Pictus Gecko Care (Madagascar Ground Gecko)
Latin Name: Paroeadura Pictus
4-6 inches
Housing Females may be kept in groups or by themselves. Males cannot be housed together, due to territorial fighting. I recommend a maximum of 2 geckos for a 10 gallon tank. 3-4 geckos can be housed in a 20 gallon aquarium.
Tank Décor You may use rocks, driftwood, half logs, cracked clay pots, or even make your own decorations. Just make sure everything is properly sterilized before adding it to the tank. Make sure to provide a humid hide box for your gecko, such as a tupperware bowl or a margarine container with a hole cut out on the side 1/3 filled with damp sphagnum peat moss, or paper towels, which is necessary for shedding and sometimes where they choose to lay their eggs.
Substrate I recommend keeping any pictus 6 months and younger on paper towels or newspaper. This will prevent impaction. You may also use reptile bark when they are larger and older.. I DO NOT recommend the use of sand at all.
Heating Do not use heat rocks. They can and will burn your gecko. Day time temps should be between 82-87 f, and night time temps should be between 72-78 f. Do not let the temperatures drop below 70f at night. If so, you may use an under tank heater (UTH) heating pad. Pictus are nocturnal, so they do not require any type of UV lighting.
Feeding Adults can eat ¾ inch crickets. Juveniles should be fine on ½ inch crickets. You should also feed mealworms, and occasionally wax worms as a treat. You should dust the crickets with calcium powder every other feeding. Always provide a fresh shallow water dish. Be sure to properly gutload the feeder bugs at least one day prior to feeding.
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