Maintenance of Eublefars

So, finally you decided to get a real reptile at home and the choice was made in favor of the spotted eublefar. Of course, at first glance it may seem that keeping a gecko is not so easy, but first of all, we need to remember that we are responsible for any living creature that we take into our home. Eublefar will certainly become a universal favorite for a long time, because the life expectancy is 13-20 years, but there are cases when these reptiles lived up to 30! Eublefars are very neat animals, you don’t need to collect “surprises” around the terrarium for them, they choose a certain place and will always go there “to the toilet”, so cleaning them is a pleasure. There is no smell from these reptiles, they do not cause allergies. Some individuals are so attached to a person that they literally ask for their hands. In the evening, after a long day, approaching the terrarium, it is impossible not to smile when you see a pretty muzzle that looks hopefully straight into your eyes. Here they are so positive, these cute geckos. You can list a lot of the positive qualities of these amazing creatures, but the choice is yours. Let’s get acquainted, we present to your attention Eublepharis Macularius!

Kit for spotted eublefar “Minimum”

Spotted eublefar, general information.

Genus spotted eublefar (Eublepharis Macularius) from the gecko family, is a semi-desert lizard. In nature, eublefaras inhabit rocky foothills and semi-fixed sands. Its homeland is Iraq, Southern Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Turkmenistan and India (most often found from Eastern Afghanistan in the south through Pakistan to Balochistan and east to Western India), it is also common in East and Southwest Asia. At home, creating all the necessary conditions for keeping eublefar is quite easy. This is perhaps the most unpretentious and friendly reptile that easily gets used to a person. It reaches a length of up to 30 cm, of which about 10 cm falls on the tail. Body weight averages 50g (although there are specially bred morphs that are much larger than usual). Eublefars can drop their tail in case of severe fright or acute pain, and if this is not critical for babies – the tail will grow, then for an adult lizard it can be very unpleasant – a new tail will have to grow for more than one year, and it will no longer be so beautiful. But you shouldn’t be afraid of it. such cases are very rare – eublefar is far from being a shy reptile. These animals lay their food reserves in the tail, like camels, which is why they have such gorgeous bushy tails. Eublefars do not have developed suckers on their paws, like some species of geckos, so you can safely keep them in aquariums with an open lid if the walls are high enough so that the animal does not get out. However, do not forget that in such a dwelling the air stagnates, and in a terrarium with additional lower ventilation, the pet will be much more comfortable.

Spotted Eublefar Tremper Albino Tangerine (TTA)

Content equipment.

For one animal, a small volume of the terrarium (40/30/30) is enough. Since eublefaras are cold-blooded lizards, they need heat to digest food. Therefore, the best option is the bottom heating. This can be a thermal mat or a thermal cord bought at a pet store, and as a more economical option, you can use shoe dryers, either installed under the terrarium or buried in the ground. The temperature at the place of heating should be within 27-32ºС, which must be regulated using the thickness of the soil and a thermometer. If the room temperature does not drop below 22ºС, then the heating can be turned off at night. In any case, make sure that the animal has several hiding places throughout the terrarium, as well as in a warm and cold corner. So eublefar will be able to determine a more comfortable place for himself. Large pebbles can be used as soil, the size should be such that the animal cannot accidentally swallow a pebble. If you feed your gecko in a jig (such as a small, opaque bowl), shredded coconut works well. Pet stores also sell special calcined sand that is safe for animals. Ordinary sand should not be used – digestive problems may occur if it is swallowed. You can use any container for a drinking bowl, eublefaras are happy to drink clean stagnant water (unlike chameleons, which need, for example, a fountain), lapping water with their tongue like kittens. Eublefaras are twilight animals, so they do not need lighting. It is allowed to install an ordinary 25-40W incandescent mirror lamp to create an imitation of solar heating at one point in the terrarium, which can be purchased at hardware stores.

Use of ultraviolet light

Kit for spotted eublefar “Premium”

The use of UV is indicated for medicinal purposes, with developing rickets in an animal, when vitamin D3 is not absorbed with food, and also to stimulate reproduction. For these purposes, you should use the ReptiGlo 5.0 lamp (it is the least bright of all). In the case of rickets, it is enough to irradiate the animal for 10-15 minutes a day, and to stimulate the reproduction of individuals, the length of daylight hours should be adjusted, gradually changing it upwards (up to 12 hours). The longer the day, the more actively the eublefars mate. Night light lamps and lamp starters with imitation of sunrise and sunset are also on sale. For animals, there is no need for this, the benefits of this are purely aesthetic. If you suddenly notice that the skin of the eublefar has begun to peel off, crack and turn white – do not worry, this is an ordinary molt. Your pet decided to get rid of the old skin and get a new one with a brighter color. In order for everything to go without unpleasant consequences, it is enough to install a wet chamber in the terrarium (a small container with a lid, a little larger than an animal, on top of which a hole 3-4 cm in diameter is cut – an imitation of a hole) at the bottom of which place a wet substrate, for example, coconut flakes or vermiculite. Humidity in the terrarium should be between 40-50%. If the air in the apartment is dry enough (for example, central heating batteries are “frying” with might and main), then you can increase the humidity by periodically spraying the soil in one of the corners. This must also be done if there is no damp chamber. During each molt, carefully examine the animal – the old skin should come off completely, not remaining on the muzzle, ears, fingers, etc. hear etc. Adult geckos molt once a month or two, and teenagers once every two weeks. Since after molting the animal eats its old skin, this may not even be noticed.

Feed and nutrition

In nature, eublefaras feed mainly on various insects, spiders and small lizards, and do not disdain their young. Crickets and small cockroaches are recognized as the most optimal food at home. They like to eat flour worms and zofobas, but this is a very fatty food, so you should not abuse it, otherwise obesity may occur, which will adversely affect both the health of the animal and its reproductive abilities. Of insects in the summer, you can give grasshoppers, locusts, green caterpillars of butterflies that are not covered with hairs, they, like bright colors, can be poisonous. And do not forget – if you feed insects of unknown origin, then there is always a risk that the animal may suffer. Most natural insects have mites, worms and other parasites, so if you give your pet food of natural origin in the summer, it is recommended that he be treated for parasites at the end of the season. Earthworms can also be dangerous. It is absolutely impossible to give maggots – the animal may die, since they have an external digestive system and can begin to digest the animal while inside it. Some adult animals like small pieces of sweet fruit, but citrus fruits are not recommended, as indigestion may occur. During breeding, it is possible to give females naked (newborn mice) to maintain good shape, but not all animals eat them. A newborn eublefar may not eat for the first week – first he will eat his umbilical cord, then the skin after the first molt. Only after his internal organs begin to function and he digests everything, you can begin to feed him. This can be judged by the small poop that appeared nearby.

Eublefar nutrition mode:

– up to one month 1-2 times a day (average 1 medium cricket at a time); – from one to three months 1 time per day (average 2 medium crickets at a time); – from three months to six months every other day (in on average 1-3 large crickets at a time); – from six months to a year 2-3 times a week (on average 2-4 large crickets at a time); – from a year and older 2-3 times a week (average 5-10 large crickets at a time). Each animal is individual, so you need to feed as much as it is. Eublefars have a sense of satiety, so you should not worry that the beast “overeats”.

It is best to feed geckos in the evening, when the animal is most active.

Due to the fact that eublefaras deposit nutrients in the tail, you can safely go on vacation for two weeks (of course, providing the animal with water) and leave an adult animal without food (or by launching a dozen crickets into its terrarium, putting a couple of lettuce leaves for the latter) which, you see, is very convenient.

Joint keeping of several animals.

In no case do not keep geckos with other animals, as well as several males in one terrarium. There will be fights over the territory up to a fatal outcome. The animals themselves are not aggressive, but very territorial, they do not perceive strangers. If you want to keep more than one animal, then it is best to purchase several females for one male, from two to ten. A male can simply torture one female.

Physiology.

The male is larger than the female, has a more powerful build, a broad neck, a massive head, a thicker tail at the base with a row of preanal pores (a row of yellowish-brown small dots on the scales between the hind legs) and bulges behind the cloaca. It is possible to determine reliably the sex of eublefar for about six months. The sex of eublefars directly depends on the temperature during the incubation of eggs, which makes it possible to obtain offspring of the required sex with a high probability.

Sexual maturity usually occurs at the age of 9 months, but sometimes earlier, and sometimes later. Females weighing at least 45g should be allowed to breed. If a female becomes pregnant before she is fully formed, this can lead to death, delay or stop her physical development.

The color of eublefars is sometimes simply incredible. If nature endowed them with a rather dark color – almost black spots and stripes on a yellow-gray background, then breeders still get new morphs to this day. Yellow, orange, pink, white, black, with and without patterns, with stripes and dots – hundreds of fantastic colors (even tried to bring blue, but so far not very successfully). The color of the eyes is also amazing – ruby, orange, black, with snake pupils and even marble. Having plunged into the world of gecko genetics, you will go on an amazing journey, where at each end point a new incomparable baby will be waiting for you! Therefore, eublefar is not only the most interesting animal for lovers, but also captures the imagination of sophisticated professionals.

Geckos will always be healthy if they treat these basic health problems with due attention and understanding when you can help yourself and when you need the help of a veterinarian.

Based on an article by Elsa, Massachusetts, BostonTranslated by Roman DmitrievOriginal article on the website: http://www.happygeckofarm.com