How to Care for a Baby Banded Gecko

Banded geckos are considered terrestrial, or ground dwellers, and originate from deserts in the southwest region of the United States. A nocturnal species, the banded gecko forages at night and rests during the day. They'll grow from four to six inches in length, and survive for about 20 years. Unlike other lizards, banded geckos have eyelids and can move with a semi-erect gait. They do not have sticky toe pads, so they don't climb up walls. Baby banded geckos tend to be small and are easily frightened. If you over-handle baby geckos, the resulting stress can cause illness.

Things You'll Need

  • Lightweight plastic tank or terrarium
  • Heating mat or under tank heater
  • Calcium sand
  • Shallow bowl
  • Margarine tub
  • Scissors
  • Orchid bark
  • Reptile calcium powder
  • Reptile vitamins
  • Zip-lock bag
  • Crickets
  • Cricket keeper or tank
  • Newspaper
  • Reptile disinfectant
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Instructions

    • 1

      Use a small lightweight plastic tank, or terrarium, to create a home for your baby banded gecko.

    • 2

      Place a 6-by-11-inch heating mat or under tank heater beneath only half of the terrarium. Adjust the temperature so the heated half registers between 90 to 94 degrees F. Do not place the heater under the whole terrarium because the gecko will move between warm and cool spaces to regulate its body temperature. Do not add lighting because the nocturnal banded gecko does not require UVB, or ultraviolet radiation.

    • 3

      Add calcium substrate, or calcium sand, to the floor of the terrarium.

    • 4

      Place a shallow bowl of water on the cool side of the terrarium.

    • 5

      Cut a hole an inch from the bottom of an empty tub of margarine with a lid. Put a moistened inch-long piece of orchid bark on the bottom of your wet box.

    • 6

      Put another piece of cork bark in the terrarium for your gecko to hide behind.

    • 7

      Feed your baby banded gecko twice daily, in the morning and evening. Mix two parts reptile calcium powder with one part vitamins. Pour this mix into a zip-lock bag. Put four to six small, live crickets into the bag and give it a gentle shake, powdering the insects. Keep the remaining powder for the next meal. Dust the crickets five days out of seven for a baby gecko.

    • 8

      Put the crickets into the terrarium one at a time. Allow your gecko to pick one off before you put in another cricket. Continue in this way until your gecko ignores the cricket. Take any uneaten insects out of the terrarium.

    • 9

      Keep the crickets in a ventilated "cricket keeper" outdoors. Place newspaper at the bottom of the tank. Crumple some newspaper and place it at the top. Feed the crickets a variety of foods, such as whole grain cereal, pumpkin, collard greens, squash, slices of red potato and oatmeal. Check the tank occasionally and weed out dead crickets.

    • 10

      Conduct a daily spot clean. Pour fresh water into the bowl and clean any mess.

    • 11

      Put a new piece of orchid bark in the wet box once a week. Remove the old bark.

    • 12

      Perform a full clean out every four to six weeks. Replace the sand. Use reptile disinfectant to sterilize the terrarium. Avoid household cleaners. Wash your hands after every cleaning to avoid salmonella.