Question
Hitchhiker named JR
Hi Bryan,
About a month ago, I drove from Flagstaff to Maryland via New Mexico and West Texas. Then I stayed in Houston for several days before continuing on to Maryland.
Somewhere along the road trip, a gecko or anole got into my car. I JUST found it because he (or she?) became trapped in an empty open ice chest on my back seat floor. I don't know how he lived this long with no food or water! He was very skinny but I gave him water and am feeding him crickets. He's tiny; about 2" long but seems to be thriving now, three days later.
I bought a 12" x 8" or so plastic reptile box from a pet store and am using some coconut fiber substrate. I don't have a light or know if I need to. I have no reptile experience but am trying to keep the little guy alive.
I have tried unsuccessfully to identify this animal and have attached a photo to see if you could help. He has spots on his head, back and sides with a banded tail.
I gave him an earthworm which he ate. I tried some other bugs I caught outside but he seems to like tiny crickets that I purchase the best though the smallest I can find are the size of his head or larger! Is there anything else that would be better to feed him? Would he eat any greens?
I wasn't sure what bugs I found outside might be harmful so was a bit cautious to add too many varieties. Is it okay to feed moths, etc?
I bought some calcium/D3 powder to use on the crickets according to what I read online but haven't used it yet pending ID and assurance that was the correct thing to do.
He mostly hides under the leaves of a branch or a rock, and comes out at night to hunt though he will eat during the day if I throw in the crickets and he's hungry. His most successful hunting technique appears to be 'wait and strike' when crickets are right by his nose rather than to pursue them.
I'd really appreciate your help in ID and any other tips you might have, especially about feeding and care. For example, I don't know if moist or dry habitat is best.
Provided my hospitality is sufficient to maintain the little hitchhiker, I would consider releasing the little guy next time I drive back to E. Texas (perhaps in 3 to six mos?)if he was from that area. Or, if he was from too far away, I would keep him. He is kind of growing on me...
Thanks so much, I would really appreciate your help!
Pauline
AnswerHi Pauline,
Your new buddy is called a Mediterranean gecko, or "house gecko" if you're getting one from a pet store. They're actually an invasive species in the U.S., but they inhabit an odd niche where nobody worries about them at all. In Phoenix, where I live, they only live in urban areas, and can be seen on just about any apartment or office building crawling around at night. They are unable to live in the open desert areas. I would expect that he crawled into your car while you were parked at a hotel for the night somewhere in the South.
They're very easy to keep! They're nocturnal, so you do not need any special lighting or D3 supplementation. Just room temperature and relative darkness will be great. That doesn't mean he can't have light, just make sure there's a place to hide, and it turns off for 12 hours of the day or so.
If you feel like keeping him, go for it. Like I said, they're invasive, so if you were going to release him to his "natural" environment back in Texas, it would be on the side of a Denny's or the like. He's better off in your care.
Keep the enclosure dry, but provide water. You can mist him occasionally, but too much moisture in the enclosure will cause issues.
Good luck!
Bryan Hughes
http://www.fieldherper.com
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