geckos

The Smallest Pet Geckos

~ BackwaterReptiles

We know we’re guilty of swooning and exclaiming over animals because their tiny-ness somehow seems to make them cuter in our eyes. If you’re anything like us, you’ll want to read on and check out our list of the smallest pet geckos sold at Backwater Reptiles. You won’t regret it!

The Smallest Pet Geckos

Dwarf Yellow Head Gecko (Lygodactylus albogularis)

Like all the geckos on this list, the yellow head dwarf gecko is a species of dwarf gecko. It’s very aptly named as it is known for its brightly-colored yellow head as well as its small stature.

These geckos are from East Africa and are very common in Tanzania. They thrive in man-made environments in captivity, but are commonly found nearly everywhere in their native country – on fence posts, basking on stone walls, in crevices outdoors, and on sign posts.

smallest pet geckos
Pictured is a mature yellow head dwarf gecko. Even when fully grown, these miniature lizards rarely exceed three inches and can easily fit in the palm of your hand or straddle your finger.

Yellow head geckos rarely exceed three inches in length. They have an expected life span of five to ten years in captivity.

Because they are “bite sized” animals, yellow head geckos are naturally very shy and will therefore require lots of hiding places in their enclosure. They will hide in loose substrate, tunnel-like decor, and the foliage provided for them to climb on.

Williams Blue Cave Gecko (Lygodactylus williamsi)

The most colorful gecko on our list is certainly the Williams blue cave gecko. The males of this dwarf gecko species are a brilliant, bold blue tone with black stripe accents, while the females are a bronze-like green color with fainter dark accent stripes.

female lygodactylus williamsi
This is a female Williams blue cave gecko. Females don’t live up to the “blue” portion of their common moniker since they are actually green in color.

Besides commonly being called the Williams blue cave gecko, this species is also named the electric blue day gecko and the turquoise dwarf gecko. We think all of these names are suitable as they properly describe the attributes that best represent what this species of gecko is known for.

male lygodactylus williamsi
The male Williams blue cave gecko is a true gem and definitely earns itself all its common color-based, descriptive names.

The Williams blue cave gecko is slightly smaller in size than the yellow head dwarf gecko. The blue cave gecko generally stays under or around two and a half inches long when fully grown, with the females being slightly smaller than the males. Captive animals usually have life spans of five to ten years.

Ashy Gecko (Sphaerodactylus elegans)

As hatchlings, ashy geckos look extremely different than their adult counterparts. Babies are horizontally striped and exhibit multiple colors. Once they become adults, their coloration becomes somewhat drab. We’d describe them as salt and pepper toned – they have a mixture of brown, black, and grey speckles all over their bodies.

juvenile ashy gecko
Young ashy geckos are rainbows of color with horizontal stripes or banding. As they mature, they become more drab.

Baby ashy geckos, as well as all the dwarf gecko species on this list, are extremely tiny and can fit through the small holes in screen cages as well as the gaps in screen cages doors. We highly recommend sealing any cage edges or large holes with masking tape or electrical tape until your gecko has grown into its enclosure.

adult ashy gecko
Adult ashy geckos don’t usually surpass three inches in length. They are also peppered with brown, black, and grey spots.

Your pet ashy gecko (and all the other mini geckos on this list) will eat small insects. At Backwater Reptiles, we give ours mainly pinhead crickets and fruit flies.

Conclusion – Smallest pet geckos

The petite geckos described in our list are not very hard to care for. They also don’t require a large enclosure, given the fact that they themselves don’t take up lots of space.

If you can handle the cute punch that these tiny geckos pack, Backwater Reptiles has got you covered! We sell dwarf yellow head geckos, Williams blue cave geckos, and ashy geckos at affordable prices. Just be sure your enclosure is secure as pretty much all these tiny geckos are master escape artists!

Trickiest Pet Lizards

~ BackwaterReptiles

Many lizards are relatively low maintenance and thrive in captivity with minimal care. However, there are many that have finicky temperaments, need more space, or have specialized diets that are not so effortless to keep in captivity, even though they can make equally rewarding companions.

The following list describes our top picks for the lizards that we feel are best suited to be kept by hobbyists with plenty of experience. In other words, these animals can be tricky to care for.

Flying Dragon (Draco volans)

The flying dragon is an agamid lizard that gets its name from its ability to open up membranes attached to the side of its body that allow it to glide from tree to tree in its natural habitat.

trickiest pet lizards
Pictured is a flying dragon with its wings folded against its body.

Flying dragons are dark brown with even darker accent markings and appear remarkably ordinary when their wings are not in use. The dragon’s wings are kept folded tightly against its body when it is not gliding, which gives the lizard a long, slender appearance. When extended, the wings have bright yellow and black markings which is what attracts many owners to them in the first place.

Due to their inclination to glide, you will need to provide a very large enclosure for such a relatively small lizard. We also recommend that the enclosure’s walls be constructed of screen material both to cultivate the proper humidity levels and also so that the dragon doesn’t glide into a hard surface and injure itself accidentally.

In addition to requiring a large, semi-specialized enclosure, flying dragons can also take time to acclimate to captive diets. In the wild, they eat mostly termites and ants, so you will need to spend some time training your dragon to consume prey items outside of its usual fare such as crickets, roaches, and other invertebrates.

If you’re prepared to own your own flying dragon, Backwater Reptiles sells these unique lizards and also has a blog article written up that details how best to care for them.

Flying Gecko (Ptychozoon kuhli)

Like the flying dragon, flying geckos are another species of lizard that can glide from tree to tree in the wild. However, flying geckos are much larger and heftier than flying dragons and don’t possess wings to help them glide. Instead, these geckos have specially designed tails, thick webbing between their toes, and membranes extending from their sides.

Housing a flying gecko is also different than housing a flying dragon. Because geckos are more likely to injure themselves by gliding in a confined space, most owners actually restrict them to a small space so that they don’t have room to fly.

flying gecko adult
This photo shows the serrated nature of the flying gecko’s tail. You can also see the thick webbing of the gecko’s toes.

Flying geckos are also not known for their stellar personalities. While they’re not necessarily outwardly aggressive, they certainly don’t enjoy being handled too frequently and would much rather hide than interact with you. Flying geckos are pets that are ultimately best kept for display purposes rather than for their social skills.

Interested in a flying gecko of your own? Backwater Reptiles has got you covered.

Parson’s Chameleon (Calumma parsonii)

Like many chameleon species, Parson’s chameleons can have a tough time acclimating to captivity. And because these chameleons are so rare, they come with a very steep price point, which is very risky if you don’t feel confident in your capabilities to care for the animal.

Parson’s are the heftiest chameleons both in terms of weight and physical body size. This means that they will require a very large mesh enclosure with just the precise amount of humidity, plenty of misting, and lots of invertebrates to feed such a considerable lizard.

adult parsons chameleon
Parson’s chameleons grip very hard, so we recommend protection if you wish to handle yours.

Although you can handle your Parson’s chameleon, we only recommend it for experienced herp enthusiasts. Due to their immense size, the grip of a Parson’s is actually quite strong and very tenacious. If a Parson’s grabs you and doesn’t feel like moving along, you’ll have quite a tough time getting it to relinquish its hold. In other words, many owners of Parson’s chameleons will wear gloves when handling large, mature animals.

Parson’s are not aggressive like some other smaller chameleon species, but they are rather shy. They’d prefer to hide from you. But that doesn’t mean that they’re incapable of biting. Approach your Parson’s with caution and be careful if it begins to hiss or express discomfort towards you.

If you are ready to commit to a hefty Parson’s chameleon, they can certainly make very prized pets. These are very hard to come by, but Backwater Reptiles has a few for sale.

Conclusion

While all three of the lizards listed above are not commonly kept in captivity due to tricky care requirements and/or temperaments, they can be very cherished pets.

We highly recommend that these lizards be kept only by people who have had a few years of experience keeping other reptiles.

Best Pet Geckos

~ BackwaterReptiles

Which species make the best pet geckos? We’re glad you asked! Geckos are fantastic pet lizards that come in many shapes and sizes. Some can climb walls, some are colorful, and others are just downright interesting to observe. Either way, we highly recommend a gecko for a pet if you are in the market for a lizard.

List of the Best Pet Geckos

Leopard Gecko (Eublepharis macularius)

Our favorite pet gecko has got to be the leopard gecko. These desert-dwelling lizards are very common in the pet trade – and with good reason. They’re extremely easy to care for, easy to breed, and they even have easy-going temperaments. As you can see, they’re just “easy” lizards all around!

Leopard geckos are great because they can be housed communally within reason. Geckos that are of similar size are generally safe to keep together, although unless you have an enormous cage, we don’t recommend housing two males together as they will almost always fight over territory and/or females.

best pet geckos
Here is a comparison of a hatchling leopard gecko with an adult super giant leopard gecko. What a difference in size! This species makes an excellent pet gecko.

Adult male Leopard geckos will reach a maximum of around ten inches and females will stay slightly smaller. Although, we should mention that there are specific leopard gecko morphs called “super giants” that will actually grow longer than ten inches, even approaching 13 inches and much heavier bodied!

Although they’re fairly small lizards, leopard geckos actually have pretty long life spans. On average, a life span of six to ten years is expected, but if you get a male, don’t be surprised if it lives into its twenties! These are very hardy little lizards.

Temperament-wise, these geckos are almost always very docile and calm. I’ve bred hundreds of them and haven’t been bit once. They’re a hardy reptile that doesn’t require a lot of attention in captivity. Leopard geckos are probably the single easiest pet gecko to keep in the world.

These geckos are easy to feed too, readily accepting mealworms, waxworms, crickets, and roaches.

Leopard geckos are also available in countless morphs, which means you can pretty much find a leopard gecko in any color and with any markings you can imagine.

All of the preceding reasons clearly show why this species takes the top spot on our list of the best pet geckos.

Want to learn more about leopard gecko morphs? Check out the article we wrote about the most popular leopard gecko morphs sold at Backwater Reptiles.

Here’s one of our articles on creating a Leopard gecko habitat, which we highly recommend reading if you’re not experienced with these lizards.

Ready to purchase a leopard gecko of your own? Backwater Reptiles has got you covered, with everything from normal-sized, giants, and even super giants!

Tokay Gecko (Gekko gekko)

Tokays are absolutely gorgeous pale blue geckos with bright red or orange-colored spots. Visually, they are definitely quite stunning which makes them appealing to hobbyists. They even make noise, which is either a unique quirk or an annoying habit, depending on who you ask.

We maintain that if Tokay geckos were rare, they’d be one of the most sought-after species in the world, due to their appearance, size, and spunky personality.

Unfortunately, Tokay geckos tend to have a reputation for being aggressive. While this is not always the case, we’ve found that they can be a bit more prone to hiss or bite at their owner. However, with socialization and positive reinforcement, they can be trained to be docile. It just takes some patience.

When we handle our Tokays, we try to not ever restrain them as this can come off as threatening to the gecko. You should hold it loosely and allow it to sit comfortably in your hand.

baby tokay gecko
Hatchling Tokay geckos are darker in color than their adult counterparts.

Due to their arboreal nature, Tokays should have lots of things to climb on and hide in placed in their enclosure. And because they are hefty of body, we recommend a fairly large enclosure with both vertical and horizontal space.

A twenty gallon tank with a screen top lid is our go-to for housing a single lizard. The substrate we recommend is damp peat or sphagnum moss. Using a simple setup like this, these geckos thrive in captivity for years.

If you think you want to put forth the effort to train and socialize a Tokay gecko, Backwater Reptiles sells these bold blue geckos. They’re one of the best pet geckos, but for different reasons than the preceding Leopard gecko. Tokays are more of a display animal.

Crested Gecko (Rhacodactylus ciliatus)

Crested geckos are popular because of their cute “eyelashes” and calm and docile personalities. “Cresties,” as they are affectionately known, can be quite tame as far as lizards go, and most will readily allow being handled by their owner.

Originally from New Caledonia, Cresties used to be quite rare in the pet trade. Now they’re widely available in a variety of morphs, with some of the most popular being reds, fancies, and pinstripes.

Cresties are arboreal geckos with “sticky” toes, so be sure to provide plenty of climbing space. They like temperatures that stay in the range of 78 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and will tolerate night time temperature drops to the low 70s.

Keepers maintain this temperature by using numerous methods (usually ceramic heat bulbs and pads), although we always recommend investing in a good reptile thermometer.

frogbutt rhacodactylus ciliatus
When a crested gecko loses its tail, the tail will not grow back. The gecko then becomes what is known as a “frogbutt” gecko.

You can feed your Crestie live insects such as crickets, mealworms, and roaches, although because they have become such common pets, many stores and breeders now sell pre-prepared crested gecko food. It comes in a powder form and you simply add water. The liquid that results contains everything your Crestie needs to stay healthy, although we do recommend supplementing with living food for the sake of variety.

If you’re interested in breeding Crested geckos, here’s a tip: add plenty of cork bark rounds to their enclosure. This tends to stimulate breeding.

Backwater Reptiles sells healthy crested geckos of various sizes and morphs, so check them out today if this sounds like the species for you.

Conclusion – The Best Pet Geckos

Geckos make amazing and entertaining pet lizards for a litany of reasons. They often have docile personalities, are relatively simple to maintain in captivity, and generally remain a very manageable size.

Leopard geckos and crested geckos are great options for first time gecko owners with little to no experience, whereas the Tokay gecko is a better option for the more experienced reptile enthusiast. We hope you’ve enjoyed reading our list of the best pet geckos for captivity!

How Do Geckos Stick to Smooth Surfaces?

~ BackwaterReptiles

If you’re wondering how geckos stick to walls, you’ve come to the right place. Odds are that you’ve seen some species of gecko adhere to the glass of its enclosure, or the wall of a building or house.

In reality, geckos are able to stick to any smooth surface (walls, glass, ceilings, etc.) and even cling on to things upside down without actually being sticky. Read on to find out more about how and why these amazing lizards are able to do this.

williams blue cave gecko
Pictured is the underside of a male Williams Blue Cave gecko. He was photographed while sticking to a piece of glass.

How do geckos stick to walls?

First off, we should state that not all geckos are able to be accomplished acrobats. Some species of geckos are not capable of climbing walls. Examples include: leopard geckos (Eublepharis macularius), fat-tailed geckos (Hemitheconyx caudicinctus), and frog eye geckos (Teratoscincus sp.). In general, geckos that stick to surfaces will be arboreal creatures, while the ones that cannot stick to smooth surfaces live terrestrial existences.

What if you’re not sure if the gecko species in question is arboreal or terrestrial? Just take a look at the lizard’s feet and toes. Arboreal geckos that climb a lot and require the skills to stick to precarious surfaces will have large, flat toe pads that resemble suction cups. This is because the more surface area the toes and feet occupy, the more clinging power the lizard can exert. A terrestrial gecko’s feet, on the other hand, will tend to look more like traditional digits.

So now on to the nitty gritty…what actually enables geckos to be sticky?

hatchling super giant leopard gecko
This is a two day-old leopard gecko. This is an example of a gecko species that cannot stick to glass or other flat surfaces. Notice how its toes do not have flat toe pads that look like suction cups.

Just in case you’ve never held a gecko or come into close contact with one, a gecko’s toes are not actually sticky. They don’t exude a slimy or gluey substance that helps them adhere to surfaces. So, if it’s not a substance a gecko makes or excretes that makes the animal sticky, then the stickiness has got to be something special within the animal’s feet.

It turns out that the biological trait of the gecko’s stickiness has been well-studied. Scientists have used what they’ve learned from gecko’s feet to create technologies that humans have used to develop special adhesives, learn to scale walls, and even ways to seal wounds without having to use stitches.

Geckos have hundreds of tiny, microscopic hairs on their toe pads called setae. Each setae is further divided into even smaller hairs or bristles called spatulae. These hairs are so numerous, small, and cover so much surface area that what is called the van der Waals force kicks in.

We won’t go into detail as to what the van der Waals force does because we aren’t physicists or chemists, but just know that the hairs on the gecko’s feet are able to interact on a molecular level with whatever surface the animal is sitting upon to create an electromagnetic attraction.

female williams blue cave gecko
This is a female Williams Blue Cave gecko. She is also able to climb walls.

Geckos are actually able to manipulate and control the setae and spatulae on their toes so well that they can be as sticky or not-sticky as they choose.

Geckos are extremely speedy lizards and it does not matter to them whether they are upside down scurrying along your ceiling or running along a tree trunk. The point is that geckos can control the angle, flexibility, and synergy of their toe hairs in order to be as sticky or un-sticky as they desire.

The only impediment to a gecko’s ability to stick to a surface is moisture. If a surface is too wet, the gecko’s setae will have trouble redirecting themselves and the electromagnetic energy in order to create the van der Waal’s bond. The end result is a gecko that slips and slides rather than sticks to the intended surface.

We now know the how behind a gecko’s ability to be sticky, but we haven’t really touched on the why.

Truthfully, it’s not that complicated. Because they are small, prey animals, geckos have to be able to run away fast when necessary. Being able to go places (i.e. ceilings or incredibly tall trees in the wild) where predators have a tough time reaching them is one way to avoid being eaten.

Conclusion – How geckos stick to smooth surfaces

Ultimately, a gecko’s ability to climb walls and stick to glass is an incredible adaptation. We think it would be quite a cool super power to have. Would you agree?

If you are interested in a wall-climbing gecko friend of your own, Backwater Reptiles sells many species of gecko.

Why Do Geckos Lick Their Eyeballs?

~ BackwaterReptiles

Even if you don’t own a pet gecko, we’re willing to bet that nearly all of you have visited a reptile house at a zoo at some point. By chance, did you happen to see a gecko inside that reptile house that was licking its eyeballs? Ever wonder why some species of gecko lick their eyeballs?

This blog article is dedicated to answering the question of why geckos lick their eyeballs. We’re willing to bet you’ll learn a thing or two!

why do geckos lick their eyeballs
This little guy is preparing to lick his eyeballs. He is a crested gecko (Rhacodactylus ciliatus).

First of all, we should tell you that there are two types of geckos – those with eyelids and those without eyelids. Gecko species with eyelids are all grouped taxonomically into a family called Eublepharidae. This family includes leopard geckos (Eublepharis macularius), fat-tailed geckos (Hemitheconyx caudicinctus), and banded geckos (Coleonyx sp.) to name a few.

It’s important to distinguish between species of geckos with eyelids and species without eyelids because species without eyelids are the type of geckos that will lick their eyes. Because they have no way to stop debris from entering their eye or even washing away any detritus that accumulates on their eye, lidless geckos must in fact use their tongues to clean their eyes.

The Eublepharidae family, which we’ve already established does possess eyelids, can and will still lick its eyes, but because geckos in this family have the capability to blink, it’s not as common of a behavior. Most geckos with eyelids will only lick their eyes if they have something irritating on or near it.

super snow leopard gecko
Pictured is a super snow morph Leopard Gecko (Eublepharis macularius). Leopard geckos belong to the family of geckos that possess eyelids and can blink. In fact, if you look closely, you can even see this gecko’s eyelids.

The gecko species that can’t blink have fixed, immovable eyelids. Examples of species of gecko with these types of eyelids are Tokay geckos (Gekko gecko), crested geckos (Rhacodactylus cilliatus), 52 species of day geckos (Phelsuma sp.), and house geckos (Hemidactylus ssp.). These types of geckos have what is called a spectacle, or a clear scale over their eyes instead of an eyelid. It is often said that a gecko’s tongue is like a windshield wiper and the spectacle is like a windshield. We think this is an apt simile and when children ask us why geckos lick their eyes, that’s pretty much our straight-forward, simple answer.

Williams Blue Cave Gecko female
This green beauty is a Williams Blue Cave Gecko (Lygodactylus williamsi). The males of this species are bright blue, while the females are more green in color. Williams Cave Geckos are unable to blink and are therefore geckos that lick their eyes.

Many geckos have very elaborately patterned eyes with vertical slit pupils. The vertical pupils are a way for the gecko to protect itself when basking in the sun. Because geckos can’t wear sunscreen on their eyes (or anywhere else for that matter!) and they can’t close their eyes to squint against the sun even if they wanted to, the vertical slit pupils help keep out damaging sun rays.

If you’ve ever taken the time to look closely at a gecko that can’t close its eyes, you might have noticed that the eyes are very detailed with intricate patterns and often beautiful flecks of metallic. It’s commonly thought that these patterns act as camouflage since these types of gecko’s eyes are forever open.

Besides keeping their eyes clean, geckos also need to keep their eyes moist. Have you ever tried to go without blinking for a period of time? Imagine how you would feel if you physically couldn’t blink. That’s what geckos live with on a daily basis, so licking their eyes also helps to keep their spectacles from drying out and serves the same function as when we humans blink.

ashy gecko
Ashy geckos (Sphaerodactylus elegans) like the one shown, are included in the larger group of geckos that cannot blink.

So take note next time you visit a reptile house in a zoo. Check out the geckos and watch how often they lick their eyes. Hey – wouldn’t that make for a fun children’s science project? Something along the lines of comparing how many times geckos lick their eyeballs per minute to how many times people blink per minute?

If you think you might be interested in a pet gecko of your own, whether it be of the variety that can blink or the type that licks its eyes, Backwater Reptiles has got you covered. We sell many species of gecko and we think all of them make captivating pets.