BIOLOGY AND BEHAVIOUR
Marbled geckos are a small flighty lizard and are not easily handled; they will drop their tails when frightened. Therefore they are much better as a display pet. The Marbled Gecko is a master climber, due to the lamanae on their toes. Their tan-grey colour mixed with white and black spots give them their marbled appearance.
HOUSING, TEMPERATURE AND LIGHTING
For one Marbled Gecko, a 30 inch aquarium will be sufficient. Bigger is always better though. Use a peat moss type substrate, or reptile carpet. These Geckos will climb, so provide lots of branches to do so, and places to hide.
The daytime temperature for a Marbled Gecko should be kept around 27°C, and should be kept on a 12 hour cycle. Provide a basking spot at one end of the habitat reaching 34°C. Do not let the temperature drop below 21°C at night. Full spectrum lighting is not needed, as the Marbled Gecko is nocturnal. Optimal humidity is in the range of 70 to 80%. This humidity is much higher than most lizards and will likely require misting of the enclosure to achieve this level.
Marbled Geckos will need an area of their habitat in which they can bask. They also like to climb so be sure to provide enough branches and vines to keep them happy. Marbled Geckos will drink water from a dish so provide them with a shallow dish of clean drinking water. Since Marbled Geckos are known to bathe in their water it will certainly need to be changed on a daily basis.
FEEDING
Although the Marbled Gecko is insectivorous, its size limits it to the type and size of insects that it can eat. Crickets are always a good option just make sure that they are small enough that the lizard will not have problems fitting them inside its mouth. Feed your Marbled Gecko a steady diet of small feeder insects including crickets, mealworms, and silkworms. They may also eat small squashed fruit, like baby food. Supply a shallow dish of water at all times. Make sure to clean and change the water daily.
SUBSTRATE
Marbled Geckos have no specific requirements for a substrate, just be sure that it cannot be ingested and become impacted in their intestines
