Okay, I've ended up with two Indonesian Barking Geckos. I am fairly certain (but am happy to be corrected) that these are the same species known worldwide as simply 'House Geckos'. These are a feral, highly invasive species with the unfortunate habit of shitting everywhere, especially in your clothes, the dirty little bastards. However, despite the shitting and the fact that a good environmentalist would kill them to make room for native species, these are so damn cute that I was quite incapable of killing the blasted things.

So I've got them in a largish plastic container, until I can get into the city and get a decent tank on the weekend. I've bought a container of small crickets, which the feral shitting cute little bastards are happily devouring one by one. I've had one for three weeks, another for three days. Both of them are fat, still alive, have ravenous appetites and have not shed their tails despite their traumatic capture.

Four things:

1.) A recommended substrate. I've got them on some rounded gravel because I've read that lizards will sometime eat loose substrate. I've no doubt that this is incorrect and woefully inadequate.

2.) How often should I be feeding them? Literature suggests every day or second day. Personal experience of watching them on my veranda light suggests that the greedy little vermin will eat what ever they can stuff in their gob.

3.) Feeder Crickets For Idiots. Whenever I open the container the little insects flee for their tiny lives. Is there a simple way of handling them that simple people like myself can manage? They go everywhere!

4.) When I get the tank, what's a simple way of stopping the geckos from legging it whenever I open it to clean it?

I know nothing about reptiles. This is obvious. But anon has to start somewhere, and being merciful to vermin is a better place than most.