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EGYPTIAN SAND GECKO
Stenodactylus petrii
The Captive Care and Reproduction of the Egyptian Sand Gecko
BY: Matt Lutz, breeding info by Peter
http://www.freewebs.com/mapletonexotics/index.htm
BEHAVIOUR
The sand gecko is a small, desert dwelling species reaching a total length of just over 5 inches. It is a terrestrial gecko, meaning it lacks adhesive toe pads on its feet. Therefore, they cannot climb glass, and prefer to stay close to the ground. This is where they do a lot of digging. They do not tunnel like Teratoscincus species, but instead, make chambers under rocks and bark.
Stenos do vocalize, but not very often. Usually when they are mating or chirping to their partners.
LONGEVITY
Stenos have a life expectancy of around 5 years. Most are imported, so they are likely to be older than you think they are. They are also likely to have parasites or other diseases and that will shorten their life if not looked after. There have not been any records of stenos and their life expectancies, so 5 years is an approximate but educated guess.
THE SAND GECKO FOR THE BEGINNER
Although having more complicated needs than say a leopard or crested gecko, sand geckos are relatively easy to care for. For many reasons, the sand gecko is a good choice for moving up in experience. While an easy species to care for, you should already have some experience with geckos. You must realize that these geckos do not like to be held, and spend most of their time hiding under cage décor. Parasites are often found on and in stenos and must be dealt with otherwise death may occur.
DIET
Diet: Stenodactylus petrii are strictly insectivores in nature, eating appropriate sized crickets, and small mealworms. Smaller worms (phoenix and waxworms) can be fed, but not too often.
Supplying calcium is always important. You should dust all livefood with calcium except for once a week. Once a week use a vitamin supplement, with D3.
WATER
Water is not all too important. Spray the keeper down every few days. This is the time to give them a gentle spray and let them lap up water off their bodies. These geckos come from the deserts of Egypt and Libya, so keep humidity down as low as possible although, as previously stated, a misting to keep the sand from caving in is a good idea.
HEALTH
Health: Stenos are relatively healthy, especially if they are clean of parasites. If you can, go for the captive bred geckos, even if it costs you more. It will make things a lot easier. Sand geckos are nocturnal, and do not require U.V. Temperatures should range between 88-90 F*. Turn all heating of at night, it gets very cold in the desert, and you need to simulate their natural habitat.
SEXING
It is easy to tell the difference between male and female S. petrii. Females are heavier looking than males. Males have hemipenile bulges at the base of the tail. These are obvious to see. Females will not have hemipenile bulges.
HOUSING
Sand geckos can comfortably live in small vivaria. You can keep a pair of adults in a standard 5 gallon aquarium that measures 20" long and 10" deep. They spend all of their time on the ground, so length and width are more important than height.
Sand geckos are nocturnal, and spend a lot of time hiding during the day, therefore needing plenty of dark hiding spots. They like to have hides that are flat and close to their backs. Flat, lightweight rocks can be used. Make sure that when the gecko burrows underneath it, it will not collapse and squish your gecko. Cork bark is good to use because of its lightweight and natural look. Store bought caves can supply safe hiding spots, as long as they are buried right down to the bottom. Leave enough space for the gecko to crawl or dig through the opening, to make a secluded area for itself. Spray the sand down every 2-3 days to keep any tunnels and caves in place.
Substrate that is used most often with stenos is sand. Play sand and fine graded sand works well. An inch or two of sand is adequate. More sand means they will dig more and will stimulate natural behaviours. All Stenodactylus sp. have comb like scales on their toes, which aid in digging.
Both males and females can be kept in an enclosure. Males are not as territorial as other geckos, and will tolerate living with the same sex. The same goes for females. More space would allow the geckos to do more naturalistic activities. Be careful however, a too large of vivarium can stress them and they may not be able to find food.
Temperatures should range between 88-90 F*. A hot spot of 100*F seems to help accumulate geckos. Turn off all lights and let the temperatures drop down at night. Neither heat or cold can disturb these geckos. They have survived temperatures as cold as 55*F.
MORPHS
There are no known morphs of sand geckos. However, there are colour differences between individual geckos. Most have a background colour of a tan to yellow, with brown stripes across the width of their backs with a brown line, from the head all the way to the base of the tail.
The Captive Care and Reproduction of the Egyptian Sand Gecko
BY: Matt Lutz, breeding info by Peter
http://www.freewebs.com/mapletonexotics/index.htm
BEHAVIOUR
The sand gecko is a small, desert dwelling species reaching a total length of just over 5 inches. It is a terrestrial gecko, meaning it lacks adhesive toe pads on its feet. Therefore, they cannot climb glass, and prefer to stay close to the ground. This is where they do a lot of digging. They do not tunnel like Teratoscincus species, but instead, make chambers under rocks and bark.
Stenos do vocalize, but not very often. Usually when they are mating or chirping to their partners.
LONGEVITY
Stenos have a life expectancy of around 5 years. Most are imported, so they are likely to be older than you think they are. They are also likely to have parasites or other diseases and that will shorten their life if not looked after. There have not been any records of stenos and their life expectancies, so 5 years is an approximate but educated guess.
THE SAND GECKO FOR THE BEGINNER
Although having more complicated needs than say a leopard or crested gecko, sand geckos are relatively easy to care for. For many reasons, the sand gecko is a good choice for moving up in experience. While an easy species to care for, you should already have some experience with geckos. You must realize that these geckos do not like to be held, and spend most of their time hiding under cage décor. Parasites are often found on and in stenos and must be dealt with otherwise death may occur.
DIET
Diet: Stenodactylus petrii are strictly insectivores in nature, eating appropriate sized crickets, and small mealworms. Smaller worms (phoenix and waxworms) can be fed, but not too often.
Supplying calcium is always important. You should dust all livefood with calcium except for once a week. Once a week use a vitamin supplement, with D3.
WATER
Water is not all too important. Spray the keeper down every few days. This is the time to give them a gentle spray and let them lap up water off their bodies. These geckos come from the deserts of Egypt and Libya, so keep humidity down as low as possible although, as previously stated, a misting to keep the sand from caving in is a good idea.
HEALTH
Health: Stenos are relatively healthy, especially if they are clean of parasites. If you can, go for the captive bred geckos, even if it costs you more. It will make things a lot easier. Sand geckos are nocturnal, and do not require U.V. Temperatures should range between 88-90 F*. Turn all heating of at night, it gets very cold in the desert, and you need to simulate their natural habitat.
SEXING
It is easy to tell the difference between male and female S. petrii. Females are heavier looking than males. Males have hemipenile bulges at the base of the tail. These are obvious to see. Females will not have hemipenile bulges.
HOUSING
Sand geckos can comfortably live in small vivaria. You can keep a pair of adults in a standard 5 gallon aquarium that measures 20" long and 10" deep. They spend all of their time on the ground, so length and width are more important than height.
Sand geckos are nocturnal, and spend a lot of time hiding during the day, therefore needing plenty of dark hiding spots. They like to have hides that are flat and close to their backs. Flat, lightweight rocks can be used. Make sure that when the gecko burrows underneath it, it will not collapse and squish your gecko. Cork bark is good to use because of its lightweight and natural look. Store bought caves can supply safe hiding spots, as long as they are buried right down to the bottom. Leave enough space for the gecko to crawl or dig through the opening, to make a secluded area for itself. Spray the sand down every 2-3 days to keep any tunnels and caves in place.
Substrate that is used most often with stenos is sand. Play sand and fine graded sand works well. An inch or two of sand is adequate. More sand means they will dig more and will stimulate natural behaviours. All Stenodactylus sp. have comb like scales on their toes, which aid in digging.
Both males and females can be kept in an enclosure. Males are not as territorial as other geckos, and will tolerate living with the same sex. The same goes for females. More space would allow the geckos to do more naturalistic activities. Be careful however, a too large of vivarium can stress them and they may not be able to find food.
Temperatures should range between 88-90 F*. A hot spot of 100*F seems to help accumulate geckos. Turn off all lights and let the temperatures drop down at night. Neither heat or cold can disturb these geckos. They have survived temperatures as cold as 55*F.
MORPHS
There are no known morphs of sand geckos. However, there are colour differences between individual geckos. Most have a background colour of a tan to yellow, with brown stripes across the width of their backs with a brown line, from the head all the way to the base of the tail.
BREEDING
To stimulate them for breeding, the temperature should be turned off during the winter and left for a few months. Do not feed them for a week before turning off the heat so they can empty out their stomachs. S. petrii has been seen active at temperatures as low as 65F.
After two months of no heating, turn up the temperature over a week and give a few crickets at first. Once they have all been eaten, feed heavily (don’t forget to dust with calcium every feed as the female will need lots of calcium to produce the eggs) until the first eggs can be seen through the female’s sides. The eggs can be incubated in the set-up or removed to an incubator. Good results have been made using both methods.
Incubation & Rearing Hatchlings: Steno eggs are VERY thin shelled and can be broken very easily. It your choice to leave them in the set-up as is, or carefully remove them with a small spoon scooping them up with a good amount of sand under them to avoid breaking them. Place the eggs on DRY sand in a suitable container (cricket boxes or similar sized containers) the eggs will hatch out in about 54-58 days at a temp of 84f. The hatchlings are extremely fragile and should not be handled at all. Keep the hatchling in the same cricket box as they were incubated in for the first few weeks. Use card as hides which is slightly bent so there is a small gap for the hatchling to hide under, at least one of the hides should be slightly damp on the under side to aid in the first shed. The hatchling can be fed newly hatched crickets and flightless fruitflies. Calcium must be used on every feed.
SUMMARY
Sand geckos are a great choice for those who want to expand their collection. They are fun to watch, easy to house and feed.
Other Stenodactylus:
Stenodactylus doriae
Stenodactylus sthenodactylus
PRICE AND AVAILABILITY (CANADA)
Relatively easy to find as long as you have contacts that can direct you to some. A sand gecko goes for around $10-$25.
To stimulate them for breeding, the temperature should be turned off during the winter and left for a few months. Do not feed them for a week before turning off the heat so they can empty out their stomachs. S. petrii has been seen active at temperatures as low as 65F.
After two months of no heating, turn up the temperature over a week and give a few crickets at first. Once they have all been eaten, feed heavily (don’t forget to dust with calcium every feed as the female will need lots of calcium to produce the eggs) until the first eggs can be seen through the female’s sides. The eggs can be incubated in the set-up or removed to an incubator. Good results have been made using both methods.
Incubation & Rearing Hatchlings: Steno eggs are VERY thin shelled and can be broken very easily. It your choice to leave them in the set-up as is, or carefully remove them with a small spoon scooping them up with a good amount of sand under them to avoid breaking them. Place the eggs on DRY sand in a suitable container (cricket boxes or similar sized containers) the eggs will hatch out in about 54-58 days at a temp of 84f. The hatchlings are extremely fragile and should not be handled at all. Keep the hatchling in the same cricket box as they were incubated in for the first few weeks. Use card as hides which is slightly bent so there is a small gap for the hatchling to hide under, at least one of the hides should be slightly damp on the under side to aid in the first shed. The hatchling can be fed newly hatched crickets and flightless fruitflies. Calcium must be used on every feed.
SUMMARY
Sand geckos are a great choice for those who want to expand their collection. They are fun to watch, easy to house and feed.
Other Stenodactylus:
Stenodactylus doriae
Stenodactylus sthenodactylus
PRICE AND AVAILABILITY (CANADA)
Relatively easy to find as long as you have contacts that can direct you to some. A sand gecko goes for around $10-$25.
ATTENTION
© Mapleton Exotics Written by Matt Lutz Breeding Info by Peter
© Mapleton Exotics Written by Matt Lutz Breeding Info by Peter
With appreciation expressed to the many participating in building this site.
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