Cave gecko – Lichtenfelder (Goniurosaurus lichtenfelderi)

Short answers

Cave gecko – Lichtenfelder: How big does the enclosure need to be?

100×40×40 cm (one animal; floor area matters more than height).

Cave gecko – Lichtenfelder: What temperature does it need?

Daytime 22–26 °C, basking spot up to 28 °C (optional, no strong basking spot), at night 18–22 °C.

Cave gecko – Lichtenfelder: Does it need UVB lighting?

UVB: UVB not essential (nocturnal/crepuscular); weak UVB (Ferguson zone 1, UV index 0–1) is harmless and optional.

Cave gecko – Lichtenfelder: How long do they live?

Life expectancy: 12–15 years (sometimes longer).

Cave gecko – Lichtenfelder: Is it suitable for beginners?

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

Climate

Daytime temperature

22–26 °C

Night temperature

18–22 °C

Basking spot

up to 28 °C (optional, no strong basking spot)

Humidity

60–70 % by day, up to 80 % at night

UVB

UVB not essential (nocturnal/crepuscular); weak UVB (Ferguson zone 1, UV index 0–1) is harmless and optional

Enclosure

Minimum size

100×40×40 cm (one animal; floor area matters more than height)

Substrate

A loose soil and sand or forest-floor mix, a damp corner, plenty of hides

Feeding

Food

Insects (crickets, house crickets, roaches), occasionally superworms or wax moths; dust them well with calcium and vitamins

Feeding interval

adults 2–3×/week, juveniles daily

Key facts

Adult size

18–22 cm total length (with the tail)

Life expectancy

12–15 years (sometimes longer)

Origin

Northern Vietnam and southern China (the placement of the Hainan populations is disputed); rocky stream banks and karst forest

Protection status

CITES Appendix II / EU Regulation Annex B (Goniurosaurus spp. since 2019); IUCN Vulnerable; proof of origin + registration requirement (BNatSchG).

Brumation

A moderate winter rest or cooling of ~2–3 months at lowered temperatures (about 18–20 °C) encourages readiness to mate; not essential, but recommended

Cohabitation

Keeping them singly is the standard; NEVER keep males together (territorial fights and stress). A 1.1 pair or one male with several females only given enough space, visual barriers and supervision; groups of females alone are possible

Notes

Sensitive to temperatures that are too high (heat stress) and to waterlogging without ventilation (mould and respiratory infections). Common mistakes: too dry (shedding problems), calcium deficiency (MBD), and overfeeding. Prefer captive-bred animals; wild-caught ones are often parasitised.

Do you keep this species?

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Related species

• Bawangling leopard gecko (Goniurosaurus bawanglingensis) – Intermediate
• 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 – 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 Cave gecko – Lichtenfelder (Goniurosaurus lichtenfelderi) you typically need: a suitable enclosure (100×40×40 cm (one animal; floor area matters more than height)), substrate (A loose soil and sand or forest-floor mix, a damp corner, plenty of hides), a heat source with a thermostat, UVB lighting, thermometer and hygrometer, a water dish and hides. You will find equipment in the Reptoria marketplace.