Post by fundo on Mar 18, 2007 0:55:48 GMT 1
PROFILE
Common Name: Bibron’s Gecko
Latin Name: Pachydactylus Bibroni
Native To: Southern Africa, Tanzania, Angola
Size: 6” – 9”
Life Span: 8 – 10 years
HOUSNG REQUIREMENTS
Environment:
Humid forest with lots of plants and branches
Vivarium Size:
Bibron’s Geckos are what’s known as an arboreal species. This basically means that they live up in trees and like a lot of plant cover. Due to this, we recommend a tall vivarium measuring a minimum of 18X24X12 and 24X36X18 for larger or multiple specimens.
Substrate:
We recommend a substrate of forest floor/mulch and sphagnum moss. Not only will this provide a natural look to the vivarium, it will also help to raise the humidity.
Food and Water:
As with most geckos, Bibron’s Geckos are insectivorous. They will happily dine on crickets, mealworms, hoppers and waxworms (fed sparingly due to their high fat content)
It is recommended that live food is dusted with vitamin and calcium supplements.
Although a water bowl is a recommended addition to the vivarium, geckos tend to prefer to drink from dripping water. Therefore you will need to spray any leaves/branches a couple of times each day. Not only will this provide drinking water, but it will also help to keep the humidity up.
The ideal humidity for Bibron’s Geckos is 60 – 70%. This can be measured using a hygrometer.
Heat/Light Requirements:
Bibron’s Geckos need 24 hour heat and 10 – 12 UV light. One end of the vivarium should be the designated ‘hot’ end, also known as the ‘basking area’ and the other should be the ‘cool’ end. A basking lamp should be fixed at the hot end enabling temperatures up to 95*F whilst either a ceramic heater or an infra red bulb should be placed in the cool end. This gradient from hot to cold allows the cold bloodied gecko to ‘thermo regulate’ i.e. cool down when too hot and warm up when too cold. This gradient also aids with digestion and, in conjunction with the UV light promotes a more active lifestyle.
At night it is best to allow the temperature to drop 10*F – 12*F to reconstruct the natural nightly temperature drop of the wild and to allow the reptile to shut down and sleep.
Below are the ideal temperatures for your Bibron’s Gecko, all of which can be thermostatically controlled:
Day (cool end): 75*F – 85*F
Basking (warm end): 90*F – 95*F
Night: 65*F – 75*F
Further Reading:
www.reptileallsorts.com/bibrongecko.htm
Common Name: Bibron’s Gecko
Latin Name: Pachydactylus Bibroni
Native To: Southern Africa, Tanzania, Angola
Size: 6” – 9”
Life Span: 8 – 10 years
HOUSNG REQUIREMENTS
Environment:
Humid forest with lots of plants and branches
Vivarium Size:
Bibron’s Geckos are what’s known as an arboreal species. This basically means that they live up in trees and like a lot of plant cover. Due to this, we recommend a tall vivarium measuring a minimum of 18X24X12 and 24X36X18 for larger or multiple specimens.
Substrate:
We recommend a substrate of forest floor/mulch and sphagnum moss. Not only will this provide a natural look to the vivarium, it will also help to raise the humidity.
Food and Water:
As with most geckos, Bibron’s Geckos are insectivorous. They will happily dine on crickets, mealworms, hoppers and waxworms (fed sparingly due to their high fat content)
It is recommended that live food is dusted with vitamin and calcium supplements.
Although a water bowl is a recommended addition to the vivarium, geckos tend to prefer to drink from dripping water. Therefore you will need to spray any leaves/branches a couple of times each day. Not only will this provide drinking water, but it will also help to keep the humidity up.
The ideal humidity for Bibron’s Geckos is 60 – 70%. This can be measured using a hygrometer.
Heat/Light Requirements:
Bibron’s Geckos need 24 hour heat and 10 – 12 UV light. One end of the vivarium should be the designated ‘hot’ end, also known as the ‘basking area’ and the other should be the ‘cool’ end. A basking lamp should be fixed at the hot end enabling temperatures up to 95*F whilst either a ceramic heater or an infra red bulb should be placed in the cool end. This gradient from hot to cold allows the cold bloodied gecko to ‘thermo regulate’ i.e. cool down when too hot and warm up when too cold. This gradient also aids with digestion and, in conjunction with the UV light promotes a more active lifestyle.
At night it is best to allow the temperature to drop 10*F – 12*F to reconstruct the natural nightly temperature drop of the wild and to allow the reptile to shut down and sleep.
Below are the ideal temperatures for your Bibron’s Gecko, all of which can be thermostatically controlled:
Day (cool end): 75*F – 85*F
Basking (warm end): 90*F – 95*F
Night: 65*F – 75*F
Further Reading:
www.reptileallsorts.com/bibrongecko.htm