Panther gecko (paroedura picta) is one of the smaller nocturnal (active during night) ground species of gecko.
They live in leaf litter in the forests of Madagascar.
The 10 – 15 centimeter long adults are mostly dark brown with black, cream and white markings, captive bred animals may also display some forms of albinism and a long white stripe on the back.
As hatchlings they are capable of climbing to a degree, but their lamellae aren’t enough to support them in adulthood.
They lack eyelids, instead they have a translucent scale covering their eyes which they clean and wet with their tongues.
Panther geckos like temperatures between 22 and 29°C and higher humidity around 65%.
They are very shy animals who dislike handling, at least one hide (ideally two) per animal is recommended.
Females may be kept together, males are very territorial. For breeding, a group of females with a single male is perfect.
Their diet consists of tiny insects (mealworms, baby crickets and roaches, small spiders, fruit flies).
As with other reptiles, their live food should be dusted in calcium and vitamins.
They readily drink water from daily misting (misting also helps with keeping the humidity), but a shallow dish of water (or a deeper dish with pebbles) can be kept in their enclosure as long as the water is changed on a regular basis.
These geckos do not require UVB.
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