Help save a babies life!

[Brodybreaux25]

Nothing to do with Chamaeleons but this forum has never let me down before.

Two months ago my four-year-old brought me a tiny egg he found, of course he asked to hatch it. I would have never guessed that this little egg would survive but against all odds it hatched tonight. I believe it is a Mediterranean house gecko. I'm sure these first few hours are critical to have survival so I've got to get this right quickly and the first time. What do I need to do to give this little fighter a real shot at life?

Does this sound right?
Temp- 80
Humidity 75-80
Food - tiny bugs
Water - tiny water dish

Should I be trying to encourage him to eat or drink or anything for that matter?

 

[kinyonga]

Not sure what species it is for sure...where did your son find it? Make sure there is a gradient in the cage so it can move to a temperature it likes. Sounds like a good beginning though. It will need supplements and a place to hide and if it's diurnal, a UVB light.

 

[Kristen Wilkins]

@Replife is a gecko expert maybe he will chim in . I also believe @Andee is quite an expert with them . I believe both suggest UVB as babies . There insectivores so only Bugs , geckos are nocturnal . Your baby will be pretty sleepy during the day . Repashy has a gecko bug gut load that's good .

 

[Brodybreaux25]

85% sure the species is correct, I live in southeast Louisiana if that helps. I've lived here all my life and I have only seen house geckos and green anole lizards.

Two eggs were found in the top of my shed so that's the temps/humidity/lighting I tried to reproduce. He was alive and very active when I left for work this morning.

Now that I've had some time to read up on them I now know that he prob won't eat or drink in the first 72hrs but I put him some tiny bugs and a very shallow water cup anyway.

I moved him into a extra small ExoTerra glass terrarium with small grass/leaf clippings. I read babies need slightly more humidity as hatchlings so he has a fogger pumping in mist at a low setting. Heat supplied with a ceramic heat emitter.

After my boy went to bed last night I took a better look at him with a magnifying glass and his right eye is either deformed or under-developed. I'm leaning towards underdeveloped because he seems to be a lot smaller and darker than all the others I've seen. Could he be premature?

 

[Kristen Wilkins]

85% sure the species is correct, I live in southeast Louisiana if that helps. I've lived here all my life and I have only seen house geckos and green anole lizards.

Two eggs were found in the top of my shed so that's the temps/humidity/lighting I tried to reproduce. He was alive and very active when I left for work this morning.

Now that I've had some time to read up on them I now know that he prob won't eat or drink in the first 72hrs but I put him some tiny bugs and a very shallow water cup anyway.

I moved him into a extra small ExoTerra glass terrarium with small grass/leaf clippings. I read babies need slightly more humidity as hatchlings so he has a fogger pumping in mist at a low setting. Heat supplied with a ceramic heat emitter.

After my boy went to bed last night I took a better look at him with a magnifying glass and his right eye is either deformed or under-developed. I'm leaning towards underdeveloped because he seems to be a lot smaller and darker than all the others I've seen. Could he be premature?

he could be with temps in house lower then shed temp . I think @Andee or @Replife will be able to help you . @Replife is a Great source maybe try to private message him . Also I believe @Andee has a whole blog on her gecko site if I'm not mistaken . 99% sure it's a house gecko but they will confirm that .

 

[Andee]

Lmao the gecko site isn't mine ^^ but the article I wrote is only about feeders. However I haven't raised house geckos but know generally what they need. He may need a very low level uvb, since house geckos tend to flit about day and night time. But stay in shadier parts more during day time, might want to invest in a 2.0? As far as water he might drink better from heavy mistings, once or twice a day than a water dish. Geckos don't need tons of water to drink, and as long as he has good humidity a couple good mistings a day and he should be fine. As far as the under developed eye and prematurity, there isn't likely tons you can do for it now, but you can help him along with healthy supplementing and gutloading for his insects for now. He may need slower insects for now (like dubias in a bowl, or crippled crickets). If he needs liquid food, I would look into something like carnivore care or something by repashy that is more paste-like and then kind of put some on his nose so he can lick it off. That way you don't have to pick him up, since their skin sloughs off easy. If you get a uvb even a 2.0 make sure he has plenty of places where he can have complete shade and then only keep it on for like 3-4 hours a day. For some reason I really feel like uvb would help but overdoing would be just as bad for him.

As far as supplementing... maybe look into Repashy LoD or Calcium Plus, good luck to the little guy.

 

[Kristen Wilkins]

Lmao the gecko site isn't mine ^^ but the article I wrote is only about feeders. However I haven't raised house geckos but know generally what they need. He may need a very low level uvb, since house geckos tend to flit about day and night time. But stay in shadier parts more during day time, might want to invest in a 2.0? As far as water he might drink better from heavy mistings, once or twice a day than a water dish. Geckos don't need tons of water to drink, and as long as he has good humidity a couple good mistings a day and he should be fine. As far as the under developed eye and prematurity, there isn't likely tons you can do for it now, but you can help him along with healthy supplementing and gutloading for his insects for now. He may need slower insects for now (like dubias in a bowl, or crippled crickets). If he needs liquid food, I would look into something like carnivore care or something by repashy that is more paste-like and then kind of put some on his nose so he can lick it off. That way you don't have to pick him up, since their skin sloughs off easy. If you get a uvb even a 2.0 make sure he has plenty of places where he can have complete shade and then only keep it on for like 3-4 hours a day. For some reason I really feel like uvb would help but overdoing would be just as bad for him.

As far as supplementing... maybe look into Repashy LoD or Calcium Plus, good luck to the little guy.

Ok I will re-word that on the site she belongs too . Thank you for chiming in .

 

[kinyonga]

What's the proper name for that species?

 

[Kristen Wilkins]

What's the proper name for that species?

Hemidactylos frenatus

 

[kinyonga]

Thanks! I didn't know that was the species that was found in the States....thought it was just in the other "half" of the world. I learn something every day!

 

[Kristen Wilkins]

Thanks! I didn't know that was the species that was found in the States....thought it was just in the other "half" of the world. I learn something every day!

Their native to South eastern Asia . They're very Abundant down south the Carolinas, Florida .

 

[kinyonga]

I know quite a bit about a lot of geckos but not all the species. Over the years I've had leopard geckos, fat tails, mosaics, several leaf tailed gecko species, mourning geckos, frog eyed sand geckos, etc. Thanks for the information!

 

[Kristen Wilkins]

I know quite a bit about a lot of geckos but not all the species. Over the years I've had leopard geckos, fat tails, mosaics, several leaf tailed gecko species, mourning geckos, frog eyed sand geckos, etc. Thanks for the information!

We keep Leopard geckos their very cool . My sons first entry into the lizard world was Leopard geckos . Your very welcome .

 

[Andee]

They are an extremely invasive species (though they don't do tons of damage other than to some local insect species) just one of those "pets" that got loose thing likely.

 

[Kristen Wilkins]

They are an extremely invasive species (though they don't do tons of damage other than to some local insect species) just one of those "pets" that got loose thing likely.

Yes I believe that's very true . Their crazy down south . Find them every where . Plants are common to come home with one in a new plant . Are you in Florida Andee ?

 

[Andee]

Naw, California girl since I was born... have lived in Napa, California and now in San Luis Obispo, so I live pretty much where the rest of the world wants to... and the sad thing is the only reason I haven't moved somewhere else is the majority of my important family is here, mental health care here is probably the best I can get and I need the absolute best sadly.... and earthquakes and floods don't scares me but tornadoes and hurricanes etc, do. So XD though I would gladly move if I could because honestly California isn't all it's cracked up to be (and there are far too many people moving here all the time considering housing prices are more than a pain) I can't because I don't yet know of a place in the states that has better mental health care, and I know a lot of people scattered all of over the world.

 

[Kristen Wilkins]

Naw, California girl since I was born... have lived in Napa, California and now in San Luis Obispo, so I live pretty much where the rest of the world wants to... and the sad thing is the only reason I haven't moved somewhere else is the majority of my important family is here, mental health care here is probably the best I can get and I need the absolute best sadly.... and earthquakes and floods don't scares me but tornadoes and hurricanes etc, do. So XD though I would gladly move if I could because honestly California isn't all it's cracked up to be (and there are far too many people moving here all the time considering housing prices are more than a pain) I can't because I don't yet know of a place in the states that has better mental health care, and I know a lot of people scattered all of over the world.

Yup I get that I live on the other side East Coast . Cape cod , same every one wants to be here . Born and raised !!. Being here my whole life I just don't get it why every one needs to be here !! It's beautiful but very seasonal .

 

[Andee]

California is either very seasonal (except for snow most places) or in a constant drought.... and honestly you never never want that. No matter how much you like the sun.

 

[Kristen Wilkins]

California is either very seasonal (except for snow most places) or in a constant drought.... and honestly you never never want that. No matter how much you like the sun.

No definitely not . Our weather is a bit crazy one day it's 50 next 93 . We get wicked wind winters are bitterly cold . Though people think it's a great place to move because it's not cold . They get here and think it's freezing !!. It's the wind bone chilling .

 

[kinyonga]

This is all very interesting! I've never wanted to live anywhere but where I do. I think we're hijacking the thread a bit though!
Hope the little gecko does well even if it is a common species.