You may see articles listing them as one of the following- ocelot gecko, Madagascar ground gecko, panther gecko, big head gecko, or picta geckos. These are all synonyms for Paroedura pictus, one of the easiest-to-keep, most curious behavior geckos in the hobby.
Background
Pictus geckos are native, as the name suggests to Madagascar, are nocturnal (check out those eyes!), reach about 5 inches in length, and are terrestrial- living in the leaf litter of the forest. That is what the books will say. However, I find that they are one of the most ‘day’ active of any nocturnal gecko, and while I’ve kept them for years similarly to adult leopard geckos (bare bottom tank/sand substrate, hide, food & water bowls) recently have found they enjoy climbing on cork bark decorations. Often you will find the geckos perched on top of the enclosure décor, scouting the area like little prairie dogs.
Setup
Adult P. pictus can be housed in small enclosures- 10 gallon aquarium, large kritter keeper/breeder box, or shoe boxes/sweater boxes. In addition to food and water dishes, include a few hiding areas. We prefer plastic up-side-down flower saucers with notches cut out. Include a piece or two of corkbark for climbing. As these geckos are nocturnal, the only lighting they need is whatever lighting you would like to provide to you’re your animals. Finally, for substrate, you can select either a peat moss/sand mixture or a reptile sand (for adults). Add a food dish and water dish (provide a consistent supply of fresh water to your geckos).
Heat & Humidity
A temperature gradiance should be provide from about 80 degrees Fahrenheit on the cool side to the high 80s on the warm side. Use an under-the-tank heater or small wattage light bulb to manage the temperatures. At night, the temps can drop about 70 degrees. Pictus geckos should be kept fairly humid. This can be accomplished by misting their enclosure every other day or so. Make sure the entire cage dries out completely between mistings.
Feeding & Watering
Pictus geckos enjoy a diet of crickets, mealworms, and roaches. Feed insects that are the same length as the width of the gecko’s head. Gutload (feed carrots/apples) your insects about 6-10 hours before feeding your animals. As well, we dust 3 of every 4 feedings with a proven calcium and at least once a month with a good vitamin supplement. We always feed mealworms in feeder dishes to minimize the chance the pictus ingests sand. While a dish with fresh water is kept in the adult enclosure, we mist the sides and tops of hides as the geckos prefer to drink the water droplets rather than drink from the dish.
Male or Female?
While most geckos take at least 6-12 months to determine if they are male or female, pictus geckos can be sexed at about 3 months! Males are distinguished by a significant bulge at the base of their tail- just past their hind legs.
Breeding
When raising young pictus, we separate our males from females. From experience, one of the issues keepers run into is female pictus breeding far too young. This will put a significant strain on the females. We only introduce males to females when they are around 10-12 months old. The female must be in tip top health conditions as the egg laying experience is takes a toll on her. Just before introducing the female to the male and through the egg laying time, we emphasize calcium dusting with every feeding. Male introductions to females for breeding purposes are begun in the springtime as temperatures and light cycles are increasing. We keep males with the ladies for 3 days, then separate for about a week. This is repeated 3 times to assure mating occurs. Our pictus are kept over ½ - ¾ inches of sand and will deposit their pair of eggs in the substrate. Collecting the eggs, we set them up for incubation in deli cups filled with moist Supreme Hatch Material (SHM). The eggs are placed in a bottle cap containing dry SHM and on top of the moist SHM. We have had improved success with this method than when using perlite, vermiculite, or any other hatching material. The container is then placed in an incubator set to 82-84 degrees. Eggs usually hatch out around 50-60 days post lay. Once setup for incubation, do not roll the eggs.
Baby Care
We have found the best way to setup newly hatched pictus to be in small containers- kritter keeper, shoebox, or 2 ½ - 5 gallon tanks. Temperatures, humidity, and lighting should apply just like the parent’s enclosure. Place a paper towel at the bottom of the container. Keep this moist but allow it to dry out. For a feeding dish, we have found a deli cup top to work perfectly for very small dusted crickets and mealworms. As with adults, misting is their preferred for drinking and should be done at least once a day. By following the suggested husbandry above, you will be assured a healthy, curious Paroedura pictus gecko for years… and maybe the wonderful experience of see little P. pictus running around.
Pictus Setup Video-
