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ReptileTerrestrialIntermediate
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Hainan Cave Gecko
Goniurosaurus hainanensis
Hainan Cave Gecko. A stunning nocturnal, rock-dwelling gecko from Hainan Island, China. Features deep charcoal skin, orange bands, and prominent ruby-red eyes.
Class:Squamata
Order:Squamata
Family:Eublepharidae
Genus:Goniurosaurus
Species:Goniurosaurus hainanensis
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Environment
Terrestrial
Humidity
60 - 80 %
Day temperature
22 - 25 °C
Night temperature
18 - 21 °C
Adult size
9.88 cm
UVB
Low
Species description
Geographical Origin and Habitat: Endemic to the humid karst forests, limestone caves, and moist rock crevices of Hainan Island, China. They inhabit cool, highly humid subterranean environments, avoiding direct sunlight.
Taxonomy and Genetics: Belongs to the Eublepharidae family. Commonly referred to as the Hainan Cave Gecko, it is adapted to rocky environments with thin, clawed toes lacking adhesive lamellae, and large, light-sensitive eyes.
Behavior and Habits: Strictly nocturnal and rock-dwelling. It spends the daytime hours resting in dark crevices and emerges at night to actively hunt along damp limestone surfaces.
Morphology: Reaches 14-16 cm in adult length. Coloration consists of a dark charcoal or violet-black body with vivid orange or yellow transverse bands. Males are distinguished by visible hemipenal bulges and preanal pores.
Care, breeding and tankmates
Terrarium Setup: Requires a humid, rocky terrarium (minimum 60x45x45 cm). Provide a damp substrate of peat and sphagnum moss. Decorate with limestone rocks, vertical panels, and multiple dark, tight hiding spots to mimic cave structures.
Lighting and Heating: Prefers a cool temperature range of 22-26°C. Temperatures above 28°C can cause severe heat stress and are dangerous. Provide a thermal gradient with a heating pad on one side. Keep lighting minimal; a low UVB source (2-5%) is recommended.
Humidity and Hydration: Maintain high, constant humidity between 75% and 90%. Proper ventilation is critical to prevent stagnant conditions. Mist the terrarium heavily every evening with dechlorinated water.
Feeding and Supplementation: Strictly insectivorous. Feed live, appropriately sized insects such as crickets and roaches. Dust prey items with calcium and vitamin D3 at least twice a week to support bone health.
Compatibility: Can be housed in harems of one male and two to three females. Never house two males together, as they will engage in territorial fights.
Health and Common Diseases: Susceptible to incomplete shedding (dysecdysis) under dry conditions, which can lead to toe necrosis. Handle with care, as they will readily drop their tails (autotomy) if stressed.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Endemic to the humid karst forests, limestone caves, and moist rock crevices of Hainan Island, China. They inhabit cool, highly humid subterranean environments, avoiding direct sunlight.
Origin
East Asia
Reptile profile
- Diet
- No verified data available
- Life expectancy
- No verified data available
- Adult size
- 9.88 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 9.88 cm. The ReptTraits v1.2 source reports a maximum adult measurement of 9.88 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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