Description
Scientific Name : Eurydactylodes
Common Name : Chameleon Gecko
Origins : New Caledonia (Endemic)
Behaviour : Diurnal
Easy Of Care : Beginner
Life Span: 10 – 15 Years +
About Eurydactylodes
Eurydactylodes are a Genus of small geckos comprised of only 4 species (E.Agricolae) (E.Vieillardi) (E.Occidentalis) (E.Symmetricus).
They are easy to care for, have calm temprements despite their small size which makes for easy handling (approx. 5-10cm Full length)
Along with the small size, The colours and patterns of these geckos are shades of green can display orange and yellow which in turn makes them a fun reptile to keep. Hatchlings and sub adults are best kept alone once they are adults they can live in pairs or one male to two females. Cohabiting can lead to fighting, and competition for food so just bare this in mind.
In their natural habitat Eurydactylodes if they feel threatened they will squrt a foul smelly liquid this is unlikely to happen in captivity. The liquid doesnt irritate human skin but would cause very intense irritation to the eyes. Eurydactylodes Dont drop their tails but if the tail was severed it would grow back.
Set-up / Enclosure
Eurydactylodes geckos are best kept in an arboreal terrarium. A 30x30x45cm glass terrarium is the minimum size for an adult. Glass terrariums with good ventilation help with the higher humidity requirements. Young geckos, it is advised they are housed in smaller setups, to aid with monitoring growth and feeding.
Decor
This is not only to make your enclosure more pleasing to look at but is essential to make your Eurydactylodes gecko feel safe and secure in its enclosure. This can be accomplished with a simplistic artificial set up of small vines, Small sticks they can fully grasp, artificial plants & coco fiber. Bio Active set ups are also great for Eurydactylodes geckos.
Lighting
Although Eurydactylodes geckos are Diurnal they can benefit from additional UVB lighting. They can be found in Ferguson Zone 1. which means they require UVI 0.0 – 0.7 (Maximum UVI: 0.6 – 1.4 in basking zone). A 2.4% UVB bulb is recommended to give the correct UV strength when placed on the mesh screen top of your terrarium.
Temperature & Humidty
Eurydactylodes geckos require An ambient temperature in the range of 20-24C within the enclosure. Although no additional heat is required a basking spot can be added. The basking spot should be set to 25°c – 27°c Ideally night time temps should not dip below 18°c.
Eurydactylodes Geckos thrive with a slightly higher humidity than most other reptiles this should be maintained at around 50% with this increasing to around 70-80% when misting once or twice a day depending your location in the world. Bioactive is a great way to keep the correct humidity levels in your terrarium.
You can monitor humidity with a hygrometer but generally misting once a day in colder wetter months and twice a day in warmer months will keep your Eurydactylodes gecko at the correct humidity. The enclosure should have a drying out period between mistings.
Food & water
Eurydactylodes geckos eat both fruit and insect-based diets. There are a variety of complete geckos diets available on the market. These are available as a powder, when mixed with water make a fruit smoothie type meal. This should be replaced every 48 hours. It can be fed in a bowl on a ledge where the gecko finds it easy to access.
Chahoua geckos can also be offered a variety of different, gut loaded livefood insects.
Live foods can include:
Crickets
Fruit Flys
Roaches
*Important* Always feed insects of an appropriate size, the insect should be no bigger than the gap between your geckos eyes All live food should be dusted in Vitamin & Mineral powders, Calcium powder with added D3. (Please read the label of your chosen brand) You will often see your gecko lapping water from the leaves in their enclosure after misting, They will also drink from a water bowl. Adding a water bowl ensures constant access to water.
Handling
When you introduce you Eurydactylodes gecko in his/her new home its best to leave them alone to settle in and get used to their surrounding for 3-4 weeks this will help encourage them to eat their gecko diet. Hatchlings are more flighty than adults but soon get used to being held Eurydactylodes geckos are easy to handle but if you can refrain from too much handling is best. They can sometimes display some territorial behaviour when they are in their enclosure, but once out are friendly and easy to handle.
Health
- Stuck Shed – If your gecko has had a bad shed (stuck shed) this usually indicates your humidity is too low. If you can, addressing the issue as soon as possible is best. Try rasing your humidity.
- MBD Metabolic Bone Disease – Happens when your gecko doesn’t have the correct amount of calcium in their diet resulting in bad bone structure – jaw deformitiesand mussle tremors to name a few.
- Egg Binding – (Dystocai) caused if your geckos fat or calcium deposits are low. If you suspect your gecko has egg inside her she may be having trouble passing them it is best to call your reptile vet straight away.
- Bacterial and fungal infections – are caused by poor hushandry dirty enclosures, if you notice any symptoms please seek veterinarian advice straight away.
- Impaction “although uncommon” If using coco fiber your gecko could become impacted particularly in smaller geckos.
- Please be aware reptiles can carry salmonella. Good handwashing practices should be taken before after handling your reptile.
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