Pics Of Banana Gex..

[Blackwidow69]

Sorry i havent been around for awhile but i have been really busy.. I have finaly gottin pics of the mystery banana gex, now there not the best and there of the female as the male was not co operating that night and stayed hidden in his hide log.. She has healed bite marks from the male when they was together befour i got them and shes starting to turn a grayish color on the head as shes getting ready to shed her skin. now you can see how big they are and how there color is, in this pics she went from mossy grayish tan to a greenish brown color, pics dont show that very well and her eyes went from silver to greenish.. Shes a real sweety to have out and to hold but the male is one skittish gex.. I still think she could be Vorax or something,, she is growing and doing very well..

[Blackwidow69]

Another shot of her, i named her "Lena".. The male is alot bigger than her and he just shed last night and is lookin really good, hes real bulky.. Now that you can see pics does anyone have any clues as to what they are??

[Wuntu Menny]

I believe you do have G. vorax there. The only thing odd is the eyes that appear to be yellow in the pic. That could be due to the lighting. Nice to see she's still got her original tail, too.

Good to hear you can handle one of them at least, they take some time and patience to tame down. I've got 21 of them and ten more incubating, there just isn't time to spend with each one.

Keep posting updates and feel free to ask any Q's as there aren't many of us keeping these great geckos.

WM

[Blackwidow69]

Thanks Wuntu Menny, now see i was wondering about them as they really didnt look like banana gex, thats what they was labled as. Im gona get some more pics next time my girlfriend comes over and gona get pics of how big and bulky this male is.. Plus gona get them when shes in the light mossy gray phase and the dark chocolate phase to... I really am glad someone helped with my Q's about them as i was really stumped.. Heres few more pics of her, here she is in her fav spot on top of someones head.. LOL!!!

[Blackwidow69]

I think it was the flash from the cam that made her eyes look yellow there actuly a flunky green color and then at other times they seem to change silver color.. Oh by the way how and when do i go about breeding them?? I thank you tons!!!! Here she is tip of her tail just hanging over my finger tip and you can see how big she really is... She was just starting to turn a dark chocolate in this color... Yeah im glad they have there full tails to..

[Wuntu Menny]

Yep, that looks more like it. Their abilty to change color is amazing, isn't it. Mine range from almost solid white at times to ultra high contrast mottling with salmon pink along their flanks. Their eyes go from grey/green to turquoise blue depending on time of day.

Breeding can be a challenge if the pair aren't compatible, I'm guessing yours are. If they don't get along and accept each other, the results can be fatal. I've had some close calls when introducing new pairs. Monitor their behaviour as close as possible without disturbing them and be prepared to separate them if the aggression gets too high. Expect some "love bites" from both of them as hostilities are not exclusive to males.

They are skin sloughers similar to Phelsuma and it tears easily. Fortunately, even what appear to be severe injuries heal rapidly with little scarring evident after two or three subsequent sheds. They will drop their tails if the need arises and the regens don't have the same appearance or degree of articulation as the originals.

Incubate your eggs at 75-79F and they will hatch in 150-300 days. Yeah I know, huge time frame, but that's what I was told. Mine usually hatch around 150-180 days. They breed all year with no cycling required. The females are quite prolific egg producers, so make sure she gets HUGE amounts of food once she starts gestating. My primary female has laid 16 clutches in less than two years with no signs of stress or malnourishment.

I still like listening to their chatter at night best of all. Comedy only a herp keeper can appreciate! That's enough for now, I look forward to comparing notes with you,

WM

[Blackwidow69]

Oh wow thank you, thank you, thank you WM!!!!!!!!!!! My pair is in seperate cages as the male was going after the female and she never came out to eat so i put them in there own seperate cages, shes doing very well and eatting real good, hes doing well also eats like a real pig, and yes there funny call is sooo cool i only herd the male call.. Now do i put her in his cage or him in her cage for breeding time?? And when she does ever lay eggs il do exactly what ya said to do.. mine are eatting baby food, apricot, peaches, hawiian delight, and friut melody with clacium in the food and also mealworms, crix they dont seem to fond of is there anything else i should try?? Got any pics of yours to share with me?? and yes they do have the salmon tanish color behind the back legs its cool.. there color change is very fast and very dramatic... I love these gex... Thanks again WM!!!!

[Wuntu Menny]

When introducing a pair that may or may not get along, there is a time tested method that works for me. Start by cleaning and landscaping a large tank, and place both geckos in it as close to simultaneously as is practical. In doing this, neither animal has a chance to claim territory or perceive a given enclosure as it's home turf. Both of them explore the new environment at the same time and it seems to minimize disputes.

Also, make sure the terrarium is well planted with a variety of cover and structure available. Mine are particularly fond of vertical rock for hanging out during the day.

I recommend feeding more insects to adults. Ours dine on roughly 2/3 insect and larvae and 1/3 fruit puree, hatchlings and juvies receive the reverse ratio. One reason yours may not go after too many crix is that they are really clumsy hunters. I dish feed ours, so that probably helps by localizing and concentrating the bugs without them having to chase them around the cage.

Hawaiin Delight? Fruit Melody? Never heard of those ones. It sounds like there may be some pineapple or citrus in those, best to avoid high acid fruit. Here's a recipe your geckos should like:

1 jar of pureed turkey baby food
1 whole mango
2 bananas
1/2 medium sized papaya
2 kiwi fruit
2 apricots or 1 peach
2 tsp pure calcium supplement

Chuck it all in the blender and thoroughly liquify it, add pablum to thicken it up a bit, and pour it into ice cube trays and freeze for later use. When you can find it, prickly pear mashed through a seive to remove the seeds is a great addition as is dragon fruit, cherries, guava, and I'm discovering more every day. The turkey content helps to ensure the animals are receiving sufficient protein.

You can offer pinkies on occassion if your into a gorefest. I equate it to the proverbial "pitbull with a kitten". It gets pretty graphic and you'll be scraping entrails off the cage walls, but it helps maintain prime breeding condition.

Have fun!
WM

[Tim and Julie B]

Gee Wuntu, you described that exactly the way it is. I gave my male a pink and it was the sickest most fascinating thing I have ever seen. Then he gingerly went around liking up bits of guts and entrails, almost got it all too. So far they seem to enjoy peaches, mango, apricot and pear the most. I've tried raspberries, banana(very little), cherries, strawberries, and blue berries. They don't turn down much, but the female hates raspberries. And they like liquid calcium too. Even if not mixed into the food. How long will the fruit cubes last in the freezer? TTYL.
Julie B

[Wuntu Menny]

Hi T&B,

I'm not sure what the suggested freezer life of the fruit is. We usually have to make another batch every 2 months or so. The geckos don't seem to mind a little freezer burn and the nutritional value likely doesn't degrade too badly.

As for the bananas, I saw your earlier post regarding the potassium, and I don't know if that is a critical issue for these guys or not. It would be a good thing to nail down one way or the other, though. It would be ironic if a banana gecko had trouble with bananas.

That leads me back to Blackwidow's original post regarding the common name for these geckos. Giant Banana Gecko is one, as are Halmahera Giant, and Voracious Gecko. The banana title is confusing to many as every locale on the globe that grows bananas and has a resident gecko population invariably names them accordingly.

Oddly, members of the Rhacodactylus genus are fond of bananas and there are none to be found in the New Caledonia group of islands. Hmm...

WM

[Blackwidow69]

Hey Wuntu Menny, i have placed the male in with the female, there seems to be no fighting at all going on, he seems to hang out on her fav branch but they have done no fighting or calling or breeding or anything, shes has still been eatting like a real pig, i have thrown some night crawlers in there and turned the lights off and they have eatting them as i cant find um anywhere and the female looks awful fat, how long does it take for her to lay eggs once she is bred?? Could she already have been bred befour i got her? They are both laying very close to each other in grayish mode color.. I have so far gottin them to take super worms soft stage, wax worms, babyfood several diffrent types still there fav is bananas and apples or the fruit melody, peaches, squash and also that hawiian delight which they only get the H. Delight once a week.. They still will not touch the crix.. Im gona try pinkie mice even though you said it can be messy, my plated lizard makes a huge mess with his rat pink pups he eats so im use to it.. LOL!!! I mist the twice a day and clean all poo out every 2 days and i make sure the live plants are waterd as well, temps at the cool end 70 and temps at the basking light end 82. They have been doing fine since i got them, growing and getting very fat so i must be doing something right with them, now all i need is for him to breed with her..LOL!!! Is there a certain age they have to be befour breeding?? Maybe there still not old enough yet..

[Wuntu Menny]

I'm not sure why they aren't interested in the crickets, mine all go wild for them. Your temps might be a little on the cool side. I don't normally provide a basking area except on rare occasions when I use an IR light at night. They always go to the warm spot and hang out for a while.

Photoperiod, temp, and humidity can all influence their urge to breed. I'm running a 14 on/10 off light cycle right now and switch to 12/12 in winter. Ambient temp is mid 80's by day and mid 70's at night. Average ambient humidity is 40% with heavy misting at least twice a day resulting in around 70% in the enclosures.

Gestation time will vary depending on temps and food. I seem to get a clutch about every 6-8 weeks. Breeding behaviour is constant, with the males pursuing relentlessly. The females usually nip back and bark when they are not receptive. As for breeding age, I have a female subadult just over a year old that has started dropping infertiles in her cage.

You seem to have your setup dialed in pretty well. Perhaps a little tweaking with some variables will produce the desired effect. Try to provide them with plenty of privacy as they can be a little skittish when they see large bipeds roaming the area.

Don't worry about the super worms being post molt, though. I feed mine full sized supers in max crunchy mode and they just wolf them down.

Talk to you soon,
WM

[DragnDrop]

They're also called the Poor Man's Leachianus. When I had mine, they produced tons of eggs. Hatching times averaged 5-6 months, the fastest ever was 120 days, and a few laid in wnter took 9 months.
Also, the domestic violence can be fatal, as WM mentioned. Many hobbyists have found one of the pair completely eviscerated one morning, and a number of them only found half the entrails - with the remaining spouse rather suspiciously fat. They seem to bond, and aren't fond of starting a new relationship with just anyone. If you find a suitable mate, keep them together for life if you can. Or if you have WC, buy a pair together, they might already be familiar or even mates, since they'll have been caught at the same time.
They vocalize like crazy, and they're really interesting.

[Blackwidow69]

These 2 were baught together as they were in the same cage and also i had them together for first few days when i brung them home, the male vocalized maybe few times max and i was worried he was bullying her so i put her in her own cage for almost 4 weeks plus she had a infection on her lip so i was also treating that which is now all gone, now i have them together again in a new cage. They are not fighting at all or vocal, there eatting well.. The basking spot works for them i see them go from the cool side over to the basking side and hang out on a tree branch there for awhile then the move back to the cool side for awhile.. There light is on for close to 12 hrs then off for at night.. They have lots live plants and some fake they also have bark and very round branches for climbing and basking.. As for privacy they are in a room thats quiet and also away from traffic area, the sides and back of the cage are coverd and only the front is open for viewing.. Like i said i must be doing something right as they are doing very well... Maybe there only vocal when im in bed at night and i dont here them Only the male is very skittish, the female is not she likes to climb right up on your hand and will hang out with yaz.. shes very sweet compared to him...

[Bencb3]

thats a cool looking gecko