Vietnamese Golden Gecko (Gekko ulikovskii) Familie: Geckos (Gekkonidae) Orden: Squamates or Scaly Reptiles (Squamata)

Other names:  Ulikovski's Golden Gecko. Size:  Total length up to 28 cm. Snout-vent length up to 11 cm. Distribution:  So far known only from the Gilai-Contum province in Vietnam, near the borders to Laos and Cambodia, where it may also prove to occur. Habitat:  Trees and rocky areas in the transition zone between tropical forest and savanna. Food:  Captive geckos eat a great variety of insects and their larvae, but also small mammals and fruit. This choice of food probably corresponds to their natural diet. Reproduction:  About three weeks after the mating, two oval eggs measuring about 15 X 18 mm are laid, which are attached to a vertical surface. Subsequently, two or three more clutches of each two eggs may be laid in intervals of 3-4 weeks. In the wild, the period of reproduction is believed to last from December to March. There is no parental care, although the female may remain near the eggs. Experiences from captivity show an incubation period of 64-136 days. Hatchlings measure 7-8 cm and become sexually mature after 1½-2 years. Males and females are believed to establish lasting relationships. Both males and females defend territories where other geckos of the same sex are not tolerated. If several males are present in a smaller area, only the dominant male will mate with the females. Activity and behaviour:  Mainly nocturnal, but males may be seen during the day. Sexual differences:  Males become larger than females, and their spurs on the side of the base of the tail are bigger. Most specimens caught are males, which could indicate that females have a more secluded lifestyle. Status:  Having been considered an attractive novelty in the pet trade, the gecko has been exported in tens of thousands from Vietnam. The impact of this on wild populations is unknown, but needs attention in light of the restricted range of the species. Luckily, more and more animals are bred in captivity, which may reduce pressure on wild the population, and hopefully, the future will also reveal the presence of the species in neighboring areas, e.g. in Laos and Cambodia. Notes:  This species was discovered quite recently (in 1994), but has since then been kept and bred in captivity, and it is today fairly common among private reptile keepers. Our specimen was caught in the apartment of an elderly lady here in Denmark. Presumably the lizard had escaped from a local, private reptile keeper. References: Darevsky, I.S. & Orlov, N.L. 1994. Eine bemerkenswerte neue, grosswüchsige Art der Gattung Gekko: Gekko ulikovskii sp. nov. aus Zentralvietnam. Salamandra 30(1): 71-75. Grossmann, W. 1996. Beobachtungen an Gekko ulikovskii Darewski & Orlov, 1994. Sauria (Berlin) 18(2): 31-34. Hofmann, T. 2006. Erfolgreiche Haltung und Vermehrung von Gekko ulikovskii Darevsky & Orlov, 1994 im Terrarium. Sauria (Berlin) 28(2): 15-24. Kreuzer, M. & Grossman, W. 2003. Beobachtungen an Gekko ulikovskii Darewski & Orlow, 1994 und Gekko grossmanni Guenther, 1994 im Terrarium. Sauria (Berlin) 25(3): 3-11. Text & layout: Rune Midtgaard

Gallery Home The pretty Vietnamese Golden Gecko was unknown to science until 1994, when it was first discovered by a Russian naturalist. © Rune Midtgaard.