Mary Allen
Everyone knows them: geckos! There are nearly 1,200 different species of gecko, many of which have not yet been discovered. The best known and most frequently kept gecko is the leopard gecko. But everyone also knows the beautiful, colorful day geckos of the genus Phelsuma, which can even climb ceilings with adhesive lamellas on their toes.
Distribution and Habitats of the Geckos
The Gekkonidae family is immensely diverse, and the animals are common all over the world. Geckos (Gekkonidae) are a family of the Squamata (Squamata). They have inhabited our planet for around 50 million years. Geckos are extremely adaptable and are therefore native to a wide variety of habitats. Whether in the rainforest on the trees, in mountains, or in deserts, they have brought about biodiversity that is almost unmanageable. They inhabit almost every continent on earth. Gekkonidae belongs to around 100 genera, which contain approximately 1,200 different species.
Some Species are Real Climbing Artists
When you hear about geckos, you’ll immediately think of the adhesive strips that some species of gecko use to move around as if they had glue on their toes. They climb up walls and ceilings without paying attention to gravity so that some people get jealous and ask themselves: Why can’t we humans do that? Furthermore, the lidless eye, which is present in many geckos, especially in animals of the genus Phelsuma from Madagascar and the surrounding islands, is impressive.
Prepared and Equipped for Escape
Another characteristic of the geckos is the ability to shed their tailor at least part of the tail in case of danger. You still have a chance to escape. If this happens in the terrarium, you may be concerned about the wound. But don’t worry, the gecko doesn’t mind. At first, it is just a little weakened, but that soon subsides. In addition, the tail grows back but never returns to what it was before. So a small blemish will remain.
How Do Geckos Feed?
Geckos mainly feed on insects such as crickets, house crickets, grasshoppers, mealworms, and cockroaches. For all species, however, you must dust the food insects well with a vitamin and mineral preparation such as Exo Terra Multivitamin before feeding them. But also fruit pulp is very much valued by some species and even loved by Phelsumen.
The biodiversity in this family is so great and so extensive that before you buy a gecko you have to find out about its natural habitat and the necessary keeping requirements, e. B. also how many animals get along together.
Note on Species Protection
Many terrarium animals are under species protection because their populations in the wild are endangered or could be endangered in the future. Therefore the trade is partly regulated by law. However, there are already many animals from German offspring. Before buying animals, please inquire whether special legal provisions need to be observed.