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Australian Velvet Gecko Care
(Oedura castelnaui & Oedura monilis) |
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General
Velvet Geckos are part of the Diplodactyline sub-family of geckos restricted
to Australia , New Zealand and New Caledonia. Only 2 species are commonly
bred in captivity, these being the Northern Velvet Gecko (Oedura castelnaui)
and the Ocellated Velvet Gecko (Oedura monilis), although even these species
are rare in the UK. Velvet Geckos gain their name from the velvety texture
of their scales, smooth to the touch and iridescent under light. The ground
colour is usually brown with lighter bands (O.castelnaui) or spots (O.monilis).
Oedura castelnaui are the larger of the two species, reaching sizes between
4 - 6".
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Housing
Velvet geckos are generally considered an arboreal species, although it
is often found at rest under dense vegetation, rotting logs and other forest
debris. A pair can be kept in a 24" x 15" x 12" semi-humid
vivarium - preferably glass to endure the reasonably high levels of humidity.
We’ve found an ideal substrate is cocofibre with a moss topping. There
should also be a selection of branches to use as perches, along with some
vertically & horizontally placed corkbark for refuge. We also prefer
the use of real plants, for decorative appeal and maintaining humidity
levels. Although we spray the enclosure, a water bowl is always a good
idea and helps keep the humidity.
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Lighting, Heating & Humidity
Both species can be maintained at the same temperatures, with 83-88°F preferred
during the day and a 10 degree drop at night. The best form of heating
is either the placement of a heatmat along the back of the tank, or an
overhead incandescent bulb. Whichever method you choose, they should both
be controlled by a suitable thermostat. As these geckos are nocturnal,
there is no need for UV lighting, although low UV output fluorescent tubes
are ideal for maintaining the health of live plants.
Humidity levels are best maintained by spraying the enclosure daily.
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Feeding
Suitably gut-loaded crickets make up the bulk of the Velvet Geckos’ diet,
although variation is the key. Other suitable insects are locusts, spiders
and the occasional waxworm. We personally do not offer mealworms to any
of our gecko species because of their low food value. We have also witnessed
our Velvets taking fruit nectar mix and this should certainly be considered
as variation & an ideal carrier for adding vitamins & other nutrients.
All food sources should be supplemented with Nutrobol or equivalent &
calcium. We also provide a small dish of powdered calcium in the enclosure
for the geckos to help themselves as & when they need it.
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Behaviour
As these geckos are primarily arboreal, it is important to include branches
and other perches to allow climbing. These should be placed diagonally
from one side of the cage to the other. We prefer to use the artificial
reptivines now available, as these can be manipulated into any position
you require whilst also producing a more natural look. These perches are
used to great advantage during the waking hours, with the geckos hanging
from them or using them to launch themselves from one position to another
when hunting or during breeding interaction
As with other geckos, Velvets share the ability to shed their tails as
a form of defence if threatened, so care should be taken when handling.
It is always better to let the gecko take the initiative rather than trying
to grab them. To them, you can appear as a predator, so it is vitally important
to create a bond of trust before handling frequently.
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Breeding & Hatchling Care
Males are easily distinguishable from females by the presence of a larger
tail base and have a distinctly divided post-anal sac. Both males and females
possess tubercles, but they are more prominent in males. They can reach
sexual maturity in 6-9 months, although we prefer to wait until they are
at least a year old before pairing. Although velvets can be kept in groups
of one male to several females, we prefer to keep them as pairs to best
monitor heath & feeding. As with other gecko species, females can become
aggressive towards each other at laying time when competing for laying
sites.
There should only ever be one male to an enclosure.
Prior to breeding, Velvet Geckos should be cooled for 4 to 8 weeks at 70°F
during the day and 65°F at night, therefore it is advisable to decrease
the day length over winter & and feed and mist once a week. Velvet
Geckos can lay up to 9 clutches of two soft shelled eggs during the season.
The eggs should be removed from the enclosure and incubated in a container
with your preferred incubation medium at a temperature of 82-85°F. With
a relative humidity of 60 - 80%, the eggs should hatch in 50-60 days.,
although overall time is dependent upon temperature fluctuations during
incubation.
Hatchlings can be together with their clutchmates in similar conditions
to the adults. We use small pen-pals or equivalent and increase the size
of the container with growth, separating them before they reach sexual
maturity. Their diet is again the same as the adults, although prey items
should be of a suitable size.
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![[Oedura monilis]](Oedura_monilis_hatchling_004.jpg "Oedura monilis") |
Conclusion
Velvet Geckos make excellent captive charges so long as their requirements
are met. They are attractive, relatively tame, very amicable and very active
- making them great vivarium subjects. We would recommend this species
to anyone with an interest in geckos
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