D.Stenodactylus Keeping Info

[Rocket]

Hey,
Just wandering if Anyone (the small amount of keepers) could shed some light on Diplodactylus Stenodactylus (Sand Plain/ Pale Snouted Gecko).

Any info regarding
-Feeding/ Dietary needs
-Housing
-Heating
-Other Interesting Facts

would be greatly appreciated. Also if Pics of the animals and Cages could be supplied that would be great.

Otherwise, info that is suitable for all Diplodactylus species would also be fantastic.

Cheers

 

[Rocket]

Attention Seeking Bump

 

[Rocket]

Nobody?????

 

[Twiggz]

Not completely sure, however i'm lead to believe that all Diplodactylus species are cared for in the same manor.

This is how i cater for my D. Granariensis:

Feed: Small sized crickets/roaches dusted with either calcium or vitamin supplements on at least every second feed. They are fed currently about 2-3 times a week.

Housing: They are not UV dependent and are housed in a 1ft square repti one tank and provided with an upturned terracotta lid for a hide.

Substrate: Fine desert sand about 2cm in depth

Heating: Not a species that requires a lot of heat. I use a 30W microclimate heat mat covering between a quarter and a third of the base of the tank. Warm spot reaching to approx 28-30deg.

Other info: a very interesting species, very inquisitive and totally terrestrial. However saying this i strongly recommend lids on the tank as i have found their waste on the very top of the tank wall. amazes me as to how they could get up there being a terrestrial species.

 

[Rocket]

Thanks Twiggz!

 

[Twiggz]

Looking to get some hey? They will prob be a species i'll be sussing out next season

 

[Rocket]

A local shop has D.Stenodactylus and D.Steindachneri available.

 

[Twiggz]

Ooow how much? Individuals or pairs?

 

[Rocket]

Individuals for $165ea.

I know thats over priced. The shop has 1 Southern Spiny Tail, 1 Pale Snouted/ Sand Plain and 1 Box Patterned Geckos. They also have 9 female and 1 male Milii available for $100each.

 

[Saz]

Hey Shawn,

I kept galeatus, dameus and steindachneri.

1.5 foot tank for a pair (could go smaller as they didn't use much of the tank LOL!) shallow layer of sand/coir peat mix (2cm) heat cord under one end to raise the hot spot to 28 degrees. shallow water bowl, mist twice weekly, hide each end. Adults fed 2/3 times weekly on small crickets, calc and vit suppliment.

As far as the climbing goes, they have claws, so can climb rough surfaces, but not glass. I think they all stash a pair of stilts under their tails as one day I came home to find one of the galeatus looking up at me sitting on the shelf underneath his tank. The tank was 30cm high, highest object was the smallest size of exo terra hide, so maybe 5cm high. How the little begger got out I'll never know, but I used a mesh lid after that LOL!

:0)

 

[Paul Atkinson]

Hi Rocket.......following link is to Danny Brown's caresheet for diplodactylus species. If you look around his web site he shows pictures of his tank set-ups. A very informative site on many topics. Well worth checking out. Hope you find the help you need.
Regards, Paul.

http://gecko.bigpondhosting.com/The%20Care%20and%20Husbandry%20of%20%20Diplodactylus%20Geckoes-1.htm

 

[Twiggz]

So Saz do all Diplodactylus have claws? I haven't had a close look at mine as yet.
But it may explain the waste on the top of the glass......or not

 

[jonesc1]

wat shop is it shawn? in adelaide?

 

[Saz]

Not sure Twiggs, I would assume so as they don't have 'suckers'! Check out Danny's sheet, from memory he had a lot of good info in it.

 

[Lozza]

I also have steindachneri. I read Danny Brown's care sheet (plus the article is in one of the reptiles australia mags) before getting them.
I just put their tub on the same heat cord as my knob tail hatchy tubs.

 

[Rocket]

Jones: Northside Pets Superstore, both species available are Specialist species.

Thanks Saz and Twiggz.

What are Steindachneri like Saz?

 

[Saz]

Do you know...I'm not sure that they do have claws, I don't keep them anymore, but I'm remembering cute little pads actually. It's the binoei I'm thinking of that have claws I think? The galeatus definitely have pads.

 

[Saz]

I'm a bad one to ask about diplodactylus Shawn, I found them a bit boring I have to say, which is why I sold them, never really saw them as they are a shy species, I saw my galeatus more, they weren't so worried.

They are certainly worth a go Shawn, you don't know if you are going to like keeping something until you give it a go!

:0)

 

[Lozza]

my steindachneri are great, the male is always out and about (the female hardly ever comes out of her hole though). They are very pretty.
They shed their skin in one whole piece including toes which looks really cool.
They have subdigital lamellae that are slightly enlarged with large terminal plates. I guess they can climb but I have never seen mine climbing.

 

[Rocket]

but your the Gecko Queen Saz. Your supposed to know everything!

Ill buy the female Steno next week if shes still there. shes been there for months and months.