Defining Characteristics: 

• Nocturnal
• Easy to Care For
• Easy to Breed
• Interesting Colors and Pattern

Name: Goniurosaurus orientalis. Commonly known as the Japanese Cave Gecko, this easy to keep and breed species is also sometimes called the Hainan cave gecko.

Benefits from buying at Josh's Frogs:

• Exclusively fed on gutloaded dubia roaches - this means thicker tails and healthier animals.
• Japanese cave geckos are 6 weeks old or older. They are very robust for their age.
• CB from CB parents, from genetically diverse and colorful bloodlines.
• Bred by experienced herpetoculturists with a combined experience of over 10 years with the genus.
• Live arrival and health guarantee unsurpassed in the reptile industry.

Recommended Terrarium Size:  A 10 gallon tank or 18x18x12 Exo Terra Glass Terrarium is suitable for 1-2 adults, but there’s nothing wrong with providing extra space. Josh's Frogs Coco Select works great as a substrate. Coco Fiber or a mix of sand and peat moss will work as well. Provide cork or other similar hides to make your gecko feel at home.

Temperature: Japanese cave geckos like it cooler - ideally, keep your geckos between 65 to 72F. They can tolerate temperatures up to 75F on occasion. Do not let your Japanese Cave Geckos get excessively warm, as high temps can quickly be lethal.

Humidity: Japanese cave geckos like it humid. Provide a water bowl, and mist frequently enough to maintain humidity between 55-65%. Substrate can be allowed to just dry out between mistings, and should not be bone dry or soaking wet.

Size: Adult Japanese Cave Geckos measure up to about 8.5 inches. At hatching, they measure approximately 3 inches. 

Age: Japanese Cave Geckos can live for a pretty long time with proper care. Exact oldest age is unknown, but easily exceeds 10 years. All cave geckos sold by Josh's Frogs will be 6 weeks old or older at the time of sale.

Feeding: Japanese Cave geckos are insectivores and thrive on a staple diet of dubia roaches or crickets. Waxworms, black soldier fly larvae, butterworms, and the occasional mealworm make a great treat. At Josh’s Frogs, all of our Japanese cave geckos are fed exclusively dubia roaches gutloaded on our Roach Rations diet and thrive! All feeder insects should be dusted with a vitamin/mineral supplement, and fed using an escape proof bowl. A well fed gecko will have a fat tail. This fat reserve functions as a nutrient source during lean times.

Sexing: Sexing Japanese cave geckos is fairly straightforward - males have visible bulges at the base of their tail. Animals are typically sexable by 5-6 months of age. Juveniles sold by Josh's Frogs are not sexed.

Color/Pattern: These attractive geckos have a black/purple base color, with orange bands that crisscross their body. Most notable are their red eyes. Young animals tend to be more heavily banded. The bands become narrower and shift towards more light orange with age.

Social Behavior: Japanese Cave Geckos are fine housed alone. As juveniles, they can be housed in groups, but this may result in the occasional geckos losing its tail (no worries - it grows back!). Adults can be housed in groups, but no more than one male should be housed per enclosure.

Breeding: Breeding mature Japanese Cave Geckos is easy. Breeding season runs from February through September. Females will lay 2 eggs every 45-60 days during this period. The animals should be cooled from October through January. Males may be removed to give the females a break.

Natural Range: Japanese Cave Geckos are native to Japan. Go figure!

History in the Hobby: Japanese Cave Geckos have been available hit and miss since at least the 1990s. They've recently had a resurgence in popularity, as more and more people realize how easy and rewarding it is to care for these awesome geckos.

Links of Interest:

Chinese Cave Gecko Caresheet - a good basic care sheet for the Hainan Cave Gecko

GeckoTime - a great interview style care sheet on Cave Geckos 

Still not sure if Japanese Cave Geckos from Josh's Frogs are the right geckos for you? Read the reviews below and see what other customers are saying!