Is my gecko invisible? Where do geckos go during the day?
Daytime is when I receive a few visitors from time to time. I wish to show them my Tokay gecko and leopard gecko in separate vivariums.
The leopard gecko is easier to spot sometimes, but most of the time my guests leave without seeing anything.
In this article, we’ll find out where geckos go during the day when they are kept as pets or if they are neighbors around your property.
Where Do Geckos Go During the Day?
Crepuscular reptiles like geckos are going to hide, rest and sleep during the day. They need you to give them dark, private and safe hiding spots if you wish to keep them in terrariums, cages, vivariums and other enclosures.
A house gecko or wild species of gecko around your property will forage for insects that are drawn to your home, but they will mostly do so at night or before dawn. Day geckos are fascinating and also mentioned in this article.
Geckos can be found under tree barks, cavities and pressed against branches with flattened jaws that enable them to blend into the surface they are resting on.
Where Do Geckos Sleep?
A gecko should be satiated after a night around your property or in an enclosure you have created for them. While you were asleep or just before bedtime, you would have offered them their meal.
Your porch lights could have drawn insects that became easy targets for house geckos to consume. Now, it’s time for you to get up and start your activity.
Larger predators that roam the wild during the day in gecko habitats will have a hard time finding them. Geckos are asleep in caves, in or under barks of trees, deep in shrubbery or in cavities around the home.
You may see them squeezed into the gutters, pipes or any dark area where they may or may not have eyelids close. Some dilate their eyes when they lack eyelids. Geckos rest during the day and hide in the tight spots to give them the safety and security they need.
When I wanted to know why is my leopard gecko shedding so much, I realized it had to do with their sleep habits as well.
Are Geckos Active During the Day?
If you hear gecko sounds such as chirping, barking, clicking or yelping, you know that they aren’t asleep and might be looking for a mate or defending territory.
A gecko may change from crepuscular and nocturnal habits when they are able to find food sources through the day without the threat of predators nearby.
However, we should not train our geckos to be more active throughout the day just so we can enjoy their company more. This could lead to skin, gut, organ or other physical issues that deviates them from normal periods of rest during the day.
A gecko is not regularly active between dawn and dusk. They will substitute between basking and cooling off. The hottest portion of the day in the wild is when a gecko needs a cool spot to retain moisture and stay out of the harsh conditions or possible predators.
Otherwise, they may move around a bit and steal a quick bite of insects, fruit, or flower nectar before going back to sleep.
Do geckos see in the dark? Does this make them better at hiding? I’ll explain this here.
Where Do Geckos Hide In A House?
I lived in a tropical location for a while and we always had geckos entering the home. They would usually stay quiet unless they were calling out for a mate or trying to defend territory.
We would never see them during the day, but refused to believe they disappeared or returned every night. I was aware they were hiding somewhere and resting during the day. But where?
These are some places we found geckos hiding:
- Wooden crevices
- Behind picture frames
- Wooden wardrobes
- Drawers
- Behind cupboards
- Garages
- Basements
- Attics
They startled me everyone they darted out of locations when we found them. I’m quick to flinch or jump, however I constantly remind myself that they are much more scared of us and wish to only hide and stay out of our way.
I just wish I could tell them to stay out of my clothes in my drawers and wardrobe. They can admire the back of my paintings if they want.
Day Geckos and Diurnal Geckos
Believe it or not, some species of geckos are active during the day and follow diurnal schedules the way we do. This could be an adaptation from the genus Phelsuma found historically in Madagascar, Mauritius and other islands around the western Indian Ocean.
Commonly referred to as day geckos, they have infiltrated homes from Hawaii all the way to Florida. Here are some species of day geckos:
- gold-dust gecko (P. l. latticauda)
- yellow-headed gecko (P. klemmeri)
- blue-tailed gecko (P. cepediana)
During the day, they search for fruits, insects and flower nectar. You can even leave out some baby food or commercially prepared gecko meals if you wish to care for them around your property.
We advise against this because if they depend on you, they let down their guard and may lose their sharp senses to detect prey and evade predators.
Handling these geckos is also not recommended because of their loose skin, sensitive tails and ability to be hurt by your slightest touch when they try to escape.
Conclusion
Do you wish to know how to keep geckos away? Are you trying to provide the best hiding spots for geckos? Will they bother you or will geckos infect your house? Find out what you actually wish to do or don’t do anything at all.
Geckos do not wish to harm your property and will only feed off some unwanted insects. They will hide inside or outside your home.
If you do not want them inside your house, you can leave onion slices, garlic cloves or bay leaves to reduce their involvement with your pretty and you will also repel other pests at the same time.
We do not consider geckos to be pests and wish to share common spaces if they are harmless. Otherwise, we recommend learning more about these beautiful reptiles that could be kept as pets or companions in vivariums. Just remember to let them hide and rest during the day!
Thank you for visiting PocketPetCentral.com for the best information to help you enjoy the life of your pocket pet companion in a fun, safe & healthy way.
