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ReptileTerrestrialIntermediate
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Elok's Bow-Fingered Gecko
Cyrtodactylus elok
A slender, aerodynamically built gecko from Malaysian rainforests. This nocturnal species inhabits mossy cliffs and requires a vertical terrarium with deep, damp moss and high humidity.
Class:Squamata
Order:Squamata
Family:Gekkonidae
Genus:Cyrtodactylus
Species:Cyrtodactylus elok
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Environment
Terrestrial
Humidity
70 - 85 %
Day temperature
23 - 28 °C
Ambient temperature
24 °C
Night temperature
20 - 22 °C
Basking spot
30 °C
Adult size
8.21 cm
Minimum enclosure
>= 60 L
UVB
Basso
Species description
Geographical Origin and Habitat: Native to the dense rainforests of Southeast Asia, particularly Peninsular Malaysia. They inhabit low tree trunks, mossy limestone cliffs, root networks, and cave entrances in deeply shaded environments.
Taxonomy and Genetics: A slender, aerodynamically built gecko reaching about 16 cm in length. The body features prominent horn-like tubercles. The base color is dark chocolate brown with bands and reticulated rings of pale yellow or cream. They lack adhesive toe pads, relying instead on long, bent toes and sharp claws for climbing.
Behavior and Habits: Strictly nocturnal and secretive. They hide in deep crevices during the day and emerge at night to hunt using their large gold eyes. If startled, they emit sharp clicking sounds and retreat rapidly.
Morphology: Sexual dimorphism is subtle: adult males develop a modest hemipenal swelling and clusters of preanal pores.
Care, breeding and tankmates
Terrarium Setup: Requires a vertically-oriented terrarium of at least 45x45x60 cm. Provide a deep, damp substrate of coconut fiber and sphagnum moss. Furnish with cork bark tubes, vertical branches, and porous rock walls with crevices to simulate natural hiding spots.
Lighting and Heating: Prefer dark, cool environments. Maintain daytime temperatures of 23–28°C. Avoid strong halogen lamps or direct bright light. Provide low-level UVB (2%) only to simulate forest shade. A night temperature drop to 20–22°C is recommended.
Humidity and Hydration: Require very high humidity of 80–90%. Spray the terrarium daily to allow the gecko to drink water droplets from leaves and bark. Good ventilation is essential to prevent stagnant air.
Feeding and Supplementation: Insectivorous. Feed a variety of live insects, such as crickets, roaches, and small locusts, using feeding tongs or placing them near their hiding spots. Dust prey with calcium and a multivitamin twice a week.
Compatibility: Strictly solitary. Both males and females are highly territorial and aggressive towards conspecifics. Do not cohouse.
Health and Common Diseases: Sensitive to dry conditions, which cause incomplete sheds (dysecdysis) and necrosis. Ensure high calcium supplementation for breeding females to prevent hypocalcemia (calcium crash) and seizures.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Native to the dense rainforests of Southeast Asia, particularly Peninsular Malaysia. They inhabit low tree trunks, mossy limestone cliffs, root networks, and cave entrances in deeply shaded environments.
Origin
Selective breeding and cultivarsSouth and Southeast Asia
Reptile profile
- Diet
- No verified data available
- Life expectancy
- No verified data available
- Adult size
- 8.21 cm
- Lifestyle/Microhabitat
- No verified data available
- Activity cycle
- No verified data available
- Sociality
- No verified data available
- Reproduction
- No verified data available
- Handling tolerance
- No verified data available
- Brumation
- No verified data available
- Molting
- No verified data available
The catalog's scalar value is 8.21 cm. The ReptTraits v1.2 source reports a maximum adult measurement of 8.21 cm for this species, recorded as snout–vent length (SVL). These figures are not interchangeable: the first is the profile's editorial reference, whereas the second is a published maximum under a specific measurement convention; differences among sources can reflect sex, population, life stage and measuring method.
Image gallery
Licensed images linked to the species or, when marked, to the closest representative taxon.
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