Standingi Information and Care

[JoeGecko]

I have been giving a lot of thought to the inhabitants of my latest viv. I have really been interested in Standingi. I love the coloring, etc.. but I think there is a fair amount of conflicting information from sources I am not familiar with, so I have trust issues with the information. Also, this would be my first phelsuma species.

I keep all my reptiles in planted vivaria including misting and ultrasonic fogging for humidity. My cresties enjoy a nice stable range of humidity from 55% - 85% and I really try to pay attention to environment and its stability, specific to the species in it.

Thus, my biggest concern is care..
What are some of the ideal parameters for temp, humidity, etc.. ?
Standingi Diet, can they be maintained well on a MRP type diet with insect supplementation, similar to Cresteds?
Is a 60"Wx18"Dx48"H Enclosure good for 2 Standingi?

I am also considering breeding on a hobby level, and I love the fact that Standingi don't generally consume their young. Any recommendations/information on breeding would also be appreciated.

THANKS!!

[Ringo]

I thought you spelled standing wrong lol! I have no clue about them but id just google it.

[JoeGecko]

Most of the info I google is fairly basic. I was hoping to get some insight from someone who has worked with this species before.

[JoeGecko]

bump..... anyone?

[Pyro1203]

I would try to search this forum (there's a search tab) to see if there's a Standingi Phelsuma section/discussion or thread already started and put a post on there with your question

[that_girl]

Check out this website. These guys are very knowledgeable and respected in the phelsuma community.

The Rep Room... your source for fine reptiles.

We are looking at getting a p. standingi ourselves at the Tinley reptile show this weekend. We are planning on feeding CGD exclusively, housing in a 20 gal aquarium with a 90 degree hot spot for basking. Once Kyle gets it done, I'm sure he'll post pictures. It'll have live plants and bamboo for chillin' on.

[Haroldo]

Originally Posted by that_girl

We are looking at getting a p. standingi ourselves at the Tinley reptile show this weekend. We are planning on feeding CGD exclusively, housing in a 20 gal aquarium with a 90 degree hot spot for basking. Once Kyle gets it done, I'm sure he'll post pictures. It'll have live plants and bamboo for chillin' on.

Just a few comments on how you plan on keeping them:

(1) Feeding CGD as a sole diet for Phelsuma is not well-researched. Every Phelsuma species I've kept are at least as interested in live prey as they are fruit/pollen based mixtures. I'm also suspect of D3/calcium levels in CGD being adequate as a sole source of nutrition for Phelsuma. This is simply based off my personal observations over the last 5-6 yrs concerning their nature, reproductive habits, etc.
(2) P. standingi, like other "arid" species enjoy warmer ambient temperatures and higher basking spots. Even some of my more delicate species have 90-93*F basking spots. I'd offer something a few degrees warmer for a basking spot. I've been told by a friend of mine theirs even respond well to a basking spot over 100*F.
(3) If you plan on keeping Phelsuma in a standard aquarium with a screen top, also plan on getting a butterfly net or large fish net. These geckos are arboreal in nature and have a natural inclination to run towards the top (higher). Startling one with even a slightly ajar top will likely result in chasing around a (surprisingly fast) blue streak for a few minutes.

And one other side note, since P. standingi prefer slightly drier air and warmer temps than most other Phelsuma, you'll have to choose your plants accordingly. Mother-in-law tongue (Sansevieria) are never out of place and usually available at local big-box places.

Whatever you do, enjoy your Phelsuma. I know I do!

[Gecko Ranch]

I've been working with Standingi about 15 years. Very hardy geckos. I feed them MRP good percentage of their diet and also crickets, and occasionally superworms for adults. All insect feeders are supplemented with Repashy Calcium Plus.They are a bit tricky to pair up, but once you get a good pair they should stay together and breed well for many years.

I have an actual wild caught pair that was recently gifted to me. It has been a very long time since WC P. standingi have been available. I guess their age to be at least somewhere around 15-20 years. They look to be in great condition, and took to Repashy MRP immediately like any Phelsuma! They had never seen it before. I find the older ones I have do not breed, we'll see with these guys! I have some younger pairs also and should have plenty of offspring this year.

The key to these geckos is to know what temps they prefer as they are from a hot, dry area of Madagascar. They like a basking spot that is 95-100ish. Mist once a day and do what Haroldo recommends above. Also, any Phelsuma keeper should have "Day Geckos in Captivity" by the Christenson's, my book "Geckos" (by Bergman) also has a good section on them.

[JoeGecko]

Perfect, thank you all! I really value the opinions of the people on this forum and getting your insight is worth a million bucks to me! I am already depressed the books are not available on Kindle so I will have to order them the old fashion way. HAHAHA, ordering on the internet is now old-fashion.

Anyway, I gathered the following info to aim for:

90-100F basking spot (nice wide horizontal surface to support 2 adults)
Humidty of 40-60%
The viv size is 62" wide x 18" deep x 48" high
Diet of Meal/Wax/Super worms, CGD?
I hate to deal with crikets if I do not have too.

Regarding pairing, is it better to raise the pair from youth or introduce as adults or is it a roll of the dice?

Thanks again for all the help.

[Gecko Ranch]

This is a good place to get gecko advice no matter what you keep! There are some of us Phelsuma nuts on here too!

I would recommend getting the books directly from the authors - you get personally signed books that way, and I know, as an author, we really appreciate it.

Leaping Lizards Home Page for Day Geckos in Captivity, I'm easy to find for my books.

You might want to breed superworms if you don't want to keep crickets. Superworms are pretty easy to breed. I keep them in sphagnum peat moss along with some egg cartons, which get changed quickly at the first sign of mold. Use a large, open, well aerated container. Feed them Repashy Insect Gutload and whatever greens you have handy and they will do great!

Insects are an important part of the Phelsuma diet. I would not worry about the wax worms, they are just a sugar snack. Give them tomato worms on occasion if you like. But stand back, these are messy!

If you can find a young pair that would be a good way to go. Just introduce them at the same time.

Glad to help, Phelsuma are very under-appreciated here in the USA!

Originally Posted by JoeGecko

Perfect, thank you all! I really value the opinions of the people on this forum and getting your insight is worth a million bucks to me! I am already depressed the books are not available on Kindle so I will have to order them the old fashion way. HAHAHA, ordering on the internet is now old-fashion.

Anyway, I gathered the following info to aim for:

90-100F basking spot (nice wide horizontal surface to support 2 adults)
Humidty of 40-60%
The viv size is 62" wide x 18" deep x 48" high
Diet of Meal/Wax/Super worms, CGD?
I hate to deal with crikets if I do not have too.

Regarding pairing, is it better to raise the pair from youth or introduce as adults or is it a roll of the dice?

Thanks again for all the help.