Texas Banded Gecko

Texas banded gecko Quick Facts

Common name	Texas banded gecko
Scientific name	Coleonyx brevis
Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Chordata
Class	Squamata
Family	Eublepharidae
Genus	Coleonyx
Conservation status	Least Concern
Type	Reptile; ground-living, night-active gecko
Diet	Insects and spiders
Habitat	Dry, rocky land, canyons and crevices
Native range	Southwest United States and northern Mexico
Size	About 4 inches (10 cm) long
Colours	Pink, brown or yellow bands with black speckles
Special feature	Movable eyelids and no climbing pads

Rarely Found In Captivity, but Their Small Size and Docile Nature Make Them Good Pets

Among the various species of small geckos, the Coleonyx brevis or the Texas Banded Gecko is an important species. They are native to the southwest United States as well as northern Mexico.

Anatomy

The Texas banded Gecko  has a projected snout  measuring about 2 inches in an overall length of  approximately 4 inches or 10 cm, and belong to a family of terrestrial lizards. They have Pink, brown or yellow color cross bands alternating on the body with black accent or speckling on them. The males are generally smaller as compared to their female counterparts. Interestingly, the geckos have a thin body with its length equal to the tail. Their distinguishing feature is their slender body with the large head and eyes, with vertical pupils and movable eyelids. Their slender toes have no pads for climbing, as these are terrestrial.

Behavior

They are nocturnal in nature and hence, come out only after dusk. Since they are carnivorous in nature, you can see them hunting for insects and spiders.

Natural habitat

They generally dwell on dry, rocky land-areas. Canyons and crevices are some their common habitats.

Breeding

This gecko lays eggs that they are oviparous in nature and their reproductive season ranges between March and April. They can lay two eggs at a time and generally lay two or more clutches for each breeding season making 4 to 6 eggs each breeding season. The incubation period is 2 months.

As a Pet

If you refer to banded gecko facts, you will see that these geckos are docile in nature and are an ideal species for pets. Many people, nowadays, are increasingly keeping them as pets and they are available for sale online at specific sites.

Housing

Ideally, you should keep the Texas Banded gecko in an aquarium of about 10 gallons capacity. For substrate, you can use newspaper, dry grass, paper towels, and leaf–litter to create multiple layers. You can also consider natural items like peat moss plus sand as substrate.. Placing the couple of caves lined with some damp moss can make your gecko feel at home and use them to hide as well.

Food

These carnivorous geckos feed on spiders and insects. Exercise a lot of caution when you feed the geckos. Supplement their food with calcium by dusting the insects they eat, with vitamin and calcium powder before feeding them. Feed the geckos every alternate day for an hour and remove any uneaten insects after that time elapses, the reason being uneaten live insect may harm gecko by biting it.

Misting

Misting is very important as this process helps a gecko to drink water. The water should be spread at least twice a day but do not overdo this. It is called “misting” because geckos drink the mist present on the leaves in the wild. Placing a container of water is also an option but there is a lesser probability that banded geckos such as these will use it.

Temperature and Heating

Ideally, you can achieve the optimum temperature by placing the reptile-heating pad on one side and using a heat lamp on the other side of the tank. The ideal day-temperature ranges from 80 degrees to 95 degrees Fahrenheit. Since they need a cooler night – temperature, you can switch-off the heat lamp at night.

Cage Maintenance

Try to maintain a clean environment inside the cage of the Texas Banded Gecko. This includes cleaning their daily droppings possibly using a spoon. Clean the cage at least weekly and you should make sure to replace the newspaper and dry grass used to create the substrate.  If the substrate is from peat moss and sand, you can do the cleaning once a month.  Remember, a pet needs a clean environment to dwell just like we the humans do.

Related: Mediterranean House Gecko

Texas banded gecko FAQs