PLEASE NOTE
The information on the BambooZoo site is as much as 10 years old and in the hobby much has been learned. Though, I believe there is merit in keeping the site open. There are many controversial issues presented in these pages. Please view BambooZoo as a starting point in your research.
These beings are as complicated as we are and deserve more than a basic 5 paragraph care sheet to maintain their health and well being.
My passions have evolved. This is is the site I am growing today. We Heal the World
The information on the BambooZoo site is as much as 10 years old and in the hobby much has been learned. Though, I believe there is merit in keeping the site open. There are many controversial issues presented in these pages. Please view BambooZoo as a starting point in your research.
These beings are as complicated as we are and deserve more than a basic 5 paragraph care sheet to maintain their health and well being.
My passions have evolved. This is is the site I am growing today. We Heal the World
SPIDER GECKOS
GENERAL
Agamura persica (Duméril 1856), called Persian or blunt-tailed spider geckos, inhabits rocky and stony terrain close to sandy semi-desert, on hill slopes, and barren plains in regions of Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. They are nocturnal but can be found during the day basking at temperatures of about 17.5°C (air) and 15.5°C (surface), and active at temperatures as high as 44°C (surface). Their long, slender legs and tail give a spider-like impression and make them ideal for climbing the rocky environment they inhabit. Their toes are slender, clawed, and angularly bent and share this feature with other species including Cyrtopodion.
A. persica has a light grey upper body with yellow pigment and 5 dark crossbars almost as broad as the interspaces, 9 to 10 on tail and flecked grey belly.
Females range in size from 42 to 77 mm (SVL) with a tail of 34 to 59 mm while males range from 35 to 65 mm with a tail of 27 to 59 mm.
ENCLOSURE
House a single animal or pair in at least a 24” glass aquarium. Use a screen or wire lid to allow light and ventilation. These geckos can and do jump.
A. persica likes to have a flat rock in the sand on the hot side of the enclosure to bask. Stack lengths of driftwood and/or slate to make shelves over the enclosure.
BEDDING
Opt for a quartz sand bedding for breeding animals or slate for non-breeders to avoid issues of sand impaction.
TEMPERATURE
Use a 50 to 60 watt halogen lamp over the hot side of the enclosure. The surface temperature on the hot side of the enclosure can reach 100°F and even as high as 120°F. The cool side of the enclosure should stay at low to mid 70 at night and high 70 to low 80 at day.
FOOD AND WATER
A. persica can be kept on a diet of meal worms, crickets, silk worms, and the occasional wax worm. I feed adult geckos three times a week. Dust all prey items with calcium every feeding and vitamins once every week. You may also try the traditional 1:3 vitamins/calcium recipe used for other gecko species. If overdosing of calcium worries you, you can cut calcium supplementation to once a week for males and non-breeding females.
Calcium is very important for your geckos, especially breeding female geckos. Place a dish with high quality calcium in the enclosure. This will ensure your geckos will have enough calcium for bones and eggs without them resorting to eating sand in search of calcium.
Mist your gecko enclosure once a week to supply water for your geckos. Always keep a water dish in the enclosure, as well. It acts as a safety measure in case your geckos want to use it and it provides a little humidity to the enclosure as the water evaporates.
Agamura persica (Duméril 1856), called Persian or blunt-tailed spider geckos, inhabits rocky and stony terrain close to sandy semi-desert, on hill slopes, and barren plains in regions of Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. They are nocturnal but can be found during the day basking at temperatures of about 17.5°C (air) and 15.5°C (surface), and active at temperatures as high as 44°C (surface). Their long, slender legs and tail give a spider-like impression and make them ideal for climbing the rocky environment they inhabit. Their toes are slender, clawed, and angularly bent and share this feature with other species including Cyrtopodion.
A. persica has a light grey upper body with yellow pigment and 5 dark crossbars almost as broad as the interspaces, 9 to 10 on tail and flecked grey belly.
Females range in size from 42 to 77 mm (SVL) with a tail of 34 to 59 mm while males range from 35 to 65 mm with a tail of 27 to 59 mm.
ENCLOSURE
House a single animal or pair in at least a 24” glass aquarium. Use a screen or wire lid to allow light and ventilation. These geckos can and do jump.
A. persica likes to have a flat rock in the sand on the hot side of the enclosure to bask. Stack lengths of driftwood and/or slate to make shelves over the enclosure.
BEDDING
Opt for a quartz sand bedding for breeding animals or slate for non-breeders to avoid issues of sand impaction.
TEMPERATURE
Use a 50 to 60 watt halogen lamp over the hot side of the enclosure. The surface temperature on the hot side of the enclosure can reach 100°F and even as high as 120°F. The cool side of the enclosure should stay at low to mid 70 at night and high 70 to low 80 at day.
FOOD AND WATER
A. persica can be kept on a diet of meal worms, crickets, silk worms, and the occasional wax worm. I feed adult geckos three times a week. Dust all prey items with calcium every feeding and vitamins once every week. You may also try the traditional 1:3 vitamins/calcium recipe used for other gecko species. If overdosing of calcium worries you, you can cut calcium supplementation to once a week for males and non-breeding females.
Calcium is very important for your geckos, especially breeding female geckos. Place a dish with high quality calcium in the enclosure. This will ensure your geckos will have enough calcium for bones and eggs without them resorting to eating sand in search of calcium.
Mist your gecko enclosure once a week to supply water for your geckos. Always keep a water dish in the enclosure, as well. It acts as a safety measure in case your geckos want to use it and it provides a little humidity to the enclosure as the water evaporates.
CARE OF HATCHLINGS
Care for baby and juveniles is very similar to adult care. They can be housed very successfully under the same conditions. However you can reduce a lot of risk by considering a few issues.
Care for baby and juveniles is very similar to adult care. They can be housed very successfully under the same conditions. However you can reduce a lot of risk by considering a few issues.
- Keep young geckos without substrate until they have reached adult size (12 to 18 months). Sand impactions can be deadly to these young geckos.
- Feed the geckos daily with pinhead crickets dusted with the 1:3 vitamin:calcium recipe. Always dust the crickets with calcium at every feeding. Metabolic bone disease (MBD) can be very dangerous for young spider geckos because of their long bones. The legs are usually the first to break.
- Lightly mist the young geckos every day. Keeping a dish of standing water in the enclosure could result in drowned geckos.
- A smaller enclosure with few obstructions makes it easier for young geckos to find food. Use very few "decorations" in the enclosure. I use bathroom rolls which are easy to replace.
BREEDING
In the natural environment breeding occurs from March to May, eggs are laid in June and juveniles appear in September.
A. persica reaches breeding size at 18 to 24 months. At sexual maturity A. persica develops fatty patches at the arm pits.
Male and female A. persica may be housed separately until breeding is desired. Although captive geckos may breed any time in the year, a good strategy is to begin a programme in the late winter or early spring so the geckos can acclimate to the weather.
As winter approaches, slowly lower the temperature of the enclosure and decrease the photoperiod over the course of several weeks. Cool the animals to a day-time temperature in the range of 78°C to 84°F (26°C to 29°C) at the hot end of the enclosure. This should leave the cool side at the mid to low 60s (16°C to 19°C). Keep this temperature for five weeks or longer.
During this cooling, gradually reduce the amount of protein in the diet. When the enclosure reaches the desired winter-temperature the geckos will be very lethargic. Calcium/vitamin dusted mealworms make a good food choice because of their slow movement. It is not uncommon for the geckos to fast for a couple of weeks at a time, but do remember to attempt feeding on a regular schedule.
Always provide water for the geckos, even when they are lethargic. Dehydration occurs very rapidly since the geckos are taking in very little moisture; moisture they would normally get from prey items. Mist the geckos during the hottest part of the day to minimise the amount of heat lost.
When the cooling period is coming to an end, start to increase the photoperiod and the heat in the enclosure over several weeks. Slowly begin to increase the number of feedings. Also begin to add more protein to the diet. But as the temperature increases during warming, you may switch to calcium/vitamin dusted crickets. It is also good to use some wax worms to let the geckos gain energy and develop much needed fat. Do not forget the calcium. Calcium is especially important for female geckos. They use more of their body’s calcium in egg production than it might appear!
Introduce the male gecko to the female’s enclosure. The female should be comfortable in her environment to reduce the amount of stress occurring during breeding. If the female is uncomfortable, she may take longer to breed or may be unable to find a suitable laying site; she may lose her first or second clutch. The male will attempt copulation almost immediately.
In the natural environment breeding occurs from March to May, eggs are laid in June and juveniles appear in September.
A. persica reaches breeding size at 18 to 24 months. At sexual maturity A. persica develops fatty patches at the arm pits.
Male and female A. persica may be housed separately until breeding is desired. Although captive geckos may breed any time in the year, a good strategy is to begin a programme in the late winter or early spring so the geckos can acclimate to the weather.
As winter approaches, slowly lower the temperature of the enclosure and decrease the photoperiod over the course of several weeks. Cool the animals to a day-time temperature in the range of 78°C to 84°F (26°C to 29°C) at the hot end of the enclosure. This should leave the cool side at the mid to low 60s (16°C to 19°C). Keep this temperature for five weeks or longer.
During this cooling, gradually reduce the amount of protein in the diet. When the enclosure reaches the desired winter-temperature the geckos will be very lethargic. Calcium/vitamin dusted mealworms make a good food choice because of their slow movement. It is not uncommon for the geckos to fast for a couple of weeks at a time, but do remember to attempt feeding on a regular schedule.
Always provide water for the geckos, even when they are lethargic. Dehydration occurs very rapidly since the geckos are taking in very little moisture; moisture they would normally get from prey items. Mist the geckos during the hottest part of the day to minimise the amount of heat lost.
When the cooling period is coming to an end, start to increase the photoperiod and the heat in the enclosure over several weeks. Slowly begin to increase the number of feedings. Also begin to add more protein to the diet. But as the temperature increases during warming, you may switch to calcium/vitamin dusted crickets. It is also good to use some wax worms to let the geckos gain energy and develop much needed fat. Do not forget the calcium. Calcium is especially important for female geckos. They use more of their body’s calcium in egg production than it might appear!
Introduce the male gecko to the female’s enclosure. The female should be comfortable in her environment to reduce the amount of stress occurring during breeding. If the female is uncomfortable, she may take longer to breed or may be unable to find a suitable laying site; she may lose her first or second clutch. The male will attempt copulation almost immediately.
Continue to feed the geckos a diet heavy in protein and calcium, especially the female. It takes about
If you know the female has laid her eggs, wait about an hour before uncovering them. This will ensure the eggs have hardened. Carefully brush the sand from the top of the egg and apply a tiny dot of non-toxic children’s paint with a brush. Carefully uncover all the sand around the eggs.
Move the eggs to a small deli cup with about ½” of soft sand. You do not need to bury the eggs again.
Spider gecko eggs can be incubated at temperatures between 84°F and 86°F. The eggs will tolerate temperatures as high as 88°F and as low as 82°F. The hatchlings will hatch close to 70 days after being laid at the 84°F to 86°F range.
A fertile egg will appear pink after about 2 weeks when viewed from overhead.
The first few weeks are the toughest for keeping the hatchlings alive. If you remember to keep them hydrated and warm, there shouldn’t be any problem.
If you know the female has laid her eggs, wait about an hour before uncovering them. This will ensure the eggs have hardened. Carefully brush the sand from the top of the egg and apply a tiny dot of non-toxic children’s paint with a brush. Carefully uncover all the sand around the eggs.
Move the eggs to a small deli cup with about ½” of soft sand. You do not need to bury the eggs again.
Spider gecko eggs can be incubated at temperatures between 84°F and 86°F. The eggs will tolerate temperatures as high as 88°F and as low as 82°F. The hatchlings will hatch close to 70 days after being laid at the 84°F to 86°F range.
A fertile egg will appear pink after about 2 weeks when viewed from overhead.
The first few weeks are the toughest for keeping the hatchlings alive. If you remember to keep them hydrated and warm, there shouldn’t be any problem.
SEXING
Males have an obvious hemipenal bulge that you can see from a side profile. The thin morphology of the spider gecko makes the bulge even more noticeable. Male Agamura persica also have 2 to 4 pre-anal pores.
Females lack a bulge and pre-anal pores entirely.
Juveniles also lack this bulge. However by about the 8th to 12th week (roughly 7-8 cm SVL) male juveniles will begin to show slight bulging although it may happen as late as the 4th to 6th month.
REFERENCES
The Reptile Database (THE TIGR REPTILE DATABASE)
Anderson, S. C. (1999). The Lizards of Iran. Ithaca, New York: Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles.
Szczerbak, N.N., Golubev, M.L. (1986). Gecko Fauna of the USSR and Contiguous Regions. Kiev: Naukova Dumka.
Khan, M. S. (2005). An Overview of the Angular-toed Geckos of Pakistan (Squamata: Gekkonidae). Gekko, 4.2. 20-30).
Meyer, Michael (2004). Agamura persica - der Spinnengecko aus dem Mittleren Osten. Draco, 18, 59-63.
Khan, M. S. (2006). Amphibians and Reptiles of Pakistan. Malabar, Florida: Krieger Publishing.
Males have an obvious hemipenal bulge that you can see from a side profile. The thin morphology of the spider gecko makes the bulge even more noticeable. Male Agamura persica also have 2 to 4 pre-anal pores.
Females lack a bulge and pre-anal pores entirely.
Juveniles also lack this bulge. However by about the 8th to 12th week (roughly 7-8 cm SVL) male juveniles will begin to show slight bulging although it may happen as late as the 4th to 6th month.
REFERENCES
The Reptile Database (THE TIGR REPTILE DATABASE)
Anderson, S. C. (1999). The Lizards of Iran. Ithaca, New York: Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles.
Szczerbak, N.N., Golubev, M.L. (1986). Gecko Fauna of the USSR and Contiguous Regions. Kiev: Naukova Dumka.
Khan, M. S. (2005). An Overview of the Angular-toed Geckos of Pakistan (Squamata: Gekkonidae). Gekko, 4.2. 20-30).
Meyer, Michael (2004). Agamura persica - der Spinnengecko aus dem Mittleren Osten. Draco, 18, 59-63.
Khan, M. S. (2006). Amphibians and Reptiles of Pakistan. Malabar, Florida: Krieger Publishing.
