This is research
asking questions, making suggestions, seeking advice. Alll research
"Keeping Australian Geckos" is on the way, ordered it last week.
I have been keeping terrariums for a long time and liked the idea of a challenge....however if you don't think its possible ill be sure to take that on board
Perhaps saying i have no idea is a little strong...
If you come on here for advice it is common courtesy to acknowledge those who take the time and make the effort to provide information. Acknowledging some and not others does not compensate.
You went from seeking advice to trying to contact a seller to “Would love perhaps a pair of knobtails or similar.” And for some unexplained reason you changed the intended size of the enclosure midstream. Add to that the fact that interstate members should not have to do your homework. You are restricted in terms of what you can keep, so there is no point to people wasting there time telling you about animals that are not available to you. Here is what is...
Schedule 5 Part B – Reptiles (No licence required)
Marbled Gecko (
Christinus marmoratus)
Schedule 3 – Basic Category Reptiles
Beaded Gecko (
Lucasium damaeum)
Bynoe's Gecko (
Heteronotia binoei)
Desert Cave Gecko (
Heteronotia spelea)
Eastern Spiny-tailed Gecko (
Diplodactylus intermedius)
Knob-tailed Gecko (
Nephrurus levis)
Marbled Velvet Gecko (
Oedura marmorata)
Northern Dtella (
Gehyra australis)
Smooth-flanked Gecko (
Nephrurus laevissimus)
Southern Spotted Velvet Gecko (
Oedura tryoni)
Spiny-tailed Gecko (
Diplodactylus ciliaris)
Tessellated Gecko (
Diplodactylus tessellatus)
Thick-tailed Gecko (
Underwoodisaurus milii)
Tree Dtella (
Gehyra variegata)
Western Stone Gecko (
Diplodactylus granariensis)
Wood Gecko (
Diplodactylus vittatus)
There are no geckos in the Advanced Category
Making a decision on what animal to purchase, based on a comment or three from the forum, is not an acceptable basis for taking on responsibility for a live animal in my book. Someone who chooses on the basis of “I really like the look of it”, all else being equal, is streets ahead. It can fulfil whatever other criteria you set, but if you are not personally fascinated by the animal, what’s the point. It is also likely to end up cast aside or neglected as other things you are personally interested in take up your time and attention. To what degree that may have been happening here, I cannot judge. What can do and did do is provide appropriate advice that gets you looking at the animals, if only in photos. For all I know you may well have all but made up your mind before logging on and were looking for affirmation from others. Whatever the reality, the advice I gave you was sound and appropriate. The tone was likely rather short, reflecting my feelings about the matters already mentioned. Believe it or not, I do want you to make a good choice – both for your enjoyment and satisfaction and for the welfare of the animals.
In saying you had no idea – I was referring selectively to the growing of an Australian grass in a small Exo-Terra enclosure while maintaining an arid environment within. The are several issues with an Australian grass species. Nearly all native grasses resent shade as they are adapted to growing in full sun. Not such a great subject for an indoor plant, although provision of a sufficiently strong enough light for most of the day should get around that. To keep the roots alive they need to be in constant contact with moisture but they also need plenty of oxygen. The free draining sand that many grasses grow in plus their channelling of dew to the root zone, provide that in nature. The very limited depth of substrate that can be placed in the Exo-Terra enclosure will not provide this. You would have to lightly moisten the substrate once or twice a day, and that will NOT allow you to maintain an arid environment. A way around this is to grow the plant in a pot inside a second blind (no holes) pot. It will sit considerably above the substrate level. However, even then, the relatively confined atmosphere will allow the build of humidity around the stomatal opening in the leaf blades. This in turn will maintain the turgor of the stomatal guard cells, allowing continued loss of water vapour from the internal cavities of the leaves. In other words, while the light is on the grass will photosynthesize and transpire. Transpiration will build up the humidity of the internal environmental of the enclosure, even with its venting. There you go – I can no longer say you have no idea, so consider the comment now null and void.
I am pleased for your sake that you had already ordered a copy of the gecko book. Good on you.
Blue
