A Brief Analysis of the Relationship Between Gecko Activity and Temperature
The gecko is a poikilothermic animal, and its body temperature changes with the ambient temperature. When the ambient temperature is suitable, the gecko has a strong appetite, eats more, and grows faster; when the temperature drops, the gecko's body temperature falls, its activity decreases, its appetite declines, it eats little or not at all, and its growth rate slows or stops. The temperature changes through the four seasons can bring a series of physiological changes to the gecko.
When the temperature reaches above 12°C, the gecko can come out and move about; when the temperature drops below 12°C, the gecko's metabolic level drops greatly, it stops moving and feeding, and enters a state of hibernation; when the temperature rises to 13-14°C, the gecko wakes from hibernation and begins to move about, but still does not feed; when the ambient temperature rises to 18°C, it moves frequently and begins to feed. Under artificial rearing conditions, some people keep the indoor temperature at 20°C in an attempt to break its hibernation state; the gecko can come out and move about, but its food intake is very small and the active period is not long, so it would be better to let it hibernate, because activity consumes substances in the body and is unfavorable for reproduction the following year. In a high-temperature environment, the gecko's body temperature rises, and it easily dies from dehydration.
When the ambient temperature is 26-30°C, the gecko responds normally, with a respiratory rate of 30-55 times/minute; when the ambient temperature reaches 40°C, after 15 minutes it shows restlessness and anxiety, opening its mouth and sticking out its tongue; when the ambient temperature rises to 45°C, the respiratory rate accelerates to 120 times/minute, it begins to dash about wildly, its digits (toes) curl backward, it loses its crawling ability and clinging force, its limbs become stiff, and its tail cannot move and is raised high upward; a temperature of 45°C sustained for 25 minutes can cause the gecko to stop breathing. The gecko likes warmth and fears cold, and under natural conditions it is distributed in frost- and snow-free places of the northern subtropical zone, and is rarely found in places where the winter temperature is below 0°C. Under artificial rearing conditions, the temperature in the overwintering room is about 10°C, so it can overwinter safely. Through observation it has been found that fat and robust individuals can endure a temperature of about 5°C, thin and weak individuals can endure a temperature of about 8°C, and young geckos are frozen to death at a temperature of 13°C.