My approach is constantly evolving. I continue to adjust my setups, test different solutions, and observe the animals’ behavior in order to constantly improve their well-being and the quality of my breeding program.
Since I primarily breed small and often underappreciated species, I firmly believe they deserve the same level of attention, study, and respect that is normally reserved for much more “flashy” species.
Over the years, I’ve come to realize that many of the species I love most—especially terrestrial microgeckos—naturally live in small, sheltered environments rich in hiding spots. This has completely changed the way I view housing. Rather than creating setups designed to impress people, I’ve started to focus on what truly allows the animals to feel safe, secure, and free to express their natural behaviors.
I don’t believe there’s a single “correct” method for keeping all reptiles; some species thrive in large, vertically arranged terrariums rich in vegetation, while others—especially many micro and ground-dwelling species—constantly seek out more intimate, stable, and sheltered environments. For this reason, I always try to design each setup based on the species’ actual behavior, rather than on human-perceived aesthetics.
For some of the species I breed and especially for babies, I use modified rack systems designed to provide:
greater environmental stability
reduced stress
safety
accurate monitoring
precise temperature and humidity control
Each animal has access to:
multiple hiding spots
natural substrates
environmental enrichment
appropriate temperature gradients
space exceeding the species’ minimum requirements
My goal is not to maximize the number of animals I raise, but to create functional environments consistent with their natural behavior. Many microgeckos spend most of their lives hidden; an animal that is constantly visible is not necessarily a stress-free animal. For this reason, I prefer to provide environments where they can continually choose where they feel safest, even when this makes observation less immediate for humans.
The geckos in my breeding facility are fed several times a week, typically rotating between Dubia roaches, Lateralis roaches, and Paraplecta minutissima. Occasionally, I also offer Acheta crickets and mealworms, which I use sporadically to prevent fatty liver disease but which are extremely useful for supplementing fat during delicate life stages such as the first three months of life or the post-moulting/breeding period.
I use the following supplements to keep my specimens healthy and in good condition:
Pure calcium: given with every meal
Calcium + D3: given once a week
Nekton Multivitaminic: given once a month but also regularly mixed into the feed I use to raise my feed insects so that they themselves serve as the primary source of vitamins
Nekton MSA: given once a month
To ensure an optimal diet for the geckos, the feed insects must also be well-fed. Several times a week, I offer fresh vegetables and fruit (zucchini, carrots, apples, pears, bananas), always dusted with pure calcium. Next to the bowl of fresh food, there is always a bowl of dry food consisting of a mix of legume and grain flours, with added Nekton multivitamins for reptiles and pure calcium.
Keeping enclosures clean and the surrounding area sanitized is essential for ensuring a safe environment and keeping the animals free of parasites. To do this, I use F10 SC, a veterinary-grade disinfectant that is completely harmless to animals and humans but effective against germs, bacteria, viruses, and spores.
Mating follows the seasonal cycles of the species; all adult specimens undergo a period of winter dormancy in preparation for breeding.
I only breed females that have fully absorbed calcium into their systems and reached the appropriate age and weight; the same applies to males. I categorically refuse to breed strictly related specimens, polydactyl specimens, those with floppy tails, those with neurological symptoms, those with deformities, those with metabolic bone disease, or those over ten years of age.
The young animals are not given away until they have reached an age appropriate for a drastic change in environment. In general, the relocation of any animal is carried out in accordance with the animal’s needs in order to spare it stress and discomfort. I reserve the right to refuse to give one of my animals to a person who refuses to properly inform themselves about the animal and to provide it with adequate care.
All breeding-age geckos are regularly sold by reservation with a deposit, at a price commensurate with the effort I have put into raising them to the best of my ability and with the quality of their morph or coloration, if applicable.
Along with the gecko, you will receive its identification sheet, which includes all data collected from hatching through the time of transfer (incubation temperature, hatching date, diet and supplements, distinguishing features or habits, morph, possible presence of heterozygosity), as well as its pedigree, which in some cases may trace back to its great-great-grandparents.
All specimens rescued from adverse situations and rehabilitated at my own expense, or those born with malformations or neurological symptoms but able to lead a normal life—though not suitable for breeding—will be offered for adoption in exchange for a small donation to cover the time, labor, and resources used for their rehabilitation. These animals will be only sold to responsible, knowledgeable individuals who are seriously committed to caring for them without ever breeding them.
I live in Lombardy (northern Italy), and I am available to deliver my animals throughout the region, or to the following reptile expos:
Esotika Novegro
Esotika Brescia
Milano Reptiles Meeting
Esotika Busto Arsizio
Verona Reptiles
Thanks to my partnership with Reptile Runner, deliveries are also available in Piedmont, central and southern Italy, Terraristika Hamm and Zivá Exotica by prior arrangement.