Classification
Order: squamata
Family: gekkonidae
Genus: lygodactylus
Species: Lygodactylus williamsi.
Habitat
Order: squamata
Family: gekkonidae
Genus: lygodactylus
Species: Lygodactylus williamsi.
Outward appearance
The William’s dwarf gecko is small, about 5-8 cm long. Males are bigger and more brightly coloured than females. Dominating males have very bright colouring: they are turquoise blue. Females are greenish with the shade of gold. Young males have the same color as females. There is a bright black stripe that goes across the lizard’s eyes. On the backside of the head there is a black V-shape pattern. The male’s throat is black, the female’s throat is green with black bands. The belly is orange or bright yellow.
Character
It is a diurnal and semi arboreal species.
It doesn’t get tame, it is not recommended to handle the William’s dwarf geckoes.
Under careful treatment it can get used to seeing people behind the glass. It can take food from tweezers.
The William’s dwarf gecko is an agile lizard that easily edge in any crack and you have to be aware of it in order to keep it from escaping.
Maintenance care
The William’s dwarf gecko needs a vertical tank because it is an semi arboreal species. For hiding places and decorations you can use logs, for example grapevine. It is a good idea to get some bamboo too: the lizards like climbing on it and it serves both as substrate and as hiding place. For substrate you can use coconut husks, moss or soil. If you use potting soil, you can have some plants right in it, otherwise you can put the pots on the substrate and cover them with moss. Love plants are highly recommended, since they help to maintain humidity which is necessary for this species. There is a wide range of plants to choose from since the lizards don’t destroy them. Pothos, arrowroot, figs, orchids would fit fine in the enclosure. You can create a wonderful garden where these bright lizards will look amazing.
The size of the tank should be 50×30×70 cm for one lizard or for a couple. Males are usually aggressive to each other, so it is better to keep just one lizard or a formed couple. But even in this case you should set a lot of hiding places since a male and a female can also fight.
The temperature at the basking spot under the heating lamp should be about 33 degrees, and between 25 and 28 in other parts of the enclosure. The temperature gradient is desirable. At night the temperature can decrease to 20 degrees. A UV lamp is a must.
The William’s dwarf gecko licks water from plants, so you will have to mist daily, but a bowl with fresh clean water is also needed.
The air humidity should be high, around 60-70%.
This lizard needs bright light. You will need to use both UV lamp and filament lamp.
Feeding
In the wild the William’s dwarf gecko eats mainly insects and drinks nectar from flowers.
They can eat various food, but it should be finely cut or grated.
Their menu should consist of 95% of animal feed and 5% plant feed. Crickets, cockroaches, woodlice are the most common animal feed. You can use fruit puree made for babies as plant feed. Adult lizards should be fed every second day, young lizards eat every day. You should alternate food and add to it calcium supplements and vitamins.
Features
The William’s dwarf gecko is a very active but skittish lizard. On the one hand, it is interested in everything that goes on around it. But at the slightest danger they run away. The climb easily on vertical surfaces because the tips of their toes form vacuum when they stick on a smooth object.
They are very well suited for keeping in a small tank. This bright isle of vegetation with colourful lizards makes an amazing decoration of the room.
This species requires live feed.
Diseases
If the level of humidity in the enclosure is not high enough, the chameleon can keep some shed skin on and this can lead to necrosis. The molted skin has to be removed with the help of tweezers, but you have to wet it properly first. The prevention is to maintain the appropriate level of humidity in the enclosure by regular misting.
Rachitis is a system development disorder that manifests itself in distorted and fragile bones, UV light and calcium supplements are best prevention.
Breeding
The William’s dwarf gecko is an egg-laying species that can breed all year round when kept together. They don’t need any extra stimulation. The female lays eggs in the cracks of tree bark. The clutch normally consists of 2-4 eggs. Young lizards can survive in the tank with the adult ones if they are properly fed with drosophila first and then with cricket powder.
Average life span is 3-5 years.
