Flying Gecko Care Sheet

Flying Gecko Care Sheet

Common Name: Flying Gecko

Scientific Name: Ptychozoon kuhli's

Range: Asia

Introduction: Flying geckos are a neat and unusual looking gecko. They are unigue in its ability to glide substantial distances when threatened. They dont actually fly but get there name because they can glide long distances. They have flaps of skin between their feet and body and under there neck. Its rare to see them glide in captivity because they are not normally provided enough room to glide far.

Housing: Housing flying geckos can be done be novice keepers but some care needs to be taken. The most important part of housing flying geckos is the height. I wouldnt go with anything smaller then a 16 high for a flying gecko because the height is important, bigger is always better. Sturdy branches for climbing should be added, also lots of plant cover and hides are important. Artificial plants work best, the ones with the broad leafes and suction cup to stick to the glass work great. Its best to position alot of the artificial plants near the top of the cage because they prefer to be off the ground, because they are aboreal geckos. Its also important to have hides and cover on the ground.

Temps & Humidity: Flying geckos are nocturnal and do not require UVB, but they do require some lighting for heating. Low wattage ceramic heat emitters,nocturnal bulbs,or regular house hold bulbs work. Flying geckos come from a hot and humid enviroment, so a warm enclousure temperature is essential for to the geckos survival. A daytime temperature of 80 to 85 degrees is good, and at night the temps can drop down to around 70 degrees.

Substrate: Commercial bags of mulch,bark,or cocunut husks work great. I personally use coconut fiber but paper towels and newsapaper also work but not as good as their other loose substrates because paper products dont hold the humidity well. If you plan on buying mulch or any of the other loose substrates from somewhere besides the pet store, then make sure they dont contain any chemical or fertilizer additives, which may pose a health risk to your gecko. Stay away from pine,ceder,or aspen chips because the contain harsh oils and resins that may lead to the death of your gecko. Soil and other substrates gathered from outside should be avoided because they often contain bacteria,molds,and parasites.

Food & Water: Flying geckos are insectivores and will eat a number of different insects but in captivity they should be fed crickets,mealworms,butterworms,roaches,or wax worms are a treat but not often because they are fattening and addicting. Its always best to feed a variety rather then just one thing. Every fourth meal should be lightly dusted with a commercial vitimain and mineral powder. Every second meal should be coated with a calcium powder. It is important not to exceed the usage of the vitimain powder because vitimain accumulation and toxicity may occur. I feed my flying gecko twice weekly. Flying geckos rarely drink out of a standing water dish, they drink off leaves and the glass. The cage must be misted good atleast once a day for drinking and it helps with the humidity.

Handling: Flying geckos are very fast and it is not reccomended to handle them. They are display animal. If you need to remove them from the cage for cleaning then simply place the holding container in the cage and get the gecko to go into it and put the cover on, alot less stress for the gecko and easier for you.

Conclusion: Flying geckos make a great and unusaul looking gecko to keep. They make just great for display with a nice set-up. If thats what your looking for then a flying gecko is a great choice. If your looking for something to handle then a flying gecko isnt what your looking for.