Lygodactylus Capensis (Cape dwarf gecko)

manville · 09-02-04, 07:57 PM

Hey guys, i got this gecko yesterday and was wondering if you guys know a care sheet on them. I have never heard of anyone else having these guys. Are they really rare or just uncommon?

DragnDrop · 09-06-04, 07:22 PM

I used to have L capensis, kimhowelli, picturatus. Caresheets are hard to find online, but they do exist. If you can't find one made for Lygos, then treat them like gold dust day geckos. The care is almost identical for temps, food, light etc. The only big difference is the Lygos are way smaller and more territorial. I only had luck with one pair per 10 gallon tank. Males didn't even like the idea of another male across the room, they'd do their threat displays all day long, so I had to make sure they were visibly isolated from each other too.

manville · 09-07-04, 12:26 AM

I dont see anyone talking about them. Are they really rare or something?

dj_honeycuts · 09-07-04, 01:10 AM

I don't think they are particularly rare. I just think that very few people keep them as they are small and often overlooked. They are quite common in shipments from Africa, but I don't think that most people understand how to take care of them properly so the majority of the specimens imported die in the hands of inexperienced keepers. I've kept picturatus, and I'd agree with what Hilde says about their care requirements. Territorial displays are quite fascinating to watch, and they can be quite prolific breeders if you can track down the opposite sex of what you have. Hatchlings are miniscule, but they are a blast to watch grow! Treat them as a day gecko and you should be fine!
Good luck!

DragnDrop · 09-07-04, 07:31 AM

Hatchlings are almost impossible to see too. I used to have a pair in a 20 gallon hex tank. I put a length of plastic airline tubing down to the soil level so I could drip water down it to water the plant (passion flower vine). The tubing was inserted through a hole in the screen top, siliconed in place. This way I only had to open the tank for feeding and maintenance in the tank. If I saw eggs, they were removed promptly, the hatchlings were raised separately. After a year I hardly had any eggs saved, though I just knew the female had been gravid more often. I couldn't figure out what happened to the eggs, so I assumed she ate them or hid them so well that I couldn't find them. I removed what eggs I found, and let it be, maybe she didn't lay those eggs, reabsorbed them, whatever. I know I checked for eggs but the plant was growing so thick, I could have missed some. After a while, I noticed a baby Lygo on the wall in the same room. Then I'd notice one here and there, all outside the tank. I KNOW for a fact that I didn't allow any to escape when I had the lid open, I would bet my soul that I was careful enough. After I'd captured 6 escaped babies, I found out how they got out. I watched one climb up the inside of the airline tubing and out! That should give you an idea of how tiny they are. I promptly removed the tubing, and watered the plant while I had the top open after that.

Kevin McRae · 09-07-04, 08:33 AM

Whoa those guys must be tiny to fit out of that.

Geckos escape from the oddest places

K8Satan · 09-24-04, 04:12 PM

Have you found any good care sheets? I just picked up a pair, I think, don't know that I trust the guy at the pet store. Sometimes it seems that I just have a dominent and subdominent male. There really is no difference between the two except that one displays the blue and yellow more. I haven't seen any threatening behavior but I've only had them a couple weeks. I thought I'd try something other than U. Phantasticus for a while. Please let me know any good info you've picked up.
Thanks!!