilantly guards.

In captivity, geckos are kept in special terrariums. It is better to house them in pairs. Male geckos jealously guard their territory. The female is kept nearby, or one, or two or three. But under no circumstances should you introduce a second male - during the mating season, geckos fight until they die or are severely injured. You can determine the sex of a gecko at 3 months by examining the underbelly. Males have holes placed in a "V" shape near the base of the tail. In addition, lizard boys are more plump and have larger heads.

Use peat, coconut shavings or gravel as soil. Sand should not be used, as when eating food, sand enters the digestive organs and can cause poor digestion of food, stagnation and obstruction. Make sure the soil is slightly moist.

Comfortable daytime temperature is +28-35°C, and at night it is 5-8°C less. Place a drinking container in the terrarium, as well as branches or pieces of bark. Place live plants in pots in the terrarium to maintain the necessary microclimate inside. The following plants are suitable for natural landscaping: scindapsus, dwarf creeping ficus, philodendron, white-veined arrowroot.

When you turn on daylight, you will get both light for the plants and warmth for the lizards. The more the terrarium is equipped with vegetation and decor, the more comfortable your charges will feel, the less stressful situations there will be for them.

The terrarium should be humid, and to do this, spray everything with warm (+40-50°C) boiled water once or twice a day, but do not allow the soil to become waterlogged. Optimal air humidity is 70-80%. Spraying also promotes the formation of dew on the glass walls of the terrarium and on the leaves of plants, which geckos sometimes use as a drink. With such humidity, provide ventilation inside the terrarium. Slots in the ceiling and in the end wall, covered with mesh, will cope with this function.

Do not try to pick up the lizard at first. Never pick up a gecko by the tail, as the tail can easily come off.

Like other reptiles, geckos, when kept in poor conditions, become carriers of salmonellosis bacteria, so personal hygiene is important when coming into contact with them and care items. Disinfect your gecko's cage regularly and keep the terrarium clean, but do not clean it in the kitchen or bathroom. Wash your hands before handling your reptile and after handling the animal.

Nutrition

It is important not to overfeed animals. The larger the gecko, the less often you need to feed it: lizards measuring 20-25 cm receive food 2 times a week or 5 times every two weeks. The food should be varied and contain essential minerals and vitamins.

The terrarium should contain bowls with bird stone powder, and food insects should be rolled in ground calcium and dry vitamins for reptiles. The vitamins from Tetra (ReptoCal, ReptoLife) and LM (Calcium, Vitamins) have proven themselves to be the best.

Once a week, irradiate animals with ultraviolet light for 5-7 minutes and give liquid vitamins. This is done with a soft brush: a drop of vitamins is applied to the eyes or the tip of the lizard’s muzzle, which immediately licks it off with its tongue.

Most geckos eat only live food: spiders, flies, crickets, cockroaches, locusts, and all types of worms. Large geckos are fed baby mice, as well as quail eggs. Some species happily eat bananas.

Breeding

Geckos are oviparous animals. Lizards can mate throughout the year, except for the winter months. In nature, they lay eggs in tree hollows, tightly gluing them to the wood. This is 5-8 clutches with a frequency of 15-40 days, with the number of 1-2 eggs per clutch. The incubation period lasts from 3 to 7 months, depending on conditions.

In the terrarium, to create natural conditions, the female is provided with vertical pieces of bark, stems with hollows and other decorative elements for laying. The more suitable objects for laying eggs, the more offspring. For full hatching and further development of cubs from eggs, the permissible temperature in the terrarium is +28-30 degrees. At an even, without changes, temperature, incubation takes place in the shortest possible time - in 134 days.

During the egg-laying period, the female must be provided with a sufficient amount of minerals in the form of chalk or calcium glycerophosphate tablets. You can also use a “bird stone” purchased at a pet store for this, placing or hanging it inside the terrarium. If the female lacks calcium, she will begin to eat the shells of her eggs.

The eggs are of a regular spherical shape and, unlike the eggs of other lizards, are enclosed in a dense and fragile calcareous shell, which hardens some time after laying, absorbing carbon dioxide from the air.

Gecko parents are useless because they eat their newborn babies without a twinge of conscience. During this period, children simply need shelter, but since it is difficult for them to hide from their hunting parents in their “native” terrarium, it would be better if you put the newborns in a “separate apartment.”

Small geckos (8-10 cm long) begin to hunt flies and small crickets. It is better, without waiting for the young to hatch, to transfer all the decorative elements with the eggs glued to their walls into a specially equipped incubator, for which you can use, for example, an old aquarium.

Price

The cost of a gecko depends on the type, popularity, age, size and varies on average between 5-7 thousand rubles. For rare species you will have to pay 20-30 thousand rubles.

The toki's range covers almost all countries of Southeast Asia from the eastern regions of India to the islands of the Malay Archipelago. In addition, currents have been introduced into some tropical areas of other continents. For example, he has taken root well in the southeastern regions of the United States and his nightly cries of “Ttt-tt-to-ke!” already form as integral a part of the night concerts of the Florida swamps as the thunderous grunts of the Mississippi alligators.

Everywhere, currents adhere to tall forests, rock outcrops, caves, and cliffs above rivers. In addition, it thrives in human settlements, from guardhouses on banana plantations to skyscrapers in big cities.

Most geckos only come to the ground to feed, so they need a vertical or cubic terrarium. In nature, they live in large colonies, and each gecko gets a very small territory, which it vigilantly guards. In this regard, they do not need large terrariums. So, for a pair of Toki geckos, a terrarium with a volume of about 100 liters is enough. Most geckos eat only live food (crickets, cockroaches, locusts). Geckos are fed about every other day. Before feeding the insects, sprinkle with vitamins for reptiles containing calcium. The vitamins from Tetra (ReptoCal, ReptoLife) and LM (Calcium, Vitamins) have proven themselves to be the best. Some species happily eat bananas (striped gecko, Ulikovsky gecko, crayfish). To maintain humidity, the terrarium should be sprayed with water 1-2 times a day. Peat, coconut shavings, and gravel can be used as soil. You need to make sure that the soil is slightly moist. The daytime temperature should be about 28-35 degrees, and at night 5-8 degrees less. Most geckos do not need ultraviolet light. The exception is diurnal species such as Madagascar geckos. In the terrarium you need to place a drinking bowl and several branches and shelters, for example, pieces of bark, shards of pots. Geckos do not need wintering.

Toki is a fairly large animal that requires a spacious vertical terrarium (height greater than length and width). To successfully keep a pair of geckos, I recommend a terrarium with dimensions of 30 x 30 x 50 cm (length, width, height).

Sometimes they write that due to the ability of currents to move even on glass, there is no need for shelters and decorations. According to my observations, in a well-decorated terrarium with an abundance of shelters in the form of loose bark, a hollow, a tree trunk, hollow tubes, etc., geckos are much less stressed, less aggressive, feed and reproduce better. In addition, current requires high air humidity. Of course, this can be achieved by standard measures in the form of repeated daily spraying of the terrarium with water, but it is better to provide the room with bright light and plant living plants in the soil of the terrarium. They will decorate the terrarium, shelter the inhabitants and create the necessary microclimate.

There is no need to place a drinking bowl in the terrarium. Geckos readily drink dew, so once a day the walls and branches must be sprayed with warm boiled water. At the same time, water the plants.

Since currents do not descend to the ground, the quality of the soil does not matter. You can keep these lizards without any soil at all, and put the plants in pots.

The temperature is +27° - 34°C during the day and +19° - 26°C at night. The terrarium can be heated during the day using the heat generated during operation of the fluorescent lamp throttle. To do this, the choke is placed in a moisture-resistant, heat-resistant box inside the terrarium on the floor. When you turn on daylight, you will get both a good spectrum for the plants and warmth for the lizards.

Feeding In nature, leks feed on any animals they can cope with - large insects (beetles, grasshoppers, mantises, butterflies, etc.), spiders (including tarantulas), peduncles, small rodents, chicks, lizards of other species, small tree snakes. ... Sometimes large males attack their own young. In captivity, leks are fed with crickets, various cockroaches, larvae of the grain darkling beetle ("mealworm"), zoophobas, and wax moth. And in the summer, insects “mowed” with a net in the meadows - grasshoppers, grasshoppers, flies, butterflies. Adult lizards are offered naked mice.

Breeding For successful reproduction, it is enough to have one pair of geckos or one male and two to three females. But there should only be one male! Males are very aggressive towards each other, their fights usually end in injury or death of one animal.

After mating, after some time, the female lays 1, less often 2 eggs. There can be 7-8, or even more, such clutches with an interval of 2-4 weeks in one season. The eggs are initially soft and stick to the wall of the terrarium or to a piece of decoration. They then calcify and become hard. Incubation lasts from 3 to 7 months, depending on the incubation conditions. If you provide lekkook gecko eggs with an even round-the-clock temperature of 29° - 30°C, then incubation takes place in the shortest possible time. It is clear that it is difficult to obtain such conditions in a common terrarium, so I recommend placing the maximum number of pieces of bark, stems with hollows, or a birdhouse in the terrarium before laying. There is a high probability that the female will choose them for laying. Then this element is simply transferred to the incubator. It can be made from an old, running aquarium or similar container. Heating is carried out by an incandescent lamp, temperature regulation is carried out by a standard aquarium thermostat immersed in a jar of water. At the same time, the air humidity in the incubator will increase.

If the female has glued the clutch in a terrarium with adult currents to the wall or glass, it is better to protect the eggs with a box or cage, securing it over the eggs with tape. Then the hatched baby will not accidentally end up with his own dad for breakfast on the first day.

To replenish the loss of calcium in the body of an oviparous female, I recommend placing or hanging a “bird stone” in the terrarium, which can be purchased at a Pet Store.

Once born, the babies are about 7 cm in size, allowing them to immediately begin hunting flies and small crickets.

Currents live in a terrarium for quite a long time. One large male lived with the author for 7 years.

The spotted leopard gecko has won the hearts of Terrumnists. Under such an attractive and mysterious name hides a lizard that can live not only in nature, but also at home. In narrow circles it is usually called “leopard”, which is due to the presence of spotted coloring. However, similarities can be found in character between the spotted gecko and the cat: both can lap up water with their tongues. The content is easy even for beginners.

general information

The spotted leopard gecko most often lives in Asian countries and prefers rocky areas. However, people who are reptile lovers prefer the gecko.

The lizard can only lead a nocturnal lifestyle. Natural instincts encourage you to hide in other people's holes.

Life expectancy in nature ranges from five to ten years, and males always live longer than females. At home, life expectancy increases to thirty years.

Advantages and disadvantages of keeping a leopard gecko at home

Advantages:

1. The gecko has a friendly character.
2. Care involves ease and unpretentiousness.
3. There is an opportunity to buy and use a small terrarium.
4. There is the possibility of easy reproduction in captivity.

Flaws:

1. A certain level of humidity should be maintained in the terrarium.
2. The leopard gecko will always be awake at night, so not every person will be able to see their pet active.

Description

Appearance may be different in natural and home conditions. This is largely due to the influence of selection.

Any gecko must have a spotted coloration.

The dimensions indicate that the leopard gecko is a small lizard: the body length is 20 centimeters, but in some cases representatives can grow up to thirty centimeters.

The tail is most often massive and thick. Moreover, in nature, the tail is required to retain moisture. A lizard may shed its tail due to injury, confident that it will grow back. However, the subsequent ponytail will be shorter and narrower. The lizard has a large and triangular head. You can note the elongated and bulging eyes, reminiscent of a cat's. The body is covered with numerous small scales. Among them, pimply scales stand out. The lizard has thin legs with five fingers.

The color may be different, because it depends on the living conditions of the lizard:

1. Natural factors cause a yellowish-gray body color with dark spots. You can see transverse rings on the tail.
2. Domestic individuals have a completely different color. In addition, selection made it possible to increase the number of variations to 100.

Main features of the content

How should you care for a gecko at home?

Individuals are distinguished by their unpretentious nature, thanks to which any potential troubles are eliminated. The most important thing is feeding. Lizards have a sweet and harmless character, but when eating, the predator instinct manifests itself. Under natural conditions, the gecko hunts various insects.

So, what to feed your pet lizard?

1. The best choice is crickets, cockroaches, grasshoppers, newborn mice. If the terrarium has enough free space, the leopard gecko can enjoy the hunting process.
2. It is advisable to exclude very large insects from the diet.
3. It is advisable to eat meals once every 1 – 2 days. However, up to 3 months, your pet lizard needs to be fed daily.
4. A gecko may refuse to eat for several days. However, this circumstance should not lead to panic. The lizard's tail contains a large amount of nutrients.
5. Sometimes you need to add calcium powder to your meals.

Knowing what and how to feed your pet, you can help maintain its health and a guaranteed long life at home.

What terrarium is ideal for a pet lizard?

1. It is advisable to use a small terrarium. At the same time, you need to provide enough space for an active lifestyle.
2. The optimal dimensions for 1 – 2 individuals are 50 by 40 by 30 cm.
3. Sand should not be used for soil, as it can be accidentally swallowed with food. The best option is pebbles and small stones.
4. It is advisable to heat the terrarium. During the day the temperature should be 29 - 31 degrees, at night - a couple - three degrees less.
5. Sharp temperature fluctuations are unacceptable, as otherwise the lizard will feel unwell.
6. Optimal air humidity should not exceed forty-five percent. To do this you need to spray.

Basic selection rules

How can you choose a leopard gecko? What factors should you consider when trying to ensure your lizard is in good health?

1. The tail should be thicker. Moreover, if the thickness should be as large as possible. This primarily applies to adolescents and adults. Babies have thin tails that should only “gain strength.” A thick, long tail indicates good health of the leopard gecko. It is in this part of the body that nutrients are stored that must be stored for stressful and difficult situations. The functions of the tail can be compared to the hump of a camel, which contains fat reserves for heat, drought, and hunger. In order to understand how properly the leopard gecko is cared for, you need to monitor the tail, because a decrease in its thickness indicates constant stress, malnutrition, and illness. It should be remembered: when moving to a new home, the lizard’s appetite may worsen and its tail will lose weight, but subsequently the animal will get used to the conditions and everything will return to normal.
2. One terrarium cannot be suitable for several males. You need to remember this if you plan to breed a pet. The ideal option is a careful examination of sexual characteristics.
3. The sex of a leopard gecko can only be determined from five to six months. For this reason, the first gecko can be purchased earlier, but then you need to buy an adult and know that there will not be 2 males in the terrarium. If solitary confinement is assumed, gender ceases to be important, since males and females have a beautiful appearance and sweet character.
4. It should be noted that a large terrarium is required if you need to keep several females. Only with this approach can we not only guarantee comfortable conditions for lizards, but also the possibility of their peaceful life together.
5. Breeding leopard geckos requires the purchase of an additional terrarium. It is important to remember: the male should not be with the female on a permanent basis, since otherwise the females will have to constantly mate and breed offspring, undermining their health.
6. When choosing a leopard gecko, you need to make sure there are no small scratches or abrasions. Such damage to the skin indicates clashes between individuals that are included in the same group. Scratches and abrasions can heal quickly if treated with healing ointment. In any case, you need to pay more attention to the lizard and try to understand the characteristics of its character.
7. It is advisable to carefully examine the eyes and eyelids, after which you can move on to the toes. You should make sure that there is no old skin remaining after shedding. This skin is harmful to your pet and must be removed with water.
8. The lizard's build deserves attention. The abdomen should be plump, but not bloated, otherwise pregnancy or illness may be suspected. Rickets, which the gecko often suffers from, manifests itself in thinness, a thin neck, lack of a thick tail, apathy and lethargy, crooked legs, and unsteadiness when walking. The presence of drooping sides indicates obesity. With such deviations in health, more nuances will need to be taken into account in order to ensure that the content is favorable for the pet.
9. Cubs and adolescents often change color as they grow older, so you need to be prepared for the fact that the initial color can change dramatically.

The gecko must be healthy, beautiful and friendly.

The most important questions

How should geckos be kept?

1. The terrarium should have a size of 40x60x40 centimeters. It is not advisable to choose a large and tall house.
2. The temperature needs to be controlled. It is important to remember: at night it is advisable to turn off some lamps, preventing the temperature from dropping to 20 degrees. Moreover, sudden changes can lead to diseases in pets.
3. The gecko needs ultraviolet light. For this reason, UV lamps rated 10% should be used, ensuring that they burn for 12 hours a day.
4. What to feed insectivorous lizards if they live at home? The diet should consist of a variety of small insects. However, mealworms alone are not suitable, as if they are fed frequently, there is a risk of fatty liver disease.
5. How often should you feed your gecko? The optimal scheme is from five to ten insects per feeding. When the lizard is sleeping, you need to remove crickets and grasshoppers, which can damage the lizard's skin.
6. It is important not only to regularly and properly feed lizards, but also to give them vitamins and mineral supplements. In order to fully feed the baby, you need to use special mineral powders.
7. How to decorate a terrarium? Several shelters and a pond are required. The most important thing is to exclude sharp objects that can cause injury.
8. The terrarium must have soil, with the exception of fine sand and shavings.

Remembering what care should be like and following important rules, you can be sure: the gecko will enjoy good health, long life, friendliness and will become a true friend.

Who among us as a child did not catch lizards and put them on his shoulder? The main thing is not to accidentally pull the tail =) We present to your attention a selection of the 12 most beautiful geckos on our planet!

These cute little creatures are actually quite complex, for example, lizards have no eyelids at all, only a transparent membrane, which they periodically clean with their tongue, and thousands of suction cups on their miniature legs have repeatedly confused many scientists

In addition, many lizards, as we remember, can shed their tail and then regrow it! This protective mechanism with subsequent regeneration is generally nonsense and lizards, as far as I know, are the only living creatures on the planet capable of such an amazing transformation! By the way, I think many people remember that the tail does not immediately die after being thrown away, but moves and wriggles... A terrible sight))

Well, I think it’s time to finally move on to our “hit parade” =) So, in 12th place sits the Turkish gecko, also known as the Mediterranean house lizard. This miniature (finger-sized) creature usually lives in hidden places of houses, for example inside walls and rafters, and is nocturnal - crawling out of its hiding place to feast on moths and roaches

If you put the Turkish gecko on a transparent glass table and look from below, you can see its entire internal structure, because the tummy of many reptiles is almost as transparent as glass

The Madagascar day gecko is comfortably in 11th place (although such geckos are also found in Hawaii, they were just the first to be found in Madagascar - that’s what they called it). In the photo there is something like a battle for territory between two individuals of this species.

They are distinguished from other lizards by three red stripes on the lower back and blue circles around the eyes (apparently from frequent lack of sleep), and they can feed on almost everything, from pollen and nectar to small insects and even small lizards. Madagascar day geckos usually reach 15-20 centimeters in length.

10th place is occupied by another diurnal lizard from Madagascar, which differs from the previous species in the large number of red dots on its back and size - this is the largest gecko leading a diurnal lifestyle, reaching a length of 23 centimeters

Madagascariensis eats, in principle, the same thing as its smaller brother, except that you can also add fruit to its diet)

In 9th place lurks the amazing yellow-tailed lizard Ligodactylus, living in the bamboo forests of Tanzania. All their free time they sunbathe in the sun, and at the slightest danger they hide in the cracks of bamboo.

8th place is occupied by the New Zealand Green Gecko, which also leads a diurnal lifestyle, like its Madagascar “colleagues”

While their bodies are entirely green, their mouths and tongues can be orange, red, blue, black, pink or yellow!

This amazing lizard lives in trees, using its long tail as a support point.

In 7th place is the Skink Gecko or “Miracle Lizard”. The body of this amazing reptile, living in the Middle East, is practically unprotected - its skin can peel off with just one touch, but the gecko can absorb oxygen directly through the skin!

Skink geckos are active only during pitch darkness at night, hiding at the slightest clearing of the sky - the rest of the time they spend underground, at a depth of about 80 centimeters. The photograph shows that they have some similarities with frogs - for this they are also nicknamed “frog-eyed geckos.”

6th place is taken by the pretty white-brown Cat Gecko, so named because of its habit of sleeping with its tail wrapped around it, just like a cat) This miracle lives in Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia and Cambodia

Another amazing feature of the Cat Gecko is that it does not have Velcro pads on its feet, and when climbing trees, it uses prehensile claws and a tail.

In 5th place is the House Gecko, which feeds on mosquitoes and other pests, and is therefore quite popular among many residents of such “mosquito” regions) These geckos live mostly in Southeast Asia, both in houses and on rocks

4th place is deservedly occupied by the Blue-tailed gecko, which lives only on the island of Mauritius. In general, this is a diurnal reptile, but for some reason it still prefers night hunting. The bright blue back with red dots distinguishes the males of this species from the completely green females

Unlike most geckos, the Mauritian gecko is quite aggressive and usually does not miss an opportunity to bite any lizard crawling past, whether it is also a Blue-tailed gecko or a representative of another species

By the way, do not confuse the Blue-tailed gecko with the Blue-tailed lizard, these are completely different reptiles

Well, here we come to the top three cuties) So, in 3rd place is a miniature female Gecko with Beads (I don’t know how to translate Beaded Gekko more correctly). This lizard is a kind of record holder among its own kind in terms of speed of movement. This is explained by the almost complete absence of fat, even in the tail area, which is not at all typical for geckos. This reptile was found in the arid regions of Australia, but so far, unfortunately, practically nothing is known about it

This arboreal nocturnal gecko also uses its tail to climb trees, but it is much stockier than its cousins.

This lizard is also called the Crest Gecko because of the "fringed" comb that runs from the eyes to the tail.

Well, we have finally reached the 1st line of our list, where the Tokay gecko sits, known primarily for its “singing”, similar to that of a frog)

This arboreal nocturnal gecko typically lives in areas of rocks and cliffs, and has even been dubbed the "Pitbull" due to its stubborn nature.

If the Tokay gecko suddenly doesn’t like something and bites your finger, be prepared for the fact that you will have to wait from several minutes to an hour until he gets tired of holding your finger in his mouth... Well, where is the gecko in a hurry? He bit it and lies there))

To end the collection on a cheerful note, I suggest watching a short video where the acrobatic abilities of the Tokay gecko are demonstrated with humor) Enjoy =)