Geckos are majestic creatures with plenty of unique and interesting features. For example, they can run across walls and grow new tails.
These fascinating traits make these animals incredibly popular. That’s why there are many families that try to adopt the critters.
At this point, you may be wondering, can you keep a house gecko as a pet? If that’s the case, then you’ve come to the right place.
In this article, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about house geckos. We’ll also cover the legality of keeping them in your home.
Is It Legal to Keep a House Gecko as a Pet?
Geckos and other similar reptiles like chameleons are legal to own in the USA. As long as you purchase them from a reputable source, you shouldn’t have any issues.
Owners don’t need any special certification or license to take these pets home.
On top of that, geckos don’t need yearly vaccines or checkups. That means you won’t have to worry about making several trips to the vet to stay current on shots.
How to Care for Your House Gecko
While there are no legal requirements, these animals do need special care. In this section, we’ll jump into how to take care of house geckos.
Habitat
The first factor you should consider is housing for your pet. Geckos don’t require much room, but they like to move around.
For that reason, you may need to invest in a 20-gallon terrarium. The glass cage should be large enough to fit two or maybe even three lizards.
Other than that, it’s crucial that you take the weather into account. To stay healthy, geckos need an ambient temperature of 85℉ to 95℉.
Because of that, if you live in a particularly cold area, you may need to buy heating lamps.
Plus, these critters prefer living in humid environments. So, to keep the moisture levels up, you may need a specific substrate.
On top of that, it’s a good idea to spray the tank with water every day.
Finally, it’s important to make the terrarium comfortable for your pets. That includes adding greenery and a few synthetic branches.
These will give the geckos a place to hide out when it’s warm, and a cozy spot to sleep.
Nutrition
With the habitat out of the way, we can focus on nutrition.
First off, geckos like to stay hydrated throughout the day. Because of that, you’ll need to supply them with fresh, clean water every morning.
They may use the liquid to drink or bathe depending on the weather.
Moving on, the majority of gecko diets consist of protein. The animals like to eat plenty of insects as their main energy source.
That includes bugs like crickets, mealworms, roaches, silkworms, and waxworms.
Baby geckos will need a constant supply of nutrients to stay healthy. This means they need food about five to six times a week.
As these lizards grow older, they’ll need fewer meals. Typically, two or three feedings a week should do the trick.
Health Issues
Geckos tend to be incredibly hardy and can handle all sorts of environments. Although, there are a few medical issues that these critters can go through.
The most common one deals with a calcium deficiency. When the lizards don’t get the correct nutrients, their bones can become brittle and break easily.
That’s why many vets recommend that gecko owners sprinkle a little calcium powder on their food.
Aside from that, these pets also get a few respiratory infections like pneumonia.
Temperament
In order to properly care for geckos, you have to be aware of their behavioral patterns.
Usually, these animals are friendly and quite docile. They don’t have problems meeting new people and they do well in crowds.
Although, they can get defensive if they feel threatened. This can result in a few bites but shouldn’t lead to any major injuries.
Final Thoughts
Can you keep a house gecko as a pet? The answer to that question is yes, absolutely. You don’t even need any certificates or permits to adopt the animal.
However, there are a few considerations you have to make to keep these critters healthy. That includes keeping an eye on their habitat, nutrition, and common health issues.
Other than that, make sure to take your gecko’s behavioral patterns into account.
I have a bachelor’s degree in Film/Video/Media Studies, as well as an associates degree in Communications. I began producing videos and musical recordings nearly 15 years ago. I am a guitarist and bassist in Southwest MI and have been in a few different bands since 2009, and in 2012 I began building custom guitars and basses in my home workshop as well. When I’m home, I love spending time with my three pets (a dog, cat, and snake) and gardening in my backyard. I also like photographing wild birds, especially birds of prey.