Defining characteristics:

• Diurnal
• Active climbers
• Beautiful colors and patterns
• Small size = less expensive setup

Name: Sphaerodactylus torrei or barbour’s least geckos are endemic to Cuba. They are named after the Cuban scientist Carlos de la Torre.

Recommended Enclosure Size: Adults should be kept alone or in pairs in a 8x8x12 glass enclosure or 12x12x12 enclosure. Because this species does not grow very large, upgrading adults to a larger enclosure is usually unnecessary. Coco fiber-based substrates or sand-soil substrates work well. A bioactive substrate can be made with BioBedding, springtails, and isopods. Keep substrate moist. A layer of leaf litter should be added on top of the substrate. Hides should be provided; cork bark and similar items work well. Climbing materials like rocks, driftwood, cork bark, and manzanita branches can be provided. Live plants are also a welcome addition.

Temperature: Keep barbour’s least geckos between 79-82 F. A heat source is not necessary if stable temperatures are maintained. If a heat source is provided, use a low wattage heat pad or bulb to prevent overheating. Temperature should be monitored with a digital thermometer. Night temperatures should not fall below 65 F. UV light requirement debated; if used, provide plenty of shade in the enclosure.

Humidity: Keep barbour’s least geckos between 70-80% humidity. Plants can be added to provide humid microclimates. Ambient humidity should be monitored with a digital hygrometer. Island least geckos should be lightly misted daily or every other day provide dew on enclosure walls and cage items from which they can drink, but enough ventilation should be provided to allow the enclosure to dry out after several hours. A shallow water dish can be provided but is not necessary with regular misting.

Size: Hatchlings are nearly an inch and a half long, with adults reaching nearly 3 inches; one of the larger micro geckos, but still very small!

Age: Barbour’s least geckos are at least 4 weeks old when sold by Josh’s Frogs. It is estimated that these geckos live for 10 years in captivity.

Feeding: Barbour’s least geckos sold by Josh’s Frogs are fed pinhead crickets and ⅛-inch crickets. These juveniles can also be occasionally offered extra small black soldier fly larvae, melanogaster fruit flies, and springtails. Adults should be fed a staple of  ⅛-inch crickets, but can also be offered black soldier fly larvae, melanogaster fruit, dwarf white isopods, and bean beetles. All feeder insects should be gut loaded and dusted with vitamin/mineral supplements, and can be offered in a food dish.

Sexing: Sex determination is easy. Like numerous micro geckos, they are sexually dimorphic: males and females are visually different. Also, on the underside of the males there is a large triangular shield-like  patch between the back legs right by the tail.

Color/Pattern:  There is a clear and distinct sexual dimorphism in this species. The males’s head is colored yellow and orange. His body (top and ventral) is silver/gray and his tail is an orange/red color. The females look completely different. They have a beige body with 10 to 11 black stripes. The belly of the females are beige. Juveniles are colored and patterned just like the females. When they reach about 10 months, the males will start to show adult coloration.

Social Behavior: This species is aggressive in nature and is  best kept alone or in a single pair.

Breeding: Sphaerodactylus torrei are not very re-productive in the wild. A pair needs a large amount of private space. Because of this,  females can have issues finding suitable egg laying spots and so they can be slow re-producers. In the summer females will lay an egg about every 4 weeks, with usually no more than four eggs per year. Eggs should be incubated at temperatures 79-82°F. The young emerge around 80-90 days.  They will have a length of 1.45 inches. Juveniles should be housed separately.

Natural Range: Barbour’s least geckos are endemic to Cuba.

History in the Hobby: Despite being not too difficult to keep and breed, captive bred individuals are not often readily available. We’re excited to make this micro gecko more popular and available!

Links of Interest:

Dwarf Geckos - Sphaerodactylus torrei 

Still not sure if the barbour’s least gecko from Josh's Frogs is the right pet for you? Read the reviews below and see what other customers are saying!