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Japanese Cave Gecko (Goniurosaurus orientalis) Care Sheet
Japanese cave geckos are beautiful, fast, shy animals
native to rocky, wet mountain forests of Japan. They are found on four different islands of Japan: Ie-Jiima, Tonaki-Shima, Aka-Shima, and
Tokashiki-Shima. In the wild they are
found in and around the mouths of caves located near small moving bodies of
water.
Life span: 10-15 years in captivity
Size: 6”-7”nose tip to tail tip.
Appearance: Slender bodies with black or dark brown banding and splotches of orange or red, which increase with age. Tails are white and black striped. Eyes of this and most of the Japanese cave geckos are a beautiful dark red.
Captive Care:
-Cage: Humidity is key with this species so a glass aquarium with ¾ solid lid to help maintain humidity is best. Humidity should be kept between 60-80%. A long tank is more useful than a tall tank for this species as they are terrestrial and enjoy exploring their cage.
-Décor: Live plants assist in maintaining humidity as well as provide good cover for these shy beauties. Solidly planted rocks and logs with nooks and crannies for the animals to hide in are greatly appreciated as well.
-Substrate: A good substrate for these humidity-loving geckos is sphagnum moss and orchid bark (fir tree bark). The orchid bark is naturally resistant to mold and helps maintain humidity (it is also too large to be swallowed). For a tank with living plants we have a 2” deep layer of pebbles for drainage, with 2” organic soil (no chemicals!), then add 2” of orchid bark, and sphagnum moss planted randomly around the tank.
-Temp: Prefer cooler temperatures down to the mid 60’s and should NOT be kept hotter than 82*F. We keep ours at 65 in the winter, and 80 in the summer with night time drops up to 5 degrees.
-Lighting: While not necessary for these nocturnal animals if you do decide to use live plants, which we suggest, then you will need proper lighting.
-Water: A shallow water dish should be provided at all times as well as misting the cage 1-2 times a day as needed to maintain humidity.
-Feeding: Offer each animal 4 medium sized prey items 2x a week. Prey should not be larger than the width of the gecko’s head. All prey should be offered with calcium and D3 vitamin supplement added. We feed our animals wax worms, roaches, crickets, and moths.
-Breeding: Be sure when you are ready to try breeding that your animals are healthy and correctly sexed adults before trying. It takes 12-15 months for these animals to reach adult size and they are easily stressed and may die if attempted to breed too early. Breeding typically occurs in the fall with females laying up to 4 clutches of 2 eggs each in a season. Eggs should be incubated on moist perlite in closed containers for approximately 80 days with temps between 75 and 80*F.
Life span: 10-15 years in captivity
Size: 6”-7”nose tip to tail tip.
Appearance: Slender bodies with black or dark brown banding and splotches of orange or red, which increase with age. Tails are white and black striped. Eyes of this and most of the Japanese cave geckos are a beautiful dark red.
Captive Care:
-Cage: Humidity is key with this species so a glass aquarium with ¾ solid lid to help maintain humidity is best. Humidity should be kept between 60-80%. A long tank is more useful than a tall tank for this species as they are terrestrial and enjoy exploring their cage.
-Décor: Live plants assist in maintaining humidity as well as provide good cover for these shy beauties. Solidly planted rocks and logs with nooks and crannies for the animals to hide in are greatly appreciated as well.
-Substrate: A good substrate for these humidity-loving geckos is sphagnum moss and orchid bark (fir tree bark). The orchid bark is naturally resistant to mold and helps maintain humidity (it is also too large to be swallowed). For a tank with living plants we have a 2” deep layer of pebbles for drainage, with 2” organic soil (no chemicals!), then add 2” of orchid bark, and sphagnum moss planted randomly around the tank.
-Temp: Prefer cooler temperatures down to the mid 60’s and should NOT be kept hotter than 82*F. We keep ours at 65 in the winter, and 80 in the summer with night time drops up to 5 degrees.
-Lighting: While not necessary for these nocturnal animals if you do decide to use live plants, which we suggest, then you will need proper lighting.
-Water: A shallow water dish should be provided at all times as well as misting the cage 1-2 times a day as needed to maintain humidity.
-Feeding: Offer each animal 4 medium sized prey items 2x a week. Prey should not be larger than the width of the gecko’s head. All prey should be offered with calcium and D3 vitamin supplement added. We feed our animals wax worms, roaches, crickets, and moths.
-Breeding: Be sure when you are ready to try breeding that your animals are healthy and correctly sexed adults before trying. It takes 12-15 months for these animals to reach adult size and they are easily stressed and may die if attempted to breed too early. Breeding typically occurs in the fall with females laying up to 4 clutches of 2 eggs each in a season. Eggs should be incubated on moist perlite in closed containers for approximately 80 days with temps between 75 and 80*F.