Giant Day Gecko — care sheet

Intermediate. Their needs aren't complicated once you learn them, but they're a look-don't-touch gecko: fast, flighty, and their skin tears easily, so this is a display animal, not a cuddle pet. The intermediate rating comes from getting the tall planted setup, UVB, and humidity dialed in correctly.

Omnivorous leaning toward insects plus fruit/nectar. Feed a powdered complete gecko diet (CGD, e.g. Pangea or Repashy) plus gut-loaded feeder insects (crickets, dubia/discoid roaches, hornworms, silkworms, occasional grasshoppers). A common adult routine is insects 2-3x per week and CGD roughly 1x per week; juveniles eat more often. Offer insects slightly smaller than the gecko's head.

Minimum 24 x 24 x 48 inches (60 x 60 x 120 cm) tall for a single adult, and bigger is better. Height and vertical climbing surfaces matter far more than floor space for this arboreal species. Use a front-opening or well-ventilated planted vivarium; screen tops help airflow but you'll need to manage humidity.

Basking surface 85-90°F (29-32°C), created with an overhead heat source on one end. (Note: some guides list a hotter spot up to ~95°F; the 85-90°F range is the more widely recommended target.)

77-82°F (25-28°C) on the cool end, giving the gecko a clear gradient to move through.

A natural night drop to about 73-77°F (23-25°C) is fine and healthy. No nighttime heat is usually needed at normal room temperatures.

Yes, they need it. Day geckos are diurnal and bask, so UVB is important for healthy calcium metabolism and their best color. Target a UVI of about 3.0-4.0 in the basking zone using a quality T5 HO bulb such as an Arcadia Forest 6% or Zoo Med Reptisun 5.0 (or an Arcadia ShadeDweller for shorter mounting distances), placed at the manufacturer's recommended distance. Replace UVB bulbs every 12 months even if they still glow.

Aim for an average of roughly 40-75%, cycling higher after misting and drying out between mistings. Mist once or twice daily; good airflow prevents stagnant, moldy conditions. They rarely drink from a bowl, so they hydrate by lapping water droplets off leaves and glass.

A moisture-retentive bioactive-friendly mix works well: organic topsoil blended with coconut fiber (for example ~60/40), or a ready-made option like Zoo Med ReptiSoil / Eco Earth or Exo Terra Plantation Soil. Top with leaf litter and add live plants (pothos, bromeliads, sansevieria) plus cork bark, bamboo, and sturdy branches for climbing.

Lightly dust feeder insects with plain calcium (no D3) at most feedings, and use a calcium-with-D3 or reptile multivitamin on a lighter schedule (roughly once or twice a week, per product directions). Prepared CGD is already fortified, so don't double up heavily. A proper UVB source plus balanced supplements is what prevents metabolic bone disease.

Around 9-11 inches (23-28 cm) total length, including the tail. Males typically end up a touch larger and bulkier than females.

15-20 years with good care, so this is a genuine long-term commitment.

See a reptile or exotics vet if you notice: Trembling, shaking, weak or 'rubbery' limbs, a swollen or soft jaw, or a kinked tail can signal metabolic bone disease, see an exotics vet.; Sudden weight loss, sunken eyes, or refusing food for an extended period warrants a vet visit.; A female straining, staying swollen, or looking egg-bound (unable to pass eggs) is an emergency, see a vet promptly.; Persistent lethargy, staying dark/dull colored, labored breathing, or unhealed skin wounds should be checked.; Retained shed around toes or the tail tip that constricts circulation needs attention if it doesn't clear..