This absolutely stunning, but very timid species originates from Guangxi Province in SW China, where its habitat is characterised by tropical forests and limestone caves.
Appearance
The base colour of adult Chinese cave geckos is a pale purple-grey, peppered with numerous black spots. Between the back of the head and the base of the tail a total of five orange bands transverse the body, with each band being bordered on either side by broad black bands. The tail of these geckos has a uniform black base colour, but it is transversed by five pure white bands. The elongate, delicate body, neck and long, slender limbs are covered in numerous tubercles. The irises of Chinese cave geckos have an intense deep orange to blood red colouration.
Two views of the same adult Chinese cave gecko showing its distinctive colouring and striking patterning.
Size
This medium-sized, but extremely slender species grows to approximately 210mm in length.
Sexing
Males can be distinguished not only by a hemipenile bulge, but also by the presence of 23 - 29 pre-anal pores, which form a 'V'-shaped row close to the animal's vent. These pores produce a wax-like secretion, which is used for scent marking territories.
As can be seen in the photograph above left, male Chinese cave geckos have a single row of pre-anal pores. They also display a distinct hemipenile bulge, as shown in the photograph on the right. Both of these features are absent in females.
Care requirements
Chinese cave geckos are relatively easy to care for, although care must be taken to fulfill all of their husbandry requirements in order for this species to thrive.
Housing
Chinese cave geckos can be housed individually, as male: female pairs or as groups consisting of a single male and multiple females.
Enclosure
Although Chinese cave geckos are nominally a terrestrial species, they are also excellent climbers. Indeed, I rarely see mine on the floor of the vivarium, but more often than not he's clambering around high up in the enclosure; frequently, he is to be observed dangling upside down from the mesh roof of the vivarium. It is therefore better to house them in tall, arboreal-style enclosures; a 45cm x 45cm x 60cm vivarium would be suitable for a single gecko or a male: female pair.
Temperature
Chinese cave geckos are often kept at room temperature; as long as the ambient room temperature is between about 24°C and 26°C (75°F and 79°F) during the day and doesn't drop below 20°C (70°F) at night during the summer months, then no additional heating is required. If the ambient temperature in the room in which a Chinese cave gecko is to be kept is lower than this, then a heat mat, controlled by an appropriate thermostat, can be used to increase temperatures to suitable levels.
Humidity
Although this species can cope with slightly higher temperatures (up to a maximum of 28°C (82°F)) for brief periods, they can only do so if high humidity levels are maintained; excessively high temperatures, coupled with low humidity can result in the death of these geckos. It is therefore essential to spray the vivaria every evening during summer, so that peak humidity levels of 80% - 95% are achieved at night, with the humidity level being allowed to fall over the course of the following day until a level of approximately 65% is reached immediately before spraying once again.
Lighting
As stated earlier, Chinese cave geckos are very timid and normally only venture out after dark. I would therefore not advise using any supplementary lighting in order to view this species; on the contrary, it often proves necessary to use very subdued lighting in the room in which the gecko is housed before the gecko will become active.
Substrate
Chinese cave geckos require high levels of humidity, so it is therefore essential to provide them with an enclosure that will provide this. I've found that using a substrate such as eco earth works well, as it retains moisture well; however, care must be taken not to make it too wet otherwise there is a risk that mould will develop.
Decor
In order to replicate the humid, dark, wooded areas where these geckos originate, I use cork bark tubes and pieces of both cork bark and mopani wood, arranged in such a way as to provide ample climbing surfaces. I also use cork bark back panels for the vivarium, as this species can climb rough, vertical surfaces with ease and enjoys being given the opportunity to do so. In order to make this very shy species feel secure in its enclosure it is crucial to provide ample narrow crevices and other sheltered hiding places. Additional cover also can be provided through the use of strategically placed plants.
Feeding
This is another insectivorous gecko species. Adults will readily eat medium crickets, dubia roaches and, occasionally, mealworm. However, I have had very little success when offering them locusts; I think this is due to the fact that locusts tend to become inactive once it's dark and, their lack of movement simply fails to trigger a hunting response in the geckos. I normally offer eight to ten feeders, three times per week.
Water
A bowl of clean water, which must be changed daily, should be available to this species at all times.
Supplements
As usual, all feeders must be gutloaded and dusted with the appropriate supplements before being offered. I dust feeders with pure calcium powder twice per week and with a calcium balancer with vitamin D3 (Nutrobal) once a week.
Hatchling care
The husbandry of hatchling and juvenile Chinese cave geckos is pretty much identical to that of adults. Juveniles will eat, on average, six to eight feeder insects (small crickets (2nd instar), small dubia roaches etc) four or five times per week. Of all the species I keep, it is perhaps the Chinese cave gecko that displays the greatest difference between hatchling / young juvenile and adult markings. Upon hatching, Chinese cave geckos display a dark purple-grey colouring, interspersed with uniform white bands on both the body and tail. As the gecko matures, adult colouration begins to develop; from the age of about four to six months the white bands on the body take on a distinct orange hue and the black peripheral bands start increase in intensity. The black spots apparent on adults first begin to develop on the head of juveniles at about six months of age, before spreading over the rest of the torso. By roughly ten to eleven months old, all of the markings / colouration associated with the adult are normally visible on a juvenile, though they continue to develop in intensity until the animal is fully mature at about one year of age.
A juvenile Chinese cave gecko at approximately seven months of age
Further reading
Books
Seufer, H., Kaverkin, Y. & Kirschner, A. eds, 2005. The Eyelash Geckos: care, breeding and natural history. Karlsruhe: Kirschner & Seufer Verlag.
Websites
Markus Schröter's Goniurosaurus website is an excellent resource.
A basic care sheet can be found on the Geckos Unlimited website
