Vivariums;reptiles;Asia-geckos 4

GEHYRA : geckos, or Four-clawed Geckos, are so-called as the inner digit on all four feet lacks an obvious claw (however, this is not unique to Gehyra). Their eyes are relatively large with vertical pupils, and they typically have loose skin. Globally around 40 are described, with around 10 or so occurring in Southeast Asia. Many are found near human habitation.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Gehyra is a genus of geckos known commonly as web-toed geckos or dtellas.

Gehyra

Gehyra vorax

Scientific classification :

Kingdom:Animalia

Phylum:Chordata

Subphylum:Vertebrata

Class:Reptilia

Order:Squamata

Suborder:Sauria

Infraorder:Gekkota

Family:Gekkonidae

Subfamily:Gekkoninae

Genus:Gehyra
Gray, 1834

Species :

41 recognized species, see text.

Geographic range :

Gehyra species have a wide geographic range, covering most of the Oceania and Melanesian Islands as far north as the Ryukyu Islandsand Thailand.

Description :

Dtellas are moderately sized geckos. Gehyra species have toepads and powerful claws. Like some other geckos they also have a tendency to drop strips of skin if handled carelessly.

Gehyra dubia, dubious dtella

Gehyra mutilata, stump-tailed gecko

Species :

The following 41 species are recognized as being valid.[1][2]

Gehyra angusticaudata (Taylor, 1963) – narrow-tailed four-clawed gecko
Gehyra australis (Gray, 1845) – top-end dtella
Gehyra baliola (A.H.A. Duméril, 1851) – short-tailed dtella
Gehyra barea Kopstein, 1926 – Banda Island dtella
Gehyra borroloola King, 1984 – Borroloola dtella
Gehyra brevipalmata (W. Peters, 1874) – Palau Island dtella
Gehyra butleri Boulenger, 1900 – Butler's dtella
Gehyra catenata Low, 1979 – chain-backed dtella
Gehyra dubia (Macleay, 1877) – dubious dtella
Gehyra fehlmanni (Taylor, 1962) – Fehlmann's dtella
Gehyra fenestra F. Mitchell, 1965 – Pilbara spotted gecko
Gehyra georgpotthasti Flecks et al., 2012
Gehyra interstitialis Oudemans, 1894 – Oudemans' dtella
Gehyra kimberleyi Börner & Schüttler, 1982 – Kimberley dtella
Gehyra koira Horner, 2005 – banded rock dtella
Gehyra lacerata (Taylor, 1962) – lacerated dtella
Gehyra lazelli (Wells & Wellington, 1985)
Gehyra leopoldi Brongersma, 1930 – Leopold dtella
Gehyra marginata Boulenger, 1887 – Moluccan gecko
Gehyra membranacruralis King & Horner, 1989 – Port Moresby dtella
Gehyra minuta King, 1982 – dwarf dtella
Gehyra montium Storr, 1982 – Centralian dtella
Gehyra moritzi Hutchinson et al., 2014
Gehyra multiporosa Doughty et al., 2012
Gehyra mutilata (Wiegmann, 1834) – stump-tailed gecko
Gehyra nana Storr, 1978 – northern spotted rock dtella
Gehyra occidentalis King, 1984 – Kimberley Plateau dtella
Gehyra oceanica (Lesson, 1830) – Pacific dtella
Gehyra pamela King, 1982 – Arnhemland Watercourse dtella
Gehyra papuana A. Meyer, 1874 – Papua dtella
Gehyra pilbara Mitchell, 1965 – Pilbara dtella
Gehyra pulingka Hutchinson et al., 2014
Gehyra punctata (Fry, 1914) – spotted dtella
Gehyra purpurascens Storr, 1982 – purplish dtella
Gehyra robusta King, 1984 – robust dtella
Gehyra serraticauda Skipwith & P. Oliver, 2014
Gehyra spheniscus Doughty et al., 2012
Gehyra variegata (A.M.C. Duméril & Bibron, 1836) – tree dtella
Gehyra versicolor Hutchinson et al., 2014
Gehyra vorax Girard, 1858 – Halmahera giant
Gehyra xenopus Storr, 1978– crocodile-faced dtella

Nota bene: A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than Gehyra.

For the external links , refrences click here to read the full wikipedia article

Examples of the popular species :

1- Halmahera giant geckos (Gehyra marginata & Gehyra vorax):

These species is Endemic south west pacific ocean islands NOT to Asia but we review it here as long as it is belong to ..

Video :

Giant Gecko Collection

Halmahera Gecko unboxing (Gehyra marginata)

3- Four-clawed Gecko :

Family : GEKKONIDAE
Species : Gehyra mutilata
Size (snout to vent) : 6 cm
Size (total length) : 12 cm

The Four-clawed Gecko is a common species which thrives in various habitats, including forests and urban areas. Its vernacular name derives from the absence or near-absence of a claw on the inner digit of its fore and hind feet. The other toes and fingers are equipped with well-developed, curved claws.
The finely granular skin may be somewhat translucent, so it appears pinkish or purplish in colour : juveniles may have minute pale spots on the head and neck. The relatively thick tail is oval in cross-section and has an absence of spines. The head is relatively large.

The species is to be found throughout Southeast Asia including Burma, Thailand, Indochina, Malaysia, Singapore and most of Indonesia. Its range extends across the Pacific to Hawaii and Mexico.

Specimen from Lombok, Indonesia. The two bulges either side of the neck are calcium sacs - these minerals are set aside for eggshell production.

Strongly patterned adult, central Cambodia.

Typical pale brown specimen, with faint pale spots, Singapore.

Purplish juvenile with pale spots, Singapore.

Video :

Gehyra mutilata

Other Websites :

- reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Gehyra&species=mutilata

- www.geckosunlimited.com/community/gecko-care-sheets/78835-gehyra-marginata-care-sheet-halmahera-giant-gecko.html

- books.google.ae/books?

- www.inaturalist.org/taxa/34630-Gehyra-mutilata

Halmahera Gecko Care

Halmahera giant geckos (Gehyra marginata), sometimes erroneously referred to as “vorax geckos,” are large, arboreal geckos from the island of Halmahera in Indonesia. They are one of the largest species of gecko, attaining a total length of approximately 11 inches (30 cm), similar in size and shape to the tokay gecko (Gekko gecko), but often faster and much less aggressive. They are also sometimes called “the poor man’s leachie” as they grow impressively large but are often not particularly expensive to acquire.

The genus Gehyra contains several large gecko species, including the true vorax gecko (Gehyra vorax). Marginatas are often imported under this name, but no true vorax geckos have entered the United States in 30 years, and there is only one known elderly pair currently residing here. It’s usually safe to assume any gecko labeled vorax is unlikely to actually be that species.
Marginatas are usually cream or light brown in color while resting and darker or with more cryptic moss or lichen-like coloration while active. Juveniles are often brown or pinkish. Fully mature adult animals have jade-green eyes with black reticulation, and a black vertical pupil. Their feet are also particularly unique in having sickle shape appendages tipped with claws.

Housing :

Halmahera geckos grow large and are very active, so should have adequately spaced terraria. They are most at home clinging to branches or vertical surfaces, so a vertically oriented cage is better. If a glass aquarium is being used, a 30 gallon tank on its side would house a pair. Commercially available terrariums with front-opening doors are also recommended. Substrate can be coconut fiber, newspaper or paper towel. They will drink water from a dish so providing fresh water at all times is a good idea, as well as nightly misting. They seem to prefer high humidity. This species also enjoys leafy cover so live or fake plants are recommended, as well as ground based caves or tubes for sleeping in during the day. They are not a particularly aggressive gecko, and female/female or male/female pairs can often be housed together, but, as with most lizards, not male/male pairs.

As for lighting, they do not require UVA or UVB lamps, a situation common to nocturnal species. They are also not particularly needy when it comes to heating. Most of the year, we keep them at room temperature, or around 72 degrees with a slight drop at night. During colder months, a small low wattage red heat lamp can be used (I usually use a 50 watt bulb), and they will occasionally bask under it. The warmest spot in the cage is not more than 80 degrees F.

Diet :

When I first acquired this species, I had mixed information about proper diet for them. What seems to work the best is a staple diet of Repashy Crested Gecko Diet (sometimes referred to as “CGD”), which is a powdered meal replacement food that can be mixed with water. They will also eat as a treat most types of insects, and particularly seem to go after large crickets. We dust the insects and give them those about once a week. The CGD food is offered about every three nights. Very occasionally (not more than once every month) they are offered some fruit and in particular they greatly relish bananas. They also enjoy honey.

Handling :

These are very fast geckos. Couple that with a peculiar defense they have of sloughing off big chunks of skin, and you have a potential recipe for disaster. Wild caught animals especially are known to be flighty and distrusting of human hands, although unlike tokay geckos, marginatas are not known for being aggressive biters. This is why most wild caught halmaheras are profusely scarred animals. As with most reptiles though, they are absolutely tame-able animals.

Do not restrict the animal in your hands. They are very fast, so attempting to handle them in the cage (especially front opening terraria) is the easiest way to start. Starting with younger, captive bred animals tends to make this easier as well. Mine were hatchlings bred in Florida, and tamed within a few months of regular handling. They are still more skittish than any of my crested or gargoyle geckos, but will allow me to hand walk them and will usually lick honey off my fingers. (This is a good way to get them to trust you actually).

Even if you don’t plan on attempting to tame them, they make really rewarding captives. They are some of my most active geckos, even moreso than my giant day geckos. They’re always prowling around their tank starting around 9:00 in the evening, and are often inquisitive about what I’m doing in the room, and not at all shy about coming out into the open once the lights are dimmed.

Breeding :

I am still working with this species regarding successful breeding, and hope to have more information next year. Other keepers have communicated to us that breeding is induced with a slight cooling off and photoperiod, but may wll breed without taking this step. They prefer to deposit two eggs glued to the inner surface of a tube structure, such as a hollow piece of bamboo or PVC pipe. The eggs can be incubated in situ, or moved to an incubator and kept similar to Rhacodactylus eggs (i.e. room temperature). They take a good deal longer to hatch than many familiar species, sometimes as long as 6 months. The hatchlings, and I can confirm this firsthand, grow slowly and may take two or three years to fully mature.

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Ethan Kocak :

Ethan Kocak is a professional artist who has been keeping and breeding reptiles as a hobby for 20 years and decided at around 15 that geckos were his passion. He currently breeds mostly Rhacodactylus geckos but also keeps tokays, giant days, mourning geckos and a few other oddballs. He owns and operates gestaltgeckos.com.

Vorax vs. Marginata / The Herpetocultural Identity Crisis

courtesy to : reptileapartment.com/vorax-vs-marginata-herpetocultural-identity-crisis/

Authored by Ryan McVeigh Marketing Brand Manager Zilla Reptile Supplies

Vorax Geckos and the elusive truth

Recently, a friend came to me with a question. He had been to a local reptile show and had picked up a gecko labeled “Vorax Gecko.” He believed it to be mislabeled, because a true Gehyra vorax gecko is VERY rare, and has nearly never been in captivity. However, the seller assured him that it was indeed a Gehyra vorax, and you could tell by the eye color. According to him, and many others in the hobby, the Gehrya marginata have green eyes, and the G. vorax have gold or brown eyes.

Had the rarity of the G. vorax changed? Is this really a way to tell them apart? What exactly did he have?

I wanted to answer this question with certainty, but I couldn’t. I knew that the geckos coming in labeled “Vorax Geckos” was incorrect and that the actual Gehyra vorax were incredibly rare, however I had no exact knowledge to lead him to an answer. I began my search for answers online. As usual, this lead to some of the same conclusions the dealer and others had about the eye color, while others challenged the notion with no other ideas of how to tell them apart. Even looking for pictures of G. vorax was difficult, as most of them were clearly G.marginata, since this species has been mislabeled for years. My search for answers finally ended when I contacted renowned gecko expert, Jon Boone. Jon helped to insure me that my notions about the rarity of G. vorax were correct. There have only been one or two pairs of these in captivity. Gehyra vorax is endemic to only Fiji, and heavily protected. So this brought me to the common discussions of eye color showing the difference between the two, and what visual differences actually exist.

Gehyra vorax Courtesy of Rod Morris

Other than the fact that it is nearly impossible to get G. vorax, the major differences include color, size, toe pad size, and body shape. This may seem like attributes that would easily distinguish two animals, and when you actually see the right pictures of them, it does. G. marginata’s colors are in the spectrum of grays and browns, while G. vorax’s colors are composed of black, shades of yellow, and any color in between. The Vorax Geckos are much more vibrantly colored. When it comes to the size and body shape, the G. vorax are much larger and their body and tails are round in structure. G. marginata has a laterally compressed tail and body shape, and while very large, are smaller in comparison to G. vorax. The next easily noticeable difference between the two is their toe pad size. G. vorax has toe pads that are noticeably larger than the diameter of their eyes, whereas the G. marginata toe pads are smaller. With these distinctions and seeing photographs of the actual species, they are very distinguishable, and there is little confusion.

One common myth within the herpetocultural community is that the color of the eyes determines the species, as they are difficult to distinguish otherwise. We have already discussed that they are, in fact, easily distinguishable, so what’s the deal with the different eye colors? While there is no 100% answer as the species has not been heavily studied, there is one very probable theory. G. marginata has a very large natural range encompassing much of Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, and other islands of the South Pacific. Because their range is so vast, it is likely these are natural variations within separate localities. There is also a possibility of different species which have yet to be described, or subspecies of G. marginata that have this distinguishable characteristic.

Gehrya marginata Courtesy of Jabberwock Reptiles

In the end, it is important to know that no matter what the gecko is called, be it Vorax Gecko, Halmahera Giant Gecko, Banana Gecko, or any other common name for this species, if it is available to you in the hobby, it is indeed Gehyra marginata.

Other Websites :

- reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Gehyra&species=marginata

- www.scribd.com/document/253856086/Care-Sheet-Halmahera-Giant-Gecko-Gehyra-marginata

- www.pet-gecko.com/halmahera-gecko.html

- novareptiles.webs.com/apps/blog/show/7173919-gehyra-marginata-moluccan-halmahera-gecko

- www.reptilescanada.com/showthread.php/42805-Gehyra-marginata

Videos :

Halmahera Gecko - Gehyra marginata

Halmahera Gecko (Gehyra marginata)

Steamwerks FLog: Unboxing 1.1 Gehyra Marginata - Underground Reptile

Gehyra marginata

2- Gehyra oceanica

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The oceanic gecko, Gehyra oceanica, is a species of gecko in the genus Gehyra. It is also known as the Pacific Dtella or the big tree gecko. The larger Gehyra vorax (voracious gecko) of Fiji, Vanuatu and New Guinea has sometimes been included in this species, but is now treated as distinct.[1]

The species is native to New Guinea and a number of islands in Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia. It has also been widely introducedacross the islands of the Pacific, reaching as far as the Marquesas Islands in Polynesia (where the species was first collected for science), although the extent to which the species has been introduced by human intervention is a matter of some debate. There are two apparent populations, a northern one in Micronesia and a southern one in Melanesia and Polynesia.[2] There are also records of the species in New Zealand and Hawaii, but the species has apparently not become established there.[1]

The species is generally arboreal and nocturnal. The diet includes insects and even smaller geckos. Some stomachs have also been found with seeds from fruit.[1] It reproduces sexually, and unlike some other geckos in its genus its eggs are non-adhesive. The species shares communal nests of not more than twelve eggs in each, with only two eggs being laid by a female at a time. These eggs have a long incubation time, up to 115 days.[2] It inhabits a range of habitats including plantations, gardens, and disturbed and undisturbed forests.[3]The species will also feed inside human buildings, but is not described as commensal.[1]

Scientific classification :

Kingdom:Animalia

Phylum:Chordata

Class:Reptilia

Order:Squamata

Family:Gekkonidae

Genus:Gehyra

Species:G. oceanica

Binomial name :

Gehyra oceanica
(Lesson 1830)

References :

^ Jump up to:a b c d Beckon, William N. (1992). "The Giant Pacific Geckos of the Genus Gehyra: Morphological Variation, Distribution, and Biogeography". Copeia. 1992 (2): 443–460. doi:10.2307/1446204. JSTOR 1446204.
^ Jump up to:a b Fisher, Robert N. (1997). "Dispersal and Evolution of the Pacific Basin Gekkonid Lizards Gehyra oceanica and Gehyra mutilata". Evolution. 51(3): 906–921. doi:10.2307/2411165. JSTOR 2411165.
Jump up^ Lever, Christopher (2003). Naturalized reptiles and amphibians of the world. Oxford biology readers. Oxford University Press. pp. 65–66. ISBN 978-0-19-850771-0.

Other websites :

- reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Gehyra&species=oceanica

- www.iucnredlist.org/details/196571/0

- www.inaturalist.org/taxa/101304-Gehyra-oceanica

- cookislands.bishopmuseum.org/species.asp?id=8489

- books.google.ae/books?

- thereptilereport.com/gehyra-oceanica/

Pacific Dtella

Family : GEKKONIDAE

courtesy to : www.ecologyasia.com/verts/lizards/pacific-dtella.htm
Species : Gehyra oceanica
Size (snout to vent) : up to 8.4 cm
Size (total length) : up to 17 cm

The Pacific Dtella is a widespread species of four-clawed gecko, which inhabits forest, forest-edge, gardens and human dwellings mainly on small islands.
The name 'dtella' is pronounced 'della' and the word is believed to be derived from an Australian aboriginal language (many other species of dtella occur in Australia).
Its body is broad and stout, and its head is large. Its eyes are large, with vertical pupils. The tail is very thick, segmented and tapers slowly to a blunt tip. Its limbs are thick and muscular, and its toes are broad and flattened, with sharp claws. As is typical of the genus Gehyra, the innermost toe lacks an obvious claw.
Its colour typically ranges from grey or greyish brown, to olive green, although other colour forms may occur. Included here is a yellow example from the Cook Islands.
Typically there is a pale stripe extending from the snout, through the eye to the neck. Some specimens exhibit dark, zig-zag bars on the body and tail.
This large gecko feeds on insects and small vertebrates, including other geckos. Its eggs are typically laid in pairs, and generally in favoured, communal locations which may have more than a hundred eggs incubating at any one time (Zug, 2013).
Within Southeast Asia the species is recorded from the island of Halmahera in North Maluku Province, Indonesia. In the western and central Pacific Ocean it occurs on many island groups in Polynesia, Micronesia and Melanesia, including New Guinea.