yellow headed dwarf gecko (Lygodactylus picturatus)
Distribution:
East Africa, from Ethiopia in the north to Mozambique in the south, inland to northern Zimbabwe and eastern Zaire, as well as on the islands of Mafia and Zanzibar off the Tanzanian coast.
Habitat:
Semi-moist areas of palms, acacias or fences and house walls.
Short description:
The geckos can reach a total length of 7.2 to 9 cm. Males are on the head and front body gorgeous yellow with dark brown stripes and spots. The body, the limbs and tail are blue-gray. Her throat is black, the belly solid orange. The females have answered some other descriptions also has a yellow head, however, are more gray / brown in color on the body. For them, the underside is white, and the throat is usually colored white. Often also shows a faded marbling. When ranking battles inferior males also show the same coloring as the females.
In general, the staining of both sexes, depending on the mood vary greatly from completely dark brown to the bright yellow head and bright blue-gray body.
Das erste Gelege 10.03.2006
Lifestyle, attitude and breeding:
This dwarf gecko is active during the day and at dusk. The animals spend the day preferably on large trees in one to two meters in height. Like other geckos they flee in disorder on the opposite side of the tree and climb it up. According to observations, only one couple at a tree stays in the breeding season. At this time the males advertise with particularly intense staining and with threatening gestures and the bulging of the black throat to the females. In intraspecific disputes, they show the same threats and a more intense color.
Even small , about 30 x 30 x 40 cm large terrariums with a mixture of potting soil and sand as a substrate suffice for a couple. For climbing and as decoration serves a bizarre branch or a moorkienroot. The lighting - this is a spotlight is - we bring in such a way that it is directed to the highest point of the root or the branch . At this point, the Geckos take their sun baths. To know about are fluorescent tubes, the UV -A rays emit or metal halide lamps , since the geckos are quite hungry for light . Some tendrils of Scindapsus aureus can complete the furnishings . The geckos get the daily spraying as well as the plants. The temperatures during the day must vary between 25 and 32°C and at night 18 to 22°C . In addition to arthropods, you can from time to time over-ripe banana pieces geckos in a bowl offer . In the terrarium reproduction in any particular season seems to be bound , as the male is courting females in all months of the year.
The females lay the two , mostly stuck together , 5 x 3 mm eggs, preferably in columns from cattle . It is useful to convert the nest together with their base in a breeding container . The 25mm juveniles hatch in a brood temperature between 28 and 30°C and a relative humidity of 70 to 80% after about 45 days. The temperature is only 22 to 25°C. during the day and at night, 19°C , the slack time is extended to 78 days, and at even lower temperatures even at about 95 days. However, there is always the risk that the temperatures are too low and the embryos die in the eggs .
The young animals can wind up in small clear plastic boxes with gauze cover, with only a layer of foam and a small piece of cork bark form the device . Smallest crickets and wax moths , as well as Drosophila and meadow plankton are suitable rearing food . At the age of two months, the pups begin to change the color and can even before they have completed the first year of life , be sexually mature. Nevertheless, L. picturatus belongs in the hands of experienced keeper.