Teratoscincus scincus keyseringlii
Nuri
Meet the tiny, personality-packed Teratoscincus sciences keyserlingii, often called the "Frog-Eyed Gecko" or "Wonder Gecko". These small but feisty geckos are found in arid regions of Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan, and the United Arab Emirates. They spend a large portion of their day in deep, humid underground burrows. Although rarer in the pet trade, keepers of T scincus enjoy watching their voracious hunting habits and bold threat displays. They readily tell perceived threats to back off by standing on their toes, arching their backs, puffing their throats, and rattling their tails. Jumps, barks, hisses, and bites are in store for any who do not heed their warning.
Baby Nuri, adopting a threat pose mid-shed. She did get those "gloves" off eventually!
Nuri was on our species list for years before we finally found her. Few people breed T scincus. They have fragile skin and ill-suited for handling. Even so, Nuri and her kin are highly charismatic and fun to watch. Nuri bursts from her burrow as soon as insects arrive. The name "Nuri" comes from an Armenian goddess and fire spirit known to bring drought, storms, and or floods. Our Nuri, a spicy fireball who finds moistures in dry areas, seems to fit the name.
That classic T scincus profile. Nuri always shows her good side.
Interested in keeping a wonder gecko? Below are general parameters for making your gecko comfortable.
Life Span: 15+ years
Cage Size: Minimum 10 gallon (wide rather than high)
Animal Size: 6"
Day/Night Hours: 12/12
Active times: Most active at night
Day temps: 75-85F
Hot Spot: 95F
Night temps: 75 F
Daytime humidity: 50%
Nighttime humidity: 50%
UVB: Low
Substrate: Arid substrate: Lugarti Natural Reptile Bedding, BioDude Arid Mix, OR mix of 40% topsoil or coco fiber, 40% fine sand, 20% Excavator Clay.
Diet: Insects
Decor: Terrestrial - good digging substrate with rock/wood hides and plants.
Nuri does not enjoy trespassers in her burrows.
Our setup: ExRe houses wonder geckos individually in 40 gal/gecko, horizontally-oriented enclosures. We use 4-5" deep arid substrate mix of 60 fine play sand, 20% cocofiber, and 20% Excavator Clay to meet the burrowing needs of these reptiles. Humid hides with sphagnum moss are made from plastic containers buried under the substrate. "Assisted burrows" are created with buried cork tubes and half tubes. Plants and rock hides are available at the surface. We mist these enclosures heavily twice per week or pour water into the substrate to ensure humidity in burrows. Temperatures range from 70F at one side of the enclosure to 95F at the other. Puck lights provide enough light for their plants and their day/night cycle. We do not use UVB with these geckos, though they are closely monitored and receive Vitamin D supplementation. ExRe's wonder geckos eat a staple diet of 10 medium-large crickets, gut-loaded and vitamin- and -mineral- dusted, with a rotating selection of dubia roaches, mealworms, waxworms, or silkworms offered once per week.