# What is this bump under my crested gecko's tail?



## Aquacat (Jul 28, 2012)

I am taking care of this gecko because his original owners can no longer take care of him, and I'm just wondering if the lump under his tail is something to be concerned about.


----------



## PrettyHate (Jul 28, 2012)

Testicles. (Seriously)

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## gottarantulas (Jul 28, 2012)

On most species of male geckos...yes the gonads are prominent.


----------



## Thistles (Jul 28, 2012)

Hemipenes, actually. He's a Mr. Gecko.


----------



## Aviara (Jul 28, 2012)

Just to confirm what everyone else has said - they are indeed male reproductive organs. They're usually very prominent on male crested geckos. Makes sexing very easy.

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## Aquacat (Jul 28, 2012)

Thank you all so much! I have another question about his enclosure. 




It has a small reptile cave, snake cave (no ides why they put that in there), a water dish, plants and vines and a branch (I plan on putting a lot more in), and magnetic rocks. The substrate used is "coco husk" which I am questioning the safety of. There is also an undertank heater. Do I use it? The room he is in is about 70-75 degrees. What else should I put in/take out?


----------



## Aviara (Jul 28, 2012)

I don't use any sort of articial heating and lighting, and the area my crested geckos' enclosures are in stays in the same range (70-75F). I know many other keepers also keep their cresties at room temperature. There is a recent thread discussing substrate and impaction where you can find more details, but in short it is safer to use a non-loose substrate (such as paper towels, slate chips, etc.). You could probably add some more sturdy climbing fixtures, such as fake or real branches, but the enclosure looks good to me. The "snake cave" you refer to can stay in - my geckos often make use of hides, especially during the day time. Additionally, if you are feeding Crested Gecko Diet, you will want to add a bowl for that. I HIGHLY recommend feeding Repashy Crested Gecko Diet, it is a complete diet for the geckos, and you just mix the powder with 2 parts water. Much easier and more convenient than feeding insects, and a bottle of it will last you a very long time.

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## Aquacat (Jul 28, 2012)

Aviara said:


> I don't use any sort of articial heating and lighting, and the area my crested geckos' enclosures are in stays in the same range (70-75F). I know many other keepers also keep their cresties at room temperature. There is a recent thread discussing substrate and impaction where you can find more details, but in short it is safer to use a non-loose substrate (such as paper towels, slate chips, etc.). You could probably add some more sturdy climbing fixtures, such as fake or real branches, but the enclosure looks good to me. The "snake cave" you refer to can stay in - my geckos often make use of hides, especially during the day time. Additionally, if you are feeding Crested Gecko Diet, you will want to add a bowl for that. I HIGHLY recommend feeding Repashy Crested Gecko Diet, it is a complete diet for the geckos, and you just mix the powder with 2 parts water. Much easier and more convenient than feeding insects, and a bottle of it will last you a very long time.


Thank you for the advice! I have a big bag of the repashy crested gecko diet, how much should I use? Like a teaspoon of the diet and then two more teaspoons of water? Would that be too much?


----------



## Aviara (Jul 28, 2012)

That should be fine. I keep the diet out in a small bowl for the gecko(s) to ration themselves, and then change it every 2 days or so. Others will say to change it daily and I believe the packaging says every 36 hours, but I find it holds up pretty well until around 3 days out. I use small 0.5 oz deli cups and fill these about 2/3rds full of the mixed Crested Gecko Diet (CGD). Some pet stores and reptile supply stores sell bowls that hold 2 of these deli cups, one for water and one for the CGD. I use these in both enclosures. You can PM me if you'd like for a link to the supplier I use. 

A good thing about CGD is that, when mixed correctly, it is thick enough that you will see little indentations and disturbances at the surface if your gecko is eating. Especially useful if you have a new arrival or have just changed from insects to CGD and want to know if the gecko is eating. Occasionally (and this is every month or every other month), I will offer my geckos either mealworms, crickets or fruit-flavored baby food. I've also given them pureed organic banana as a treat. I don't do this often though!


----------



## Entomancer (Jul 29, 2012)

Heheheh, Lizard balls.

I don't know what the others said about substrate, but I don't like using paper towels for these guys, because I find that they are fouled too quickly.

I use a mixture of coco fiber and T-rex "Jungle Bed"; I sift the jungle bed stuff so that only the smallest pieces make it in. I don't use much, and then I get Magnolia leaves and blanket the top of the substrate with them, which allows me to reduce the possibility of impaction while still giving them something that will hold onto some moisture. Eventually, the leaves *do* begin to break down, at which point I just replace them. I have a neighbor with a *huge* magnolia tree, so finding new leaves is easy; just make sure to wash them very well and to bake them afterwards to keep any biological or chemical contaminants to a minimum.

Reactions: Like 1


----------

