Bawangling leopard gecko (Goniurosaurus bawanglingensis)

Short answers

Bawangling leopard gecko: How big does the enclosure need to be?

60×40×40 cm for a pair.

Bawangling leopard gecko: What temperature does it need?

Daytime 22–26 °C, basking spot No basking spot — at most a warm corner up to 27 °C, at night 18–20 °C.

Bawangling leopard gecko: Does it need UVB lighting?

UVB: Not essential (nocturnal), weak UVB is possible.

Bawangling leopard gecko: How long do they live?

Life expectancy: 10–15 years.

Bawangling leopard gecko: Is it suitable for beginners?

Rather not – it is considered an intermediate species (difficulty: Intermediate).

Climate

Daytime temperature

22–26 °C

Night temperature

18–20 °C

Basking spot

No basking spot — at most a warm corner up to 27 °C

Humidity

60–70 %, plus a permanently humid box and drier areas alongside

UVB

Not essential (nocturnal), weak UVB is possible

Enclosure

Minimum size

60×40×40 cm for a pair

Substrate

About 4 cm of forest-floor mix made of coco fibre and sphagnum with leaf litter, bark mulch and a little charcoal; slate slabs and hides on top. Keep one corner permanently damp and let the rest dry out; a bioactive setup with springtails and isopods works well.

Feeding

Food

Crickets, roaches and house crickets, dusted regularly with calcium and vitamins

Feeding interval

adults 2×/week

Key facts

Adult size

16–19 cm

Life expectancy

10–15 years

Origin

Bawangling National Nature Reserve in the southwest of Hainan Island, China

Protection status

CITES II — proof of origin required

Brumation

A cooler winter period of 8–10 weeks at around 16–18 °C, with shortened lighting

Cohabitation

1.1 or 1.2; never males together. The reason: several males fight over territory and the best hiding places until one is injured or permanently confined to a corner. Females usually get along but need their own hiding places each; feed separately if there is a size difference.

Notes

A cave dweller. Warmth above 28 °C is dangerous for every species in this genus, and that is the commonest keeping mistake.

Do you keep this species?

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Related species

• Cave gecko – Araneus (Goniurosaurus araneus) – Intermediate
• Cave gecko – Cat Ba (Goniurosaurus catbaensis) – Expert
• Cave gecko – Hainan (Goniurosaurus hainanensis) – Intermediate
• Cave gecko – Kuroiwa (Goniurosaurus kuroiwae) – Intermediate
• Cave gecko – Lichtenfelder (Goniurosaurus lichtenfelderi) – Intermediate
• Cave gecko – Lui (Goniurosaurus luii) – Intermediate
• Cave gecko – Orientalis (Goniurosaurus orientalis) – Expert
• Cave gecko – Splendens (Goniurosaurus splendens) – Expert

All species in the care wiki →

What you need to start

To keep Bawangling leopard gecko (Goniurosaurus bawanglingensis) you typically need: a suitable enclosure (60×40×40 cm for a pair), substrate (About 4 cm of forest-floor mix made of coco fibre and sphagnum with leaf litter, bark mulch and a little charcoal; slate slabs and hides on top. Keep one corner permanently damp and let the rest dry out; a bioactive setup with springtails and isopods works well.), a heat source with a thermostat, UVB lighting, thermometer and hygrometer, a water dish and hides. You will find equipment in the Reptoria marketplace.