Goniurosaurus hainanensis
Helioptile, Umbreon, and Bruce Wayne
G hainanensis, or "Chinese cave gecko" is a secretive species that lives on China's Hainan Island. There are multiple species of Chinese cave gecko, but G hainanensis is the most commonly found species in today's pet trade. Endemic populations have faced a decline in recent years due to the impact of the pet trade. Fortunately, these geckos breed readily in captivity, slowing exports in recent years. Our cave geckos are captive bred, and we welcomed our gecko's first clutch in November 2023!
Above: G hainanensis hatchlings have bolder colors than adults.
Helioptile (and Umbreon) are named for the similarity in color that they share with two particular Pokemon characters. Like all cave geckos, Heli prefers to be left alone. Unlike most cave geckos, she is surprisingly tolerant of handling on the rare occasion that it happens. Heli was hatched by Secret Lab Geckos in 2022.
Umbreon hatched in 2022 at Star Dust Scales. Umbreon is a gorgeous male who sports very thick, bold yellow dorsal stripes. He is an expert at avoiding human contact, though he settles nicely once he is in hand.
Below: Heli stalks crickets while trying to ignore the camera above her.
Bruce Wayne hatched out at Josh's Frogs in 2019. Bruce is one of the darkest cave geckos we have come into contact with, so he is named for the Dark Knight. Cave geckos' tend to lighten in color and develop spots as they age. Bruce kept his dark coloring and only the never developed characteristic spots.
Our Dark Knight never developed spots, and his thin yellow banding dramatically faded over time.
Interested in keeping a Chinese cave gecko? Below are general parameters for making your gecko comfortable. For more information, Extant Relatives recommends Reptifile's detailed care sheets.
Life Span: 20+ years
Cage Size: Minimum 24" x 18" x 18" (High rather than wide)
Animal Size: 8.5-9"
Day/Night Hours: 12/12
Active times: Most active at night
Day temps: 70F
Hot Spot: 85F
Night temps: 65 F
Daytime humidity: 50%
Nighttime humidity: 90%
UVB: Low
Substrate: Organic topsoil or coconut fiber (or mix)
Diet: Meal Replacement Powders with insects for enrichment.
Decor: Terrestrial - branches, cork tubes, rock and wood hides, plants.
Heli shows off the beautiful red eyes of her species.
Our setup: ExRe houses CCGs individually in 10 gal/gecko minimum, horizontally-oriented enclosure. These arboreal reptiles spend most of their time holed up in a favorite humid hide or exploring areas hidden from prying eyes. Their enclosure floor consists of cocofiber substrate, a soaking/drinking bowl, and an isopod clean-up crew. Their enclsoures are heavily misted 2-4 times per week, depending on the season, to ensure humidity does not drop below 50%. Temperatures range from 70F at one side of the enclosure to 85F at the other. They use the full range of their enclosures to regulate their temperature and hydration. A single puck light provides enough light for their plants and their day/night cycle. We do not use UVB with our cave geckos, though they are closely monitored and receive Vitamin D supplementation. ExRe's cave geckos eat a staple diet of 6 medium-large crickets, gut-loaded and vitamin- and -mineral- dusted twice per week, along with a rotating selection of dubia roaches, mealworms, waxworms, or silkworms offered once per week.