<< My friend says her _annularis_ females develop mild MBD during breeding
season if they don't have UV lights. This is one of the few cases I know
of where a nocturnal species seems to need UV.>>
Not necessarily. I have a female which deposited 9 clutches this year
without any UV. I have also bred them repeatedly since 1982. A good
mixture of mineral supplements will help the animals avoid MBD. These are
big and tough creatures just as Nathan suggested. There is little surprise
that these creatures are capable of withstanding such long periods without
food or water, as for the most part the Sahara offers very little in the
way of rain. If these creatures had adapted to have ANY need of moisture,
they would have long ago perished. I have witnessed several species of
Tarentola (annularis and others) in the wild, and with rare exceptions,
they never occur in exact spots where sunlight shines (but perhaps so in
the winter...which would do nothing for the female in a breeding cycle).
Tarentola mauritanica ssp.'s (3 subspecies) are, however, quite prone to
bask. I have found them in numerous places along the sub-Saharan belt of
N. Arica, and everywhere I found this species, they would periodically
appear in the open on boulders, outcrops, and cliffs. Here, they would
bask for some time, along with Ptyodacytlus sp.'s and even Quedenfeldtia
moerens (in Morocco), and disappear to the shady portion of these
formations after an hour or more. They were quite alert, and if a passing
insect, either terrestrial or airborne, came within their reach they were
quite bold in running them down in full, hot, scorching sun.
It's always difficult in comparing natural behaviors and diets to the
synthetic approach of captive conditions. You may well provide any gecko
species with UV lighting, as this would be natural for anything that occurs
on planet earth. The real question is whether or not it is necessary.
Jon
######################################################################
THE GLOBAL GECKO ASSOCIATION LISTSERV
WebSite: http://www.gekkota.com
The GGA takes no responsibility for the contents of these postings.
######################################################################
