Pictus Geckos

[ajb021]

Hi everyone!

I recently discovered Pictus Geckos! I have been doing a ton of research, but many of the care sheets give different info... or not enough.

I am used to Leopard Geckos and Crested Geckos... From what I have found out about the Pictus is that they need UTH - but I am unsure of the temp. Do they need a higher humidity than leos?

Also - substrate. Loads of people just use paper towels - but can you use eco earth for these guys? One resource stated coco fiber?

Can JUST females be housed together? I know no male/male and no females/males unless you want to breed - which I don't. The only thing I found on the subject were when people talked about breeding groups. One male to three females.

One care sheet said that they like to climb, another said you can have branches, but nothing too high. Thoughts?

I guess my last question would be viv size. I read a ten gal is fine for one... if I CAN have a pair or three females, I assume I would need a 20 long minimum?

Really appreciate any help!

[Yoshi'smom]

Hey there! By no means am I an expert, but here's what I've got for my pictus and he's thriving for me.
I keep my little guy in a long and wide enclosure with three hides just like you would a leopard gecko. One on the cool end. One on the warm side and a warm moist hide on the warm end. I use a UTH set to 85F and supplement daytime temperatures with overhead heating. I turn off my overhead heating at night but leave my UTH on all the time. They do require higher humidity than leopard geckos. They are native to the forest floor of Madagascar. I spray lightly in the morning and again at night but heavier. My overhead heating does a great job with drying the enclosure between mistings, similar to how cresties need their enclosure to dry between mistings.
I use eco earth for substrate and several types of moss in the humid hide and in other random places about the tank. I've had no problems so far as he eats his mealworms from his dish and I feed crickets in a separate enclosure so I don't have to worry about impaction.
With pictus I've heard it's not recommended to house them in groups. Even females together will fight and a male will breed a female constantly so it's best to have a spare enclosure to separate them after a few months.
As far as climbing things, I only have a few things for him to climb on (only a few inches tall) and hide under. The enclosure I use is actually a modified plastic tub. The foot print is about 2 feet long and a foot and a half wide and about 6 inches tall. I've cut 4 smallish (about 2inx2in) holes in the lid and screened them. I use a small heat mat in one corner and the overhead heating on that side. Both heating elements are on thermostats to achieve proper temps.
A ten gallon would be fine for a single pictus. If you want to breed, a pair or trio will be ok in a 20 gallon or larger but as I said before, you'll need to separate them so females can recover from laying.
Here's a picture of my little guy, Squiggy. Just for fun.

[ajb021]

Yay! Thank you sooo much! Your little guy is ADORABLE btw!

You have answered many of the questions I have not been able to find the answers to - especially as far as the humidity and temps. It seems they are a combo of leos/cresties in a way. There is an expo coming up and if anyone has them there, I am sure I will be coming home with one. They are so cute! I just want to make sure I have an understanding of their needs before bringing one home. If I have any more questions, I will be sure to post them.

Thank you again! I really appreciate it

[DerekBradley]

They are neat little guys. I have a male I would sell if your near seattle.