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Distribution: Southern Madagascar

Adult Size: 4 to 5 inches

Hatchlings: about 1"

Sexing: Males will have very pronounced hemipenile bulges. Males are also heavier bodied and have larger heads. Pictus geckos can be properly sexed at 8 weeks of age.

Active Period: Nocturnal (Night Dweller)

Housing

Cage: These small terrestrial geckos don't need a lot of cage space. A 10 gallon aquarium will be suitable for these geckos. They can also be kept in shoe boxes or sweater boxes for a rack system.

Substrate: Peat Moss, Forest Bed, and Bed-a-Beast. I found our geckos liked the coconut fiber (Forest Bed & Bed-a-Beast).

Decorations: Decorations can add a very natural look to the enclosure. Make sure to have some kind of a humid hide box for the geckos to hide in and have humidity to shed properly. If feeding crickets you don't want to many decorations because the crickets will hide and geckos will not be able to find them to eat.

Heat:
Day Temperature - around 85° F
Night Temperature - as low as 75° F
Hot Spot - up 88° F

Humidity: Pictus need a moderate humidity. They come from Madagascar a tropical area.

Food & Water

Staple Diet: Insectivores; will eat crickets, mealworms, small superworms, small roaches, and silkworms.

Treats: Waxworms - These are a treat. Don't feed waxworms as a staple diet because they are so fattening.

Amount: Adults will eat 5-7 crickets at one feeding. Hatchlings will eat 2-3 crickets at one feeding.

Size of Food: Adults - 3/4" Hatchlings - 1/8"

Note:
-Make sure to gutload the food item prior to feeding it. This will make a healthier insect and a healthier gecko.

- Remove all uneaten food items especially crickets after the gecko has eaten. If the insects are left in with the gecko they will probably get hungry and start to dine on your gecko(s).

Water: Fresh water should be available at all times. This is very important because bacteria will start to form. Your gecko will drink this and become sick because of the bacteria.

Breeding

Age: Pictus can be breed at 5 months of age.

Size: around 4"

Breeding Notes: These geckos are so easy to breed. They will breed year round and are very prolific. Just put the male in with the female. Mating will take place at night. Mating behavior is the same as in leopard geckos. The male should not be left in with the female all the time. A female has been known to be bred to death because of producing to many clutches of eggs.

Eggs: Pictus eggs are hard shelled, very small, and delicate. After being laid they should not be picked up with your fingers to transfer them to an incubator. You should pick them up with a spoon so your fingers do not crush the eggs.

Incubation Temps: The eggs should be incubated at around 83° F. As with other geckos Pictus eggs are not temperature sexed.

Incubation Time: around 60 days

Other Notes

Popularity: Pictus geckos have become more popular because they are so easy to keep and especially to breed.

Color Morphs: With many generations of selectively breeding more and more colors and patterns will become available. Their are so many colors in leopard geckos and just by selectively breeding their can be the same colors come up in pictus geckos.