The Care & Breeding of Flying Geckos

Flying geckos are native to the rainforests on the Malayan peninsula, and are called "flying geckos" because on occasion they glide between the trees. They are brown or black, and grow to 6 to 8 inches. They are shy animals that hide behind dense foliage and use their coloring as camouflage. They do not like to be handled, but are good display pets and are somewhat easy to care for.

  1. Exhibit

    • Provide one gecko or a pair of geckos with a 10-gallon aquarium. With each additional gecko, increase the size of the terrarium by 10 gallons. Provide an exhibit that is tall, rather than long, since flying geckos like to climb. Cover the floor of the terrarium with substrate such as Eco Earth or Coco Fiber. Stock the exhibit with logs and large amounts of thick foliage. Place shelters such as coconut shells or flowerpots at the back of the exhibit.

    Humidity and Temperature

    • Keep the humidity level in the terrarium between 70 and 85 percent. Spray the exhibit with water one to three times a day to keep it moist. Cover all or part of the top of the exhibit with screen rather than glass to keep the exhibit well ventilated. Keep the daytime temperature at around 85 degrees F., and lower the temperature to the high 70s at night. Use a lamp that emits UVA and UVB rays to provide light and a small basking spot, which the geckos may or may not use. Keep the light turned on for 10 to 14 hours each day, depending on whether it is summer or winter.

    Food and Water

    • Provide the flying geckos with a large shallow water dish so they can drink and bathe. Place some rocks in the dish that the geckos can rest on, because they are poor swimmers. Change the water every day. Every other day, provide the geckos with insects like crickets and cockroaches, mealworms and earthworms. Dust the food with calcium powder and other vitamins.

    Breeding

    • Start preparing for the breeding season in April. Place a male and female in the same exhibit. Keep the temperature warm and keep the light on for more than 12 hours each day. Every two to four weeks, the female will lay a clutch of two eggs and glue them to a surface. Leave the eggs in the exhibit or remove them and incubate them at a temperature of 78 degrees F. The eggs will hatch in two or three months. Place the new hatchlings in their own exhibits and care for them just like adults, but feed them every day.