Correlophus sarasinorum — Fact Sheet

Correlophus sarasinorum · Correlophus sarasinorum

Full care guide and sources

📋 At a glance

🏠 Enclosure

This species should be kept alone or as a carefully managed breeding project, not as casual cohabitation. A practical adult enclosure is often around 45 x 45 x 60 cm or larger, with more height being useful.

🪨 Substrate and furnishings

The enclosure should be structured for climbing and hiding, not left as an empty glass box.

Useful elements include:

• Cork tubes and bark slabs
• Horizontal and diagonal branches
• Live plants such as pothos or ficus
• Leafy cover near the upper levels
• A substrate that tolerates misting and is easy to keep clean

💡 Lighting

No extreme lighting is required, but a clear day-night cycle is important. Low-level UVB is useful, especially when paired with sensible calcium supplementation.

For UV planning, treat this species as Ferguson Zone 1. Aim for about UVI 0.5-1.0 in the upper exposed area, while leaving retreats and a gradient down to shaded areas near zero UVI. This usually points to a low-output UVB tube such as a ShadeDweller-style or 2-7% T5, chosen for the enclosure height; measure with a Solarmeter 6.5 when possible, because reflector, mesh, distance, and lamp age change the real exposure.

🌡️ Temperature

• Basking spot: 26-28 °C

• Daytime air: 22-26 °C

• Cool zone: 20-22 °C

• Night: 18-22 °C

• Clear gradient required; the animal must be able to move between warm, cool, and hidden zones

• Measure basking surfaces with an infrared thermometer and ambient zones with digital probes

• Avoid heat rocks and unguarded heat sources

💧 Humidity and water

This species benefits from regular misting and access to droplets on leaves and decor.

Practical targets:

• Moderate daytime humidity
• Higher humidity after evening misting
• Time for surfaces to dry between wetter periods
• Fresh water available as backup

Constantly wet, stagnant conditions are riskier than a simple humid-dry cycle with good airflow.

🪳 Feeding

This species is omnivorous and usually does well on a mix of prepared gecko diet and live insects.

Suitable foods include:

• Quality crested-gecko-style complete diet
• Crickets
• Roaches
• Occasional soft-bodied insects

Juveniles are usually fed more often than adults. Insects should be gut-loaded, and calcium supplementation should match the lighting setup.

Offer complete gecko diet in small fresh portions and remove it before it spoils in the warm, humid enclosure. Rotate suitable formulas rather than relying on sweet fruit purée, which is not a balanced staple. Use insects to support hunting and dietary variety, choosing prey no wider than the gecko’s head; track adult weight and reduce portions if the tail base and body become excessively heavy.

🩺 Health — warning signs

Most problems come from overheating, dehydration, weak ventilation, falls, poor supplementation, or stress from excessive handling.

Warning signs include:

• Weight loss
• Stuck shed
• Sunken eyes
• Weak grip
• Poor appetite
• Persistent hiding combined with decline

If problems appear, first check temperatures, humidity rhythm, airflow, diet quality, and perch security. Serious weakness, injury, or prolonged refusal to eat should be assessed by a reptile veterinarian.