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Kuroiwa's Ground Gecko
Goniurosaurus orientalis
Endemic to Japan's Ryukyu Islands, this rare cave gecko has dark bumpy skin, bright orange stripes, and blood-red eyes. It requires cool, highly humid conditions to thrive.
Class:Squamata
Order:Squamata
Family:Eublepharidae
Genus:Goniurosaurus
Species:Goniurosaurus orientalis
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Environment
Terrestrial
Humidity
60 - 80 %
Day temperature
22 - 25 °C
Night temperature
18 - 21 °C
Adult size
9.44 cm
UVB
Low
Species description
Geographical Origin and Habitat: Endemic to the Ryukyu Islands of Japan (Kume, Tonaki, and Tokashiki). Inhabits dark, highly humid subtropical forests, limestone caves, and volcanic rock crevices. They inhabit moist rocky areas and shaded leaf litter on subtropical islands of Japan.
Taxonomy and Genetics: Family Eublepharinae (eyelidded geckos). Commonly known as the Ryukyu Cave Gecko. A highly protected species in Japan. They lack adhesive toe pads, using claws to climb, and have striking blood-red eyes. They belong to the Eublepharidae family, which are characterized by having movable eyelids.
Behavior and Habits: Strictly nocturnal and rupicolous. They spend the day resting in damp rock crevices or deep caves. They hunt spiders and insects on wet stones at night. They are strictly nocturnal, hunting for small invertebrates under the cover of darkness.
Morphology: Slender yet robust body reaching 14-16 cm. Very bumpy, granular skin. Deep charcoal-black, chocolate-brown, or dark purplish background, with irregular pink, red, or orange stripes. Large, blood-red eyes. Males have visible hemipenal bulges. Their body has a slender shape with long, thin digits that allow them to climb wet rocks.
Care, breeding and tankmates
Terrarium Setup: Horizontal or vertical humid terrarium (minimum 60x45x45 cm). Use a highly humid substrate of peat moss and sphagnum. Provide vertical slate stone structures and multiple dark, tight hides. Provide a terrarium with a deep, moist substrate of forest bark and live mosses.
Lighting and Heating: Subtropical species requiring cool temperatures (22-26°C daytime). Temperatures above 28°C are extremely dangerous. Provide a thermal gradient using a side-mounted heat mat. Night drop to 20-22°C. Low 2% UVB light can be used. Keep temperatures moderate, as they are very sensitive to overheating above 28 degrees Celsius.
Humidity and Hydration: Maintain high humidity (75-90%) with good ventilation. Spray with dechlorinated water nightly. Low humidity causes severe shedding issues (dysecdysis) and toe necrosis. Maintain high humidity through daily misting and keep a shallow water dish in the enclosure.
Feeding and Supplementation: Insectivorous. Feed crickets, roaches, and mealworms. Dust prey with calcium, vitamin D3, and multivitamins; D3 is vital for these nocturnal animals. Feed a diet of gut-loaded crickets, roaches, and calcium-supplemented insect larvae.
Compatibility: Peaceful in groups of one male and multiple females. Never house males together as they will fight to the death. Keep in species-specific tanks. Keep solitary or in a male-female pair, as males will fight fiercely for territory.
Health and Common Diseases: Highly sensitive to heat, stagnant air, and drought. Prone to shedding problems and tail autotomy (which does not regenerate perfectly). Ensure adequate airflow to prevent respiratory issues associated with high humidity.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Endemic to the Ryukyu Islands of Japan (Kume, Tonaki, and Tokashiki). Inhabits dark, highly humid subtropical forests, limestone caves, and volcanic rock crevices. They inhabit moist rocky areas and shaded leaf litter on subtropical islands of Japan.
Origin
East Asia
Reptile profile
- Diet
- No verified data available
- Life expectancy
- No verified data available
- Adult size
- 9.44 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 9.44 cm. The ReptTraits v1.2 source reports a maximum adult measurement of 9.44 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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