White Line Gecko

Skunk Gecko
Lined Gecko
Palm Gecko
Sago Gecko

Gekko vittatus

Description

White line geckos have a base color of olive, tan, or yellowish-brown, with a prominent white stripe starting in a V-shape just behind beautiful gold eyes where it conjoins and runs down the dorsum to the tail. Frequently there are light spots on top of the tail. They have very smooth, almost iridescent skin and well developed toe pads. They are slender and long, reaching nearly a foot (30 centimeters) in length. They can live 15-20 years with proper care.

Natural Habitat

White line geckos are native to India, Indonesia and Oceania. They can be found in southeastern Indonesia (from Java eastwards, absent on Borneo), New Guinea, and much of the South Pacific. Within this range it is commonly found in rainforest ecotones, palm plantations and in our near buildings. They are arboreal and usually frequent the trunks of trees, especially palms. They are communal and the females will often lay their eggs in palm crowns.

Artificial Habitat

Like many geckos, white line geckos do best in a vertically oriented enclosure (one that is taller than it is wide). Being predominantly an arboreal species, white line geckos in particular need a quite tall enclosure, with a lot of vertically oriented branching plants or sticks. Thicker branches (at least twice as wide as the gecko; the thicker the better) are preferred to thinner ones. Hollowed logs, large pieces of bamboo or cork bark placed on end or at an angle provided both climbing and hiding areas. Ideally the enclosure will incorporate one or more ventilation points (usually the top and/or sides). Substrate should be a layer of compost, mulch, crushed coconut, or orchid bark at least an inch deep. They should be provided with a relatively narrow and focused basking spot (most easily obtained by using a spot light with proper wattage or placed on a rheostat) with a surface temperature range of between 95-105 degrees. Although they are nocturnal they bask during the day and therefore benefit from UV light, which can either be provided by the basking light (there are several commercially available reptile spot lights that now incorporate UV) or through the use of a fluorescent UV bulb. Daytime ambient temperatures should be in the 75-85 degree range (Fahrenheit) with a drop of 10 to 15 degrees at night being ideal. Water and humidity can be provided by daily misting, with a humidity level of around 75% being ideal.

Diet

Naturally, a white line gecko’s diet consists largely of beetles and cockroaches and is occasionally supplemented with nectars. They have surprisingly strong jaws (they are closely related to Tokay geckos) and can handle fairly large insect prey. They can be offered phoenix worms, wax worms, mealworms, crickets, roaches, flies, moths and mealworm beetles. They can also be offered fruit flavored baby food (peach, banana and mango are favorites) or one of the commercially available diets catering to such behavior. As with all captive lizards, variety of diet is the key to health. Keep in mind that all prey items should be dusted with a good vitamin/mineral supplement every other feeding. Water can be provided by misting plant leaves and the sides of the enclosure, and also by providing a shallow water dish.

Caveats

White line geckos are not geckos to be held; they have very delicate skin, are lightning quick and can inflict a very strong and painful bite. They should be handled only when absolutely necessary, and this should be seldom if ever. If you need to move your gecko, do so using a large see-through bowl or jar placed and a piece of rigid paper or cardboard. Place the container carefully over the gecko. With some coaxing the gecko will climb up the side and you can slip the piece of paper or cardboard over the opening of the container and successfully and painlessly (for both you and the gecko) move your gecko. Males of this species can also be territorial and aggressive towards other males, especially in confined enclosures.