Fast Five Facts -Smooth Knob Tail Gecko

by Karen Nilsson

They have a lifespan of about 10 years and grow to about 8-10cm.

Females will grow larger at approx 25 grams while the males are smaller at 15-20 grams.

Another name for this family of geckos is barking gecko because they bark loudly during threat displays. It can include swaying their bodies, winding their tail and attacking with an open mouth.

These geckos are insectivores. They eat crickets, wood cockroaches, beetles, scorpions, centipedes and even other smaller geckos. They mostly feed on crickets or cockroaches. You can also feed mealworms though they do prefer food that moves rapidly. In nature these geckos come out of their burrows at dusk to hunt this is the best time to feed them.

Only one side of the tank should be heated. The hot end should be set at around 30°-32°C. The cool end should be approximately 26°C or slightly lower. Smooth-Knob Tails should have two hides in their enclosure, one on the warmer end and one on the cool end. This will provide more security and comfort for them.

It is important that you spray the cool side of the tank 3-4 times a week to make sure the enclosure has the correct humidity. This will help keep the thick substrate moist so the gecko can successfully burrow and keep cool.