Interested in keeping lizards from your home? Lizards are suitable as pets because they are easy to care for. Geckos are quiet, uncluttered, and don't require a lot of attention and space.
Step
Part 1 of 4: Preparing the Cage for Pet Geckos
Step 1. Buy a glass aquarium and add a lid on it
It is recommended to use a 20 gallon aquarium (61 cm long, 30.5 cm wide, 30.5 cm high). Make sure to cover all holes that the lizards can use to escape.
Step 2. Use a UBV lamp or heating pad to warm the lizard cage to the right temperature
Geckos are cold-blooded animals that rely on environmental temperatures for their activities. The aquarium temperature should be at least 27 degrees Celsius at one end and 35 degrees Celsius at the other.
Do not use heated stones as the temperature is too high
Step 3. Choose a floor mat that is easy to clean
Paper towels and newsprint are inexpensive, easy to obtain, and easy to replace.
Step 4. Include various means of hiding such as vines, small branches, pieces of wood, or cardboard boxes
Geckos are very happy to hide.
Part 2 of 4: Catching House Geckos
Step 1. Find a place where lizards usually roam
Lizards love warm temperatures and sunlight, so look for outside walls that are exposed to sunlight.
Step 2. Catch the lizards by setting a trap or using a lizard fishing rod
- Set traps. Find an odorless box, then cover it with plastic and cut a slit. Put the insect bait in the box and place it where the lizards usually roam. Check the trap 2-3 times a day. Geckos may have only been caught for a few days, so make sure the bait is changed regularly.
- Using a lizard fishing rod. Look for a stalk that is 1 meter long and dental floss (dental floss). Tie the thread at the end of the stalk. Make a knot with a hole big enough for the lizard's neck to enter. Approach the lizard slowly and carefully insert the loop into the lizard's neck. The best time to catch geckos is in the morning because the geckos are still not "hot" and move more slowly.
Step 3. Identify your gecko on an animal site like Animal World
Geckos, anoles, and skinks are types of lizards that are suitable as pets.
Part 3 of 4: Holding a Gecko
Step 1. Handle the lizard with care
Geckos can feel pain. Geckos that do not feel comfortable will bite, struggle, claw and struggle to escape.
Step 2. Grab the lizard with a spooning motion and hold its head carefully between your thumb and forefinger
Or, pinch the lizard with your hand while holding one of its front paws with your thumb and forefinger. This way, the lizards won't be too rebellious and bite you
Step 3. Gently place one hand on the lizard's back
Use your other hand to hold the lizard by its side so it doesn't move around much.
Step 4. Try to support the weight and length of the lizard's body so that the lizard feels comfortable
Do it calmly and gently.
Part 4 of 4: Caring for Pet Geckos
Step 1. Give the lizard water every day
Depending on the type of lizard, a thin water container or bubbler bowl (for lizards that don't drink from still water) or spraying the walls of the cage with water (for arboreal and desert geckos) will meet the lizard's water needs daily.
Step 2. Prepare lizard food such as live crickets or super mealworm larvae and feed the lizards 5-7 times per week
Make sure the size of the food matches the size of the lizard.
Start with 6 insects to see how much your lizard eats. "leftover" food can be dangerous for lizards while sleeping. Therefore, do not put too many insects in the aquarium
Step 3. Clean the aquarium if it smells or looks dirty
- Take the floor mat. If the cage is lined with paper, throw it away and replace it with new paper. If the base is gravel or carpet, wash it thoroughly and place it back on the aquarium floor.
- Spray the aquarium walls with the cleaner. A good cleaning fluid for lizard cages contains 1/3 alcohol and 2/3 water and a drop or two of dishwashing liquid. Wipe the aquarium dry.
Tips
- If your lizard escapes, look for it immediately.
- Do not release lizards back into the wild after being kept for a long time.
- Do not keep more than one male lizard.
- If you want to breed lizards, make sure the cage is big enough and don't keep more than one male. The best breeding combination is one male and four female lizards.
Warning
- Make sure you are on guard when handling lizards. Like other animals, lizards can transmit disease and infection.
- Remove the lizard's neck from the thread as soon as possible so that it does not suffocate when it struggles.
