Thai Gecko

Question
Hello again Diane
Hello again Diane, I've been trying to ID this little gecko but arent having any luck. I've trawled the internet and cant fing pics anywhere.  I'll try to take a photo but he's pretty timid. He escaped from the vivarium and was gone acouple of days, I was very woried, especially as I couldnt see how he got out! Anyway he came back and  i caught him and he's back in the tank. He has been eating well, a couple of v-small woodlouse and a little grub type centipede. He eats alot. He is so tiny, just over an inch long. He likes to sit on the heat mat under the paper!
    I am going to make the hide you told me about. Do I make it out of a container with a lid? Like a tupperware thing? And just fill it up with moss from the shop and water? Thanks again!! Tom



Hello there Diane, I have a very small gecko from Thailand, I found it running around my house about 3 days after my brother got back from Koh Samui, it may even have hatched here because it is tiny. I tried to catch it and couldn't, then 2 days later I found it. I now have him in a vivarium, and I have given him some insects from outside, very small ones, I've seen him eat a small woodlouse but I am worried now after reading the other persons notes. Please tell me what to do, He is quite active, he was running around today, he also likes his new bark. The shop have ordered me some micro locusts but I think they might still be to big? Please, any advice? Thanks in advance, Tom.
-----Answer-----
Hi Tom,
Silly little lizards love to hide in baggage and plants and travel across countries!!
The big thing is identifying it so I can give you the right care information. Are you able to get tiny crickets? Be sure to feed the insects before you feed them to the lizard.. you can feed crickets unsweetened cereal and use a cut potato or carrot for their water. You want insects that are no larger than the space between its eyes.... also...since you aren't sure of what it is, I would chop up some greens such as collard greens and put in to see if it is a herbivore(plant eating only)..or an omnivore(eating both plants and insects)  Since it lives in Thailand, we can assume it will need humidity...which you can accomplish with misting...also you can provide a "hide" that has some moist moss in it....  The hide can be something as simple as a plastic dish with a hole cut in the lid... also, offer it a warm hide...with the temperatures in the low to mid 90s during the day..I would guess nighttime temperatures would need to stay in the area of the mid 70s, but ask your brother what the night time temperatures were when he was there.  At night, you can't use a bright white light, a bulb designed for night time heat(usually called nocturnal lights) will work.You can use a regular household lightbulb during the day for the heat source...see...not knowing the species...we don't know if its active at night or during the day... be sure to provide the cooler area also...
Here is a link to some pics..does it look like any of these?
  http://travel.mongabay.com/lizard_photos.htm
http://travel.mongabay.com/thailand/thai_reptiles.htm

this list, may take you a while to get through, but...looks like it will have every species listed...but, you will have to open each name...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_reptiles_of_South_Asia

If you could send me a pic of it, I can try and help you identify it.... you can send the pic to diane@scalesandtails.org

Answer
Hi Tom,
Many times the "baby" version of a lizard looks a lot different than the adult version....so that could be part of the problem.  
Where are you located?  Maybe you are just assuming it came home with your brother but is it possible it just sneaked in your house from outdoors?
On the humid hide, you can use a low plastic container...with the lid on..just cut an opening in it...you can tape the edges where you cut the hole to prevent the little lizard from getting cut. Put a layer of moss in the bottom and just keep it moist, not wet. If you have city water..I would use bottled water to moisten the moss and also for his drinking water.
Also, be sure to provide a hide for him(paper towel tube if he is small enough)....Baby lizards can eat lots!!!  You may want to think about ordering some tiny crickets for him....Here is a chart to show you the size of crickets..remember..no longer than his head..no wider than the space between his eyes. http://www.nyworms.com/cricketchart.htm
I'm really happy to hear that he is still doing well!!!  I can't wait til you can identify it...and also for a pic!