Guide to House Gecko Care: Insights on Common Species

Common house geckos, originally from southern Europe and northern Africa, are fascinating pets. They have established breeding populations in many warm climates worldwide. Often considered an invasive species, they spread by hitching rides on ships and other transport and breeding at new locations. Their colors range from yellowish tan with dark spots to pale grey-white, often appearing lighter at night.

These geckos are abundant and readily available, often "wild-caught" from homes. Since houses are their natural habitat, they adapt well to captivity with proper care. In colder climates, they need a warm, humid enclosure. While they are too quick for frequent handling, their climbing skills are fascinating to observe.

Common House Gecko Behavior and Temperament

Common house geckos thrive in wild ecosystems and human habitats, including house walls and ceilings in tropical climates, giving them their name. They are beneficial visitors, controlling insect populations, and are welcomed in many homes. They typically feed on insects attracted to light sources at dusk and dawn.

Housing the Common House Gecko

Common house geckos have specialized toe pads that enable them to move effortlessly on vertical and upside-down surfaces, displaying unique behavior for reptiles. They can easily climb the windows of their tanks.

A 20-gallon tall terrarium suits a pair of common house geckos, but bigger is better for their housing. They prefer vertical space for climbing, so opt for a tall tank. Provide climbable furnishings like branches, driftwood, and silk or live plants.

Male geckos are territorial and should be housed alone. Females can cohabit with others, but ensure only one male per enclosure to prevent fighting. All lizards need hiding spots like reptile caves or clay pots. If housing multiple geckos, provide enough hides for each.

Substrate

For tank cleanliness and air quality, the substrate is crucial. Provide a moisture-retentive lining, like reptile bark or shredded coconut fiber, without being wet. Avoid sand and washable reptile carpets, as they don't help create a humid environment. To clean, remove soiled areas and replace them with fresh or surplus tank material.

Heat

Common house geckos come from humid subtropical climates, so mimic this in their enclosures. Maintain a daytime temperature of 75-90F with nighttime lows of 65-75F. Use ceramic heaters or reptile bulbs for warmth. A heat mat can supplement heat but won't warm the air well since it's under the terrarium. Use white light bulbs during the day and red or purple bulbs at night.

Light

Common house geckos are nocturnal and require less UVB lighting than diurnal reptiles. However, experts recommend UV lighting to mimic sunlight, benefiting nocturnal animals' health. Use a UVA/UVB light bulb during the day.

Humidity

Aim for 60-75% relative humidity in house gecko enclosures, measurable with a hygrometer. Maintain humidity with consistent misting, a shallow water bowl, or a fogger. Geckos often drink from mist-formed water droplets on glass and furnishings.

Food and Water

House geckos should be fed a variety of small prey items. Crickets can make up the main part of their diet with the addition of fruit flies and other small flies, silkworms, the occasional mealworm, and other insects. Gut load the prey before feeding a gecko. Dust the prey with a calcium supplement two to three times a week, and a dusting of a multivitamin once a week.

Feed your common house geckos in the evening. Juveniles should be fed daily but adults can be fed every other day. Feed as much prey as your house gecko will eagerly consume over a 10-minute period. Provide a small shallow water dish with fresh water daily even though common house geckos may prefer to drink from condensed water droplets; your lizard may use this bowl for soaking.

Common Health and Behavior Problems

The common house gecko has adapted to human dwellings in tropical regions where both humidity and insects are ubiquitous in the environment. When these animals become pets in more temperate latitudes, however, they need extra care from their owners to provide for their dietary and environmental needs.

All geckos can develop a metabolic bone disease (MBD), which is the result of insufficient dietary calcium and vitamin D. Geckos with MBD have a poor appetite, exhibit tremors, and sometimes, they can even develop painful limb deformities.

These geckos also get respiratory infections, including pneumonia. If your gecko is drooling or wheezing or has excess mucus around its nasal passages, these symptoms likely indicate a respiratory infection.

Seek out an exotic animal veterinarian who specializes in reptiles, especially lizards. Most geckos will recover from these maladies if they are treated in the early stages.

Choosing Your Common House Gecko

Owners of pet common house geckos should be careful not to contribute to the invasive species problem by releasing them into the wild in foreign zones. But if you catch a house gecko in North America to keep as a pet, you won't be harming the species overall. Due to climate change, their range is increasing northward, and the reach of this urbanized species that lives symbiotically with humans is predicted to spread to many additional continents beyond their native southern Europe and northern Africa.

Before you acquire a common house gecko, inspect its skin for any sign of dry patches, which could indicate problems shedding. If possible, arrange to watch the animal eat to ensure it has a healthy appetite before taking it on as your pet.

Similar Species to the Common House Gecko

If you're interested in other small pet lizards, check out:

• Golden gecko
• Crested gecko
• Green anole

Otherwise, check out other types of reptiles and amphibians that can be your pet!