Bynoe's gecko
Heteronotia binoei
Photo: Bynoe's gecko · JennyKS · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Changes and credits
These guides provide general husbandry information and do not replace veterinary assessment. If your animal shows symptoms or its condition worsens, contact a veterinarian experienced with exotic animals.
- Warm zone
- Daytime air: 32–33 °C
- Cool zone
- Cool air: 25–27 °C
These notices cover the cited provisions, not every possible national or local rule. Check additional requirements with the competent authority.
Description
Heteronotia binoei is a small Australian gecko with a granular back, raised tubercles and variable brown patterning. It occupies many habitats, sheltering beneath stones, bark and debris. It is nocturnal and insectivorous; the species complex includes both sexually reproducing populations and parthenogenetic lineages.
Behaviour
Observe the individual’s behaviour and limit handling.
Housing together
Heteronotia binoei includes sexual and parthenogenetic lines: absence of a male does not exclude offspring. Use individual housing for an animal of undocumented lineage; do not combine territorial males. For established female groups distribute hides and food and prepare hatchling space, separating rejected individuals.
Enclosure and climate
For Heteronotia binoei provide sandy, draining soil, bark and low hides distributed between warm and cool sides. Support stones on the floor before adding substrate so digging cannot collapse them. Retain a local moist site rather than wetting the whole enclosure.
Night: ≈20 °C. The listed temperatures describe thermal zones; surface temperatures are not separately established.
Setup
Set bark on the sandy floor with retreat openings clear. Check origin and breeding line before planning shared housing.
Warm area, cool area and hides
If heating is specified, place it at one end and distribute hides between that area and the cool side. Choose openings and internal space suitable for the body; after adding bedding, check that entrances remain clear. Set the dish on a stable base and leave routes between retreats; use low supports only where suitable for the species.
Testing and access
Connect specified heat sources to compatible thermostats and guard against contact. Secure probes according to device instructions; measure air at resting sites and heated surfaces separately with independent instruments. In housing with water, also check water temperature and quality: one zone’s thermostat does not control the others.
With the complete enclosure running, record day and night readings and compare them with the sheet. Test doors, cable openings and cleaning access, keeping vents clear. Change one variable at a time and recheck after each adjustment.
Lighting and UVB
Ferguson zone not assigned with sufficient precision to this taxon.
At the exposed position aim for approximately UVI 1–2, measured at the back or head. The animal must choose its exposure and reach UVI 0 retreats. This local target differs from the Ferguson ecological band and should not be maintained everywhere throughout the day.
UVB is recommended at an intensity appropriate to the species, with the option to withdraw from the light. Evidence of its necessity varies between animals: assess exposure alongside diet and species identification.
UVA is recommended as part of daytime lighting, including when UVB has not been shown to be indispensable. Check the UVB source’s spectrum, as it may already emit UVA: a second lamp is not automatically necessary.
Linear UVB tube with reflector. Indicative UVB percentage stated on the lamp: 2–7%; final selection depends on UVI achieved at the actual distance.
For maintenance, a cycle of approximately 12 hours of light and 12 hours of darkness can serve as an initial reference. Use a timer to switch lights off at night, and keep retreats available so the animal can withdraw from light during the day. Adapt day length to species and origin, following the specific guidance for seasonal care and breeding.
Light in the animal’s daily life
Offer an exposed patch near rock retreats and keep dark hides. Measure above accessible rocks rather than only at substrate level.
An example layout in the enclosure
To make the layout concrete, take housing measuring 60 × 40 × 40 cm, using the first dimensional configuration in the sheet. This is a mounting example: retain the conditions and any alternatives attached to the stated minimum.
In a wooden enclosure with internal lighting, imagine the tube 35 cm above the floor and the back or head at 15 cm. The geometric distance is therefore 20 cm. The branch or platform lies below animal height, according to body size. Place lighting over one side, with a route to fully screened retreats.
In a glass enclosure with a mesh roof, retain the same animal height and imagine the tube 5 cm above the mesh: distance becomes 30 cm. Mesh attenuates UV variably; ordinary glass roofs block UVB. Increasing the percentage alone is insufficient: measure beneath the mesh and adjust height, output or layout as needed.
These distances describe the example, not a safe clearance for every lamp. Select the source and adjust mounting until approximately UVI 1–2 is measured at animal height in the exposed position. Also respect the minimum clearance specified for the model used. Recheck with furnishings, guards and mesh installed, including the highest reachable points and animal growth.
Choosing and checking lighting
First define the patch that should illuminate the whole body and the route to a screened retreat. For a broad patch, select a linear tube with reflector; consider a compact only if its useful patch covers the body and leaves an accessible gradient. Check model, output, reflector and mounting distance, then compare measured UVI with the species target. Label UVB percentage alone cannot determine distance and intensity.
The decisive check uses a UVI meter facing the source at animal height. Check the centre and edges of the exposed patch, the highest supports and retreats, which must allow withdrawal from UV. Repeat after moving equipment, changing lamps and plant growth. Without a meter, use the manufacturer’s instructions and measurements for the exact configuration, including safety clearances.
When UVB or UVA are absent
When keeping without UVB, D3 must be supplied through a complete diet or species-appropriate supplementation. Calcium alone does not replace D3. Check existing amounts in prepared diets and multivitamins before combining products; dosage also depends on diet and cannot be derived from lighting hours.
UVA contributes to environmental perception and behaviour and cannot be replaced by vitamins or calcium. A reptile UVB source normally also emits UVA: check its declared spectrum. If the existing lighting lacks it, complete the installation with a suitable source; an ordinary white LED does not guarantee UVA and a UVA-only lamp does not provide UVB.
Humidity and ventilation
Maintain humidity at 30–50%. Mist lightly in the evening and allow surfaces to dry afterwards. Measure near hides without letting the hygrometer touch wet bedding, and also inspect substrate beneath retreats. If readings stay outside the specified values, check blocked vents and standing water before adjusting water input; recheck after the change.
Feeding
Heteronotia binoei is insectivorous; offer small crickets and roach nymphs in the evening, without keeping a permanent bowl of larvae.
Recommended foods
The tiers describe dietary use: rotate foods within each tier rather than treating them as an absolute nutritional score.
| Food | Dietary role | Benefits and limits | Preparation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crickets and locusts | Main choices | Supply protein and encourage hunting; calcium is low relative to phosphorus, so preparation and supplementation are needed. | Use captive-bred insects and gut-load them as described below. Select suitably sized feeders, place the meal’s batch in a clean container and apply a thin calcium coating immediately before offering them. |
| Feeder roaches | Main choices | These feeders provide a useful second protein source for rotation, but do not constitute a complete diet or replace calcium supplementation. | Offer well-fed soft nymphs sized to the mouth; avoid excessively hard adults. |
| Silkworms and black soldier fly larvae | For rotation | Diversify texture and nutrients. Black soldier fly larvae can supply more calcium, but content depends on rearing: they do not make the entire diet complete. | Choose appropriately sized feeder larvae. Keep silkworms on their specific food; check the supplier’s supplementation guidance. |
| Waxworms, mealworms and superworms | Occasional | Fat-rich larvae concentrate energy and often contain little calcium: use as a small part of variety, not the sole food. | Replace part of the meal instead of adding them to a full ration. Avoid hard or oversized larvae for small animals. |
| Wild insects, fireflies and contaminated prey | Avoid / not a staple | May carry pesticides, parasites or toxins; a healthy appearance does not establish safety. | Use traceable feeder cultures; do not collect insects beside roads or treated gardens. |
Comparable nutritional values
Protein, fat, calcium and phosphorus are percentages of dry matter, excluding water; dry matter itself is a percentage of fresh weight. These are reference analytical values compiled in a clinical table, not guaranteed contents of your batch or a universal ranking. Age, rearing, feeding and supplementation change composition. Do not compare them directly with fresh-food percentages or already diluted prepared diets. Comparable numbers are not provided for other foods.
| Insect | Dry matter | Crude protein | Crude fat | Calcium / phosphorus | Ca:P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adult house cricketAcheta domestica | 32% of fresh weight | 62.6% DM | 20.4% DM | 0.3 / 1% DM | 0.3:1 |
| Migratory locustLocusta migratoria | 31% of fresh weight | 67.5% DM | 14% DM | 0.1 / 0.7% DM | 0.14:1 |
| Mealworm larvaTenebrio molitor | 32.8% of fresh weight | 52.8% DM | 36.1% DM | 0.3 / 0.8% DM | 0.37:1 |
DM = dry matter. Ca:P describes calcium relative to phosphorus before supplementation: a protein-rich feeder may still be calcium-poor. Offered portions remain those for this species and life stage.
Meals by age and size
| Stage and size | Frequency | Amount per meal |
|---|---|---|
| Young: from first feeding until growth is well established | Daily | Initial trial portion: 3–5 small insects, one at a time. Count those eaten in about 5 minutes; stop when interest wanes rather than continually refilling. Adjust the count to actual prey size and growth. |
| Juveniles and subadults: still growing noticeably | Every other day | Initial trial portion: 3–5 small insects, one at a time. Count those eaten in about 5 minutes; stop when interest wanes rather than continually refilling. Adjust the count to actual prey size and growth. |
| Adults: near final size, growth has slowed | 3 meals weekly | Initial trial portion: 3–5 small insects, one at a time. Count those eaten in about 5 minutes; stop when interest wanes rather than continually refilling. Adjust the count to actual prey size and growth. |
Adjusting portions
To assess the portion, compare the amount and type of food eaten with growth and body condition. Weekly weighing of juveniles and monthly weighing of adults helps follow the trend. Adjust the ration gradually when growth or reserves require it; reduce it if body condition indicates excess weight or leftovers remain. Investigate unexpected weight loss or abnormal swelling rather than addressing it only with more or less food.
Preparing and offering meals
Prepare insects during the 24–48 hours before feeding: keep them in their culture container with a complete feeder diet and safe hydration. Check access to food and water and remove spoiled leftovers. Then select feeders of the specified size and prepare only the batch to be offered. This step, called gut-loading, improves prey quality; bran or potato alone do not correct deficiencies.
At feeding time the prey should be easy to swallow. As an initial guide, choose insects no wider than the space between the eyes, then adapt size to the mouth and the animal’s response. Offering them individually or in an escape-resistant dish lets you see actual intake and remove leftovers.
Trial amounts are a starting point for a healthy, active animal at correct temperatures: record intake and weight trend, then adjust the ration. Do not feed again merely because it continues striking at prey.
Calcium and vitamins
Immediately before feeding, lightly coat low-calcium insects with phosphorus-free calcium: they should remain visible, without clumps. Common insects often have an unfavourable calcium:phosphorus balance; rotating them alone does not correct it.
Choose one supplementation programme: plain calcium for ordinary meals and a species-appropriate multivitamin at its labelled feeding intervals. Record the product and its existing D3 and vitamin A; do not add a second dose to meals using a combined product. With measured UVB, agree the oral D3 provision; product concentrations are not interchangeable.
Daily care
First days
Keep retreats accessible and observe without opening them to look for the animal. Check climate readings from outside, offer scheduled food and record actual intake. Prepare the scales and container before weighing so the transfer stays brief; compare weight with earlier records rather than relying on appearance alone.
Cleaning
Keep animals and equipment away from kitchens and food areas, use tools dedicated to each enclosure and wash your hands with soap and running water after handling animals, food, tank water or furnishings. Quarantine new arrivals separately and agree the duration and checks with a veterinarian before introducing them to established animals.
Handling
Before a transfer, prepare an open container and an access route. Allow the animal to enter where possible; if support is necessary, support its body without gripping the tail and minimise time out of the enclosure. Stop repeated attempts to grasp it and allow withdrawal to a retreat.
Checks
Record weight, appetite and behaviour; consult a veterinarian experienced with the species if changes persist. For laboured breathing or wounds, contact them promptly without waiting for symptoms to persist.
Breeding
Sex, maturity and readiness
The complex includes sexual and parthenogenetic lines: identify the line before seeking a male. Retain breeder documentation; an apparently all-female colony alone does not establish the mechanism.
Start a record for each breeding animal with identity, origin, documented age and previous weights. Compare the weight trend with growth and body condition; delay introductions for animals still growing rapidly, losing weight or recently acquired. Use stated ages as guidance alongside these checks. If sex cannot be identified reliably, obtain assessment by qualified personnel before pairing.
Preparation and seasonal cycle
Maintain a dry area and humid hide, with seasonal rest only when appropriate to origin. In parthenogenetic lines plan births without introductions; in sexual lines observe brief encounters and separate incompatible animals.
Before encounters, prepare and test offspring enclosures and have first foods available. Check records for regular adult feeding and good body condition, then verify access from exposed areas to retreats. If the species protocol includes seasonal changes, adjust settings gradually and record the response. Record night-time air, surface and egg temperatures separately, noting where each is measured. Keep water available throughout preparation.
Identification and compatibility
Keep taxa and origins separate during identification. For sexual forms, establish sex and compatibility before introducing adults; for parthenogenetic forms, arrange clutch management without seeking a partner. Do not use hybridisation to resolve uncertain identity.
Nest and reproductive mode to identify
Offer narrow shelters and protected sites for small hard-shelled clutches. Mark every clutch and keep line identity with eggs; do not mix clutches merely because adults share the H. binoei name.
Development: separate pathways
Position eggs on firm support with humid air but dry eggshells. One regime is not imposed across complex lineages; protect hatchlings from adults with a ventilated escape-proof container.
Values for one species do not define a safe range for the whole group. Keep origin, dates and photographs of the adults; match the protocol to the identified taxon before setting an artificial season. This chapter helps prepare facilities and observations but does not assign one value to an aggregated group.
First meals and juvenile care
Offer pinhead crickets and small insects once hunting begins. Use terrestrial housing with low shelters and a small humid area; tail condition and weight reveal youngsters that are not feeding. Keep lineages and origins separate.
During the first weeks, monitor each youngster: a feeding group does not guarantee that every individual eats. Record intake, droppings and weight at regular intervals to follow growth and adapt housing and food size. Provide separate accommodation if competition prevents an individual from feeding or size differences become marked. Document repeated independent meals before transfer to another keeper.
Female recovery
After reproduction provide water and the usual balanced diet, initially in manageable portions; monitor weight, activity and return of appetite. Keep supplements and lighting consistent with the feeding guide. Avoid further introductions until the previous condition has recovered; later clutches may occur without another mating. Persistent straining, weakness or protruding tissue require veterinary attention, without squeezing the abdomen.
Equipment and example diary
Place the nest where it can be checked without dismantling the enclosure. Label containers with female identity and laying date and prepare the specified medium; for attached eggs, instead provide guards in place without detaching them. If using an incubator, install a thermostat and independent probe and test it before laying. Run offspring enclosures too and prepare scales and first food, reserving capacity for later clutches.
A consistent diary using actual dates helps follow reproduction in Heteronotia binoei. Start with adult identity, weight and condition, then record observed encounters, laying or birth and development conditions. After emergence record the first meal actually accepted and each youngster’s growth while continuing to follow female recovery. Over time these records help identify your lineage’s pattern without turning approximate durations into deadlines.