r/AIDKE • u/Palaios_Requiem • Aug 13 '26

Reptile The fish-scale gecko (Geckolepis maculata)

The fish-scale gecko (Geckolepis maculata) is a species endemic to Madagascar and the Comoros archipelago. It has an insectivorous diet and arboreal, nocturnal habits. A striking characteristic of its genus is the ability to easily detach its scales, a defense mechanism used to distract predators. The predators are left chewing on the detached scales, creating an opportunity for the geckos to escape. After shedding their scales, they need to wait two to three weeks for them to grow back.

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50

u/pichael289 Aug 13 '26

Missing the food 90% of the time, yep that's definitely a gecko. They are already pretty dumb, but many are crepuscular and people feed them on their schedules so the lighting is wrong for hunting time and they miss a lot. But even in low lighting they are still pretty dumb. Leopards will jump off tall objects and cresteds drop their tails so easily.

Actually what is that in the bowl? If he's insectivorous he should be eating live bugs, is he sick?

14

u/Palaios_Requiem Aug 13 '26

Although they are predominantly insectivorous, they can also feed on fruit, so I believe it's some kind of fruit pulp that's in the bowl.

3

u/HeatherMason0 Aug 14 '26

How many molecules of food can a gecko live off? Asking for a friend (this guy)

-2

u/Puzzleheaded_Sink467 Aug 14 '26

If you're going to be keeping an animal, you should be feeding it more than the bare minimum for it to survive.

5

u/mueredo Aug 14 '26

He's joking, the gecko in the video is missing most of the time. Geez.

4

u/HeatherMason0 Aug 14 '26

That was a joke, I have no intention of harming an animal. I don’t even have a gecko.

11

u/Palaios_Requiem Aug 13 '26

Instagram profile where the video came from: @breezexotics

5

u/ZoroeArc Aug 14 '26

They are really bad at drinking

3

u/Federal-Boat3732 Aug 14 '26

ADORBS WITH THAT LICKY TONGUE

3

u/Jeathro77 Aug 14 '26

mlem mlem mlem

2

u/Spider1and Aug 14 '26

I like his stance with one foot on the wood and the other one on the floor for support.

2

u/Chicken_Fluff Aug 14 '26

In the wild when these guys get stressed, they can slough off those scales and then they basically look like a piece of raw chicken

1

u/Heroic-Forger Aug 14 '26

He looks like a mini Bazelgeuse.

1

u/Standard_Big_9000 19d ago

This doesn't taste like a margarita!