Species: Teratoscincus scincus | Difficulty: 3/5 — Intermediate | Hardiness: 3/5 — Moderate

Critter Cabana & Gresham Pet Supply — Keeping Your Pet Healthy & Thriving

At a Glance

Why We Love Them: The Frog-Eyed Gecko looks like an alien! They have massive, bug-eyed heads, thick tails, and large, overlapping, fish-like scales. When threatened, they stand tall on their legs and vibrate their tails, rubbing those large scales together to create a loud "hissing" or "rattling" noise that sounds exactly like a rattlesnake. They are incredible display animals with fascinating burrowing behaviors.

THE HANDLING WARNING: This is strictly a display pet. Their massive scales are designed to instantly tear off if a predator grabs them (similar to a Day Gecko). If you attempt to hold them, they will likely panic, and you will be left holding a handful of skin while a bleeding gecko runs away. Only move them using a small plastic tub to scoop them up when cleaning.

Notable Morphs & Locales

Frog-Eyed Geckos do not have designer morphs (like Leopard Geckos), but there are a few distinct species in the Teratoscincus genus that are often sold under the same common name:

• *Common Frog-Eyed Gecko (T. scincus):* The most common species, reaching up to 8 inches with a pale yellow/tan base and dark banding/spots.
• *Roborowski's Frog-Eyed Gecko (T. roborowskii):* A smaller species (around 4-5 inches) with an orange/yellow neck and dark bands. Care is identical, though they can be kept in slightly smaller enclosures.

Housing & Enclosure

Enclosure Size

• Minimum: A 20-gallon long terrarium (30"L x 12"W x 12"H) is the absolute minimum for one adult.
• Ideal: A 36"L x 18"W x 18"H enclosure allows for a proper temperature gradient and deep burrowing.
• Style: Glass terrarium. Like Leopard Geckos, they lack sticky toe pads and cannot climb smooth glass.

Enclosure Setup (The Burrowing Need)

• Substrate (CRITICAL): They are expert excavators and spend their days deep underground. You must provide a minimum of 4 to 6 inches of substrate that holds a tunnel. A mix of Zilla Desert Mix, organic topsoil, and playsand works perfectly. Pure calcium sand is dangerous and will not hold a burrow.
• Decor: Heavy cork bark flats and rock lairs. Warning: Any heavy rocks MUST be placed on the glass bottom of the tank, not on top of the sand. The gecko will dig under them, and if the rock shifts, it will crush them.

Humidity & The Microclimate

• Surface Humidity: The top of the sand and the ambient air should be dry (30%–40%).
• Burrow Humidity: The bottom layers of the sand must be kept moist. Frog-Eyed Geckos absorb moisture through their skin while sleeping in these humid burrows. Pour water into the corners of the tank once a week so the bottom layers stay damp while the surface stays dry.
• Water Source: Provide a shallow water dish.

Temperature & Lighting

• Warm Side / Basking Spot: 86–90°F (30–32°C).
• Cool Side Ambient: 75–80°F (24–27°C).
• Nighttime: Can drop to 65–70°F (18–21°C).
• Lighting: A low-level UVB bulb (Zone 1) is highly recommended. Even though they are nocturnal, they occasionally expose parts of their bodies to the sun near their burrow entrances.

Diet & Nutrition

Primary Diet

• Food Type: Live Insects. Crickets, dubia roaches, and mealworms.
• Feeding Frequency:
• Juveniles: Feed 4-5 appropriately sized insects every day.
• Adults: Feed 5-6 insects every other day.
• Behavior: They are fierce hunters and will aggressively chase down crickets at night.

Supplements

• Calcium: Dust insects with calcium powder (with D3) 2-3 times a week.
• Vitamins: Dust with a reptile multivitamin once every two weeks.
• Gutloading: Always feed your insects a high-quality gutload diet 24 hours before feeding them to your gecko.

Health & Husbandry

Common Health Issues

1. Skin Sloughing / Lacerations — Symptoms: Missing patches of scales, raw skin. / Cause: Improper handling or aggressive tank-mates. / Treatment: Keep the enclosure immaculate to prevent infection. Apply a reptile-safe antibacterial ointment and do not handle the gecko.
2. Dehydration — Symptoms: Sunken eyes, lethargy, stuck shed on toes. / Cause: Failure to provide a humid lower layer in their substrate for burrowing. / Prevention: Ensure the bottom 2 inches of their deep sand mix are always damp.
3. Impaction — Symptoms: Swollen belly, lack of feces. / Cause: Accidental ingestion of pure sand or improper temperatures preventing digestion. / Prevention: Use a soil/sand mix, avoid calcium sand, and ensure a 90°F hot spot.

What We Stock & Use in Our Stores

These are products we actively carry and recommend for Frog-Eyed Gecko setups. Ask any associate for help finding them in-store.

Care sheet compiled by Critter Cabana & Gresham Pet Supply. For questions, ask any livestock specialist in-store.

Last updated: 2026-08-04

How We Keep Them at Critter Cabana & Gresham Pet Supply

• Beating Dry Oregon Furnace Air (and Summer Heat Spikes): Across the Willamette Valley and Portland Metro, running the house furnace all winter drops indoor humidity to 25–35%, which quickly causes stuck sheds and dehydration in screen-top tanks. To hold balanced humidity reliably for Frog-Eyed Gecko, our crew uses a deep 3–5" substrate bed (or our store-shelf 10-Part Bioactive Mix of ReptiSoil, Coco Fiber, Orchiata Bark, Sphagnum Moss, and Leaf Litter), a dedicated humid hide packed with damp sphagnum moss, and partial screen cover when needed.
• Thermostat & Linear UVB Standard: Every heating element in our Newberg and Gresham reptile rooms runs on a thermostat probe set to species-appropriate warm zone on the warm side with a comfortable room temperature cool retreat, paired with species-appropriate lighting on a 12-hour day/night timer. In summer, if an upstairs room climbs above 82°F, a dimming thermostat automatically backs down the basking lamp so the cool side never overheats.
• Stocked at Newberg & Gresham: We stock reptile enclosures, thermostats, Arcadia & Zoo Med UVB lighting, bioactive substrate ingredients, live Springtails, Dwarf White, Powder Blue/Orange, Dairy Cow, and Giant Canyon isopods, and gut-loaded crickets, dubia roaches, hornworms, and frozen-thawed rodents at Critter Cabana (Newberg) and Gresham Pet Supply.

Common Questions (FAQ)

What size tank does an adult Frog-Eyed Gecko actually need?

An adult Frog-Eyed Gecko needs at least 30x12x12 inches (20-gallon long) so you can maintain a true thermal gradient from species-appropriate warm zone on the warm/basking side down to comfortable room temperature on the cool side.

How do I keep Frog-Eyed Gecko humidity at balanced humidity during dry Oregon winters?

Oregon winter furnace heat dries out thin bedding fast. Use a 3–5 inch moisture-retaining substrate mix (such as Zoo Med ReptiSoil blended with coco fiber, Orchiata bark, and sphagnum moss), provide an enclosed humid hide, and cover 50–70% of an open screen top with HVAC foil tape or a PVC panel if ambient humidity drops too low.

What is the best bioactive clean-up crew for a Frog-Eyed Gecko?

Pair Temperate White Springtails with a humidity-matched isopod species (such as Powder Blue/Orange for semi-arid setups or Dwarf White / Dairy Cow isopods for humid forest setups) in a 3–5 inch bioactive soil and leaf-litter bed. You can pick up our 1-Page or Tri-Fold Bioactive Substrate Recipe Guide and live cultures at Critter Cabana (Newberg) or Gresham Pet Supply.

Where can I get Frog-Eyed Gecko setup supplies, live feeders, and thermostats in Oregon?

We stock our full reptile, amphibian, and bioactive setup supplies—including enclosures, thermostats, Arcadia and Zoo Med UVB lighting, bioactive substrates, live isopods/springtails, and live or frozen feeders—at Critter Cabana in Newberg (514 E First St, 503-537-2887) and Gresham Pet Supply (2185 NW Burnside Rd, 503-665-7606).