Paroedura Picta (Ocelot Gecko) - Care Sheet
You may see articles listing them as one of the following- ocelot gecko, Madagascar ground gecko, panther gecko, big head gecko, or pictus geckos, these are all synonyms for Paroedura picta, one of the easiest-to-keep, most curious behavior geckos in the hobby.
Background
Paroedura picta geckos are native, as the name suggests to Madagascar, are nocturnal (check out those eyes!), reach about 5 inches in length, and are terrestrial- living in the leaf litter of the forest. That is what the books will say. However, I find that they are one of the most ‘day’ active of any nocturnal gecko, and while I've kept them for years similarly to adult leopard geckos (bare bottom tank/sand substrate, hide, food & water bowls) recently have found they enjoy climbing on cork bark decorations. Often you will find the geckos perched on top of the enclosure decor, scouting the area like little prairie dogs.
Setup
Adult P. picta can be housed in small enclosures- 10 gallon terrarium (20”x12”x10”). In addition to food and water dishes, include a few hiding areas. We prefer plastic up-side-down flower saucers with notches cut out, or small reptile hide (2 Hides, one on hot side and one on cool side) Include a piece or two of corkbark for climbing. As these geckos are nocturnal, the only lighting they need is whatever lighting you would like to provide to you’re your animals. Finally, for substrate, you can select 50/50 mix of Zoo Med Reptisand (Desert White) and Zilla’s Jungle Mix (for juveniles and adults). Add a food dish and water dish (provide a consistent supply of fresh water to your geckos).
Heat & Humidity
A temperature gradiance should be provided from about 75 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit on the cool side to 88 to 90 degrees on the warm side. Use an under-the-tank heater that is on 24/7 to manage the temperatures. A humid hide with the 50/50 sand/jungle mix in it and kept moist but not overly wet. At night, the temps can drop to about 70 degrees. Picta geckos should be kept fairly humid (60%-70%). This can be accomplished by misting their enclosure every other day or so. Make sure the entire cage dries out completely between misting’s.
Feeding & Watering
Picta geckos enjoy a diet of crickets, mealworms, and roaches. Feed insects that are the same length as the width of the gecko’s head. Gutload (feed chicken feed/carrots/sweet potatoes) your insects about 24 hours before feeding your animals. As well, we dust every feeding with a proven calcium/vitamin supplement (we us Raphasy Calcium Plus). We always feed mealworms in feeder dishes to minimize the chance the pictus ingests sand. We keep a dish with fresh water in the enclosure at all times, we clean and fill fresh water in the water dish every 3 to 4 days.
Male or Female?
While most geckos take at least 6-12 months to determine if they are male or female, picta geckos can be sexed at about 3 months! Males are distinguished by a significant bulge at the base of their tail- just past their hind legs.
Breeding
When raising young P. picta, we separate our males from females. From experience, one of the issues keepers run into is female picta breeding far too young. This will put a significant strain on the females. We only introduce males to females when they are around 8-12 months old. The female must be in tip top health conditions as the egg laying experience takes a toll on her. Just before introducing the female to the male and through the egg laying time, we emphasize calcium dusting with every feeding.
Male introductions to females for breeding purposes are begun in the springtime as temperatures and light cycles are increasing. We keep males with the ladies for 3 days, then separate for about a week. This is repeated 3 times to assure mating occurs. Our picta are kept over ½ - ¾ inches of sand and will deposit their pair of eggs in the substrate. For collected eggs, we set them up for incubation in deli cups (or bead boxes) filled with moist Supreme Hatch Material (SHM). The eggs are placed in a bottle cap containing dry SHM and on top of the moist SHM.
We have had improved success with this method than when using perlite, vermiculite, or any other hatching material. The container is then placed in an incubator set to 82-84 degrees. Eggs usually hatch out around 60 days post lay. Once setup for incubation, do not roll the eggs.
Baby Care
We have found the best way to setup newly hatched pictus to be in small containers- kritter keeper, shoebox, if your are a breeder in a 6qt tub rack system or 2 ½ - 5 gallon tanks. Temperatures, humidity, and lighting should apply just like the parent’s enclosure. Place a paper towel at the bottom of the container. Sand can also be used. Keep this moist but allow it to dry out.
For a feeding dish, we have found a deli cup top to work perfectly for very small dusted crickets and micro/small mealworms. As with adults, misting is done and should be done at least once a day. By following the suggested husbandry above, you will be assured a healthy, curious Paroedura picta gecko for years… and maybe the wonderful experience of seeing little P. picta running around.