Introduction
With over ten different species of Goniurosaurus now recognized and the popularity of the genus in the hobby becoming much more prevalent, I was thrilled to accept the offer to write on one of my favorite species within the complex. Goniurosaurus hainanensis, commonly referred to as Chinese Cave Gecko, is a medium sized gecko from the Hainan island south of China. It can be distinguished from other members of the genus by its two body bands, a band at the base of the tail, and a head band that wraps to touch the corner of the mouth.
These bands typically start off as faded white/pale yellow and will then turn bright orange and fade to yellow as the gecko ages. A nocturnal, terrestrial gecko that reaches an adult size of 4-6” snout to vent and approximately 40-70g. These fantastic geckos are just as hardy and easy to keep as the much more common Leopard gecko. Truly a favorite genus of mine to work with and a species that can be kept by all.
Housing & Feeding
I house my hainanensis in a 32qt tub in a rack system. If you are using a glass terrarium a 10g size is adequate for a single animal, 20g long will suffice for a pair. Humidity will need to be monitored however as glass enclosures lose much more humidity than rack systems. I keep 1.1 or 0.1 in any given tub and move the male throughout up to 3 females in a given season. I have not noticed any less fertilization rates at these pairings compared to a 1:1 ratio. The tubs have approximately 1.5” of substrate, I mix 1:1 coco fiber and a fir/sphagnum blend and then add leaf litter, cypress mulch, and charcoal. All of my Goniurosaurus tubs are fully bioactive and include cultures of buffalo beetles, springtails, and various sp. of isopod. The cypress, leaf litter, and charcoal are included in the substrate to ensure the cultures thrive. I place multiple hides throughout the enclosure, some are commercial rock hides with a porousness that increases the humidity inside the hide. I also use pieces of cork bark and clay pots broken in half.
The tubs are heated via back placed heat tape, this is controlled via thermostat so as the back 1/4 of the enclosure approaches 80* and the ambient drifts down to 70* at the cool end. As mentioned above humidity is a factor when keeping any species of Goniurosaurus. It should be maintained in the upper 60* with heavy misting at least every other day. A standing water dish is not necessary as eyelid geckos typically drink droplets of water from decor or the sides of the enclosure.
Given that these are nocturnal geckos, no lighting or UVB is required, however dusting feeders that have been properly gut-loaded is essential. I prefer Repashy Calcium Plus and feed crickets 3-5 x weekly depending on the season. Hainan’s will also take dubia and other roaches, and some will even take mealworms. I dust every feeding and have found no additional calcium supplementation is necessary with this product. Likewise, since UVB is not recommended nor necessary for a nocturnal species such as this, ensure no matter which vitamin you choose that it does have D3.
Sexing & Breeding
This species, and genus in whole, is very easily sexed and usually can be accurately sexed by 6-9 months of age. Similar to most other eyelid gecko species males are visually sexed via pre-anal bulges and pores that align the base of the tail. Females will lack all of this. I hold off on breeding all of my Goniurosaurus until their third winter, usually being at least 2.5-3 years old at that point. This ensures proper maturation and since these are typically slow growing geckos due to the cooler temperatures it is best not to rush them into a project.
Breeding is just as easy as these in my experience are seasonal breeders. Given that I keep my breeders in groups year round and I am located in an area with distinguished seasons, I do not need to adjust my thermostat at all and usually begin seeing ovulations in early winter and eggs on the ground by February about 3-4 weeks after the first copulations have occurred.
If you do live in a more temperate area with less seasonal change, a brief cooling (approximately 5 degrees is all that is needed) and off-feeding period of a month will help to stimulate ovulations. Females will become visibly gravid usually by the end of week two when the developing eggs can be seen from the underside and the female will slowly go off food until the clutch is laid. Females will continue to lay about every 30 days and will lay anywhere from 2-6 clutches per season. Eggs are typically buried in the substrate in a humid area of the enclosure away from the direct heat source.
I remove all of my eggs within a day or two of deposition and incubate between 75-78* eggs typically hatch in 60-90 days. I have not noticed any sex dependency on temperature. However, longer incubation times, typically those that go past 85 days, yield majority of females in my experience. I incubate all of my eggs on Repashy SuperHatch due to its ability to sufficiently hold humidity throughout incubation periods.
Conclusion
These animals are quite simple to keep and being prolific breeders adds to the enjoyment of having them in a collection. With the popularity of cave geckos in general rising, prices are becoming reasonable with hainanensis being among the easiest to find readily available and usually not over the $100 mark. Next time you venture to your local reptile show be sure to look around for these magnificent animals and consider this up and comer for the next addition to your collection.
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