Diving Deep Into Arboreal Geckos | Kush's Korner : Next Gen Live

·1 hr 59 min·5 clips

Landon Howell works with incredible Australian geckos that can shoot a sticky, foul-smelling liquid from their tails as a defense mechanism.

The episode begins with host Kush introducing guest Landon Howell, who works with Australian and other arboreal geckos. Kush promotes US ARC, an organization fighting for reptile keeper rights, and thanks sponsors like Zoo Med, Workshop Reptilium, and Morph Market. After a delay, Landon joins. Landon shares his origin story, getting his first ball python at a Vegas expo about five years ago and later falling in love with Australian geckos. He now focuses on Strophorus geckos, aiming to work with all 11 species available in the US, currently keeping seven. Landon describes the geckos' unique defense: they can shoot a foul-smelling, sticky liquid from glands on their tails when threatened. He shows images of various species like Strophorus ciliaris, elderi, williamsi, intermedius, spinigerus, and taenicauda, noting color variations and care. Landon explains his husbandry systems, with separate rooms for tropical and desert species, using misters and specific heating. He details the breeding cycle: a gradual ramp-down of heat and light to a two-to-three-month brumation with no food, followed by a ramp-up and heavy spraying to trigger breeding. Females can lay clutches every few weeks, producing up to 12 babies per season. Landon discusses market prices, ranging from $250 to over $1,000 depending on species and color. He touches on CITES III restrictions preventing new imports of Australian geckos. The conversation expands to Landon's broader collection, including leaf-tailed geckos, cat geckos, knob-tailed geckos, and the armadillo girdled lizard, which he imported from the UK. Landon shares husbandry tips for juveniles and supplementation routines. The episode concludes with a live show-and-tell of gecko enclosures.

As heard by us

A close live discussion of arboreal geckos, soft spines, juvenile color, and unusual Australian species.

Arboreal geckos take the focus in a close, conversational review of Australian and other tree-dwelling species, with Landon Howell pointing out the traits that make them visually distinct.

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Why you'd press play

You want a reptile-room visit where Landon Howell points out soft spiny-tailed geckos, polka-dot babies, and yellow tails that take a couple sheds to show up.

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