Viper Gecko Tarentolepis fasciata Various Gecko pics Small gecko with big rewards!       The Viper Gecko or Teratolepis fasciata is a fascinating little gecko the rarely exceeds 3.5".  In the wild they can be found in SE Pakistan in arid rocky regions.  The Viper Gecko is becoming rising star in herpetoculture, thanks to the small size and ease of care and breeding. Viper Gecko-Teratolepis fasciata Origin-Southeastern Pakistan Size-7"to9" Life Span-7yrs Temperment/Handling-Docile, rarely attempting to bite. Never hold by the tail because it can fall off. Hardiness-Very hardy as long as basic needs are met. Housing-A 5gal aquarium is adequate for two babies or an adult. A 10gal is big enough to house one male and up to three females. Never house two males together. A lid is not necessary but recommended to keep other things from getting to the geckos.  Newspaper, paper towels, sand,  a sand/soil mix can be used as substrate. Baby viper geckos should always be kept on newspaper or paper towels to avoid sand impaction. This can cause serious health problems. Hide spots should be provided at both the warm and cool ends of the enclosure.  To help facilitate with shedding, a hide box (small plastic container with a hole cut out of the side or top) containing moistened vermiculite or spragnum moss, should be provided.  A shallow water dish should be available at all times, as well as a small dish of calcium and possibly a dish of mealworms. Viper Geckos avoid bright light and will stay hidden most of the day. Finally add a few pieces of low laying cork bark or well secured rocks to help keep the geckos occupied. Rack Systems- If housing a lot of geckos you may choose to keep them in a rack system, consisting of many tight fitting shelves full of Rubbermaid plastic bins.  A shoe box (12"x6"x4.5") will comfortably house a couple baby geckos, moving up to a sweater box (16"x10.5"x6")  with age, or blanket box (22"x16"x6") for a good size breeding group. The shelves on the rack double as a lid to keep the geckos from escaping.  Paper towels should be used as a substrate.  A hide spot should be provided at both the warm end and cool end as well as a hide box containing moistened vermiculite or spragnum moss, that doubles as a nesting box.  A shallow water dish should be available at all times, as well as a small dish of calcium and possibly a dish of mealworms.  Rack systems are heated using heat tape. Enclosure maintenance-Substrates can be changed every couple weeks as long as you remove fecal (poop) every few days. All cage items should be cleaned with a dilution of 1part bleach to 30parts water every three months or so making sure to thoroughly rinse.  Water should be changed daily.  Check all electrical devices as often as possible to help prevent fire hazards. Lighting-This is a nocturnal (on the move at night time) species requiring no UVA/UVB lighting, but it can't hurt.  I use fluorescent and a basking or incandescent bulb suspended above one end of the enclosure. Never let the lizard touch the bulb itself, for this can cause severe burns. The lights should be left on 14hrs a day throughout the summer months and 10 hrs a day in the winter.  I recommend keeping all lighting on a timer, it saves the hassle of manually turning on and off the lights every day. Heat/Temp-Daytime temps should be 84-88F with a basking spot around 92F. Nighttime temps should be 75-80F. Always allow a cooler end to help with thermo-regulation. A reptiles surroundings determine it's body temp, so they move from end to end as needed. Temps should be slightly cooler in the wintertime. Heating options include, under tank heaters covering about 1/2 to 1/3 the length of the tank, heat tape, or a basking bulb in a ceramic fixture over head. Never use hot rocks, they often concentrate extreme heat causing severe burns. Humidity/Water-Viper geckos are a species that prefer a dry environment. Only misting once or twice a week to help with shedding. A small, shallow water dish should be available at all times,as well as the humid hide box. Diet/Food-As a general rule food items should be no larger than the width of the head. Commonly used food items include commercially raised crickets, mealworms, waxworms, and various other insects. Wild insects are readily accepted, but make sure they haven't come in contact with any pesticides.  All food items should be gut loaded (fed a nutritious diet of various greens, potatoes, and cricket food) for at least 24hrs prior to feeding. Insects should be supplemented or lightly coated (the easiest way is in a plastic bag) with vitamins and minerals.  The proper use of supplements can help lead to a healthier, happier gecko, and reduce the risk of metabolic bone disease. I use Rep-cal Calcium/vitD3, Herptivite, and  Miner-All.  All can be found at any pet store. I like to leave a small dish of calcium and mealworms in the enclosure at all times. Babies should be offered food 1 to 2 times daily. Juveniles should be fed daily. Adults should be fed 4-6 times a week.  Remove all free roaming food items if not eaten within 15-20min.  Insects will foul water and stress the geckos. Sexing-To sex, look on the underside of the gecko. Males have a V-shaped row of enlarged pre-anal pores and hemipenal bulges at the base of the tail. Females have pre-anal pores that are less obvious and are lacking the hemipenal bulges. Other-A very small gecko, but fascinating none the less. Disclaimer-Everything on this page is a matter of my personal opinion.  This care sheet is merely meant to help get you started.  Always do lots of other research and do what is in the best interest of you and your pet. Last Updated-03/06/03 Aaron Downing            ReptileAaron@aol.com  https://www.angelfire.com/me4/pets Suggested Reading *Geckos Bartlett,Bartlett 1995 Barron's Educational Series *Lizards Of The World  Mattison  1992 Blandford  *Reptiles Magazine Various Authors & Issues