Gargoyle Gecko comes from the tropical rain forests of the island of New Caledonia. Lives in trees and bushes and is active in the evening and at night. A special charm of these Geckos is that if the temperature in your house is about 25 degrees, then you do not need to buy additional heat sources for the Gecko. And also they can be fed with ready-made mixtures, which include insects, which can be a good solution for those who do not want to feed Geckos with crickets or cockroaches according to a certain cause.
Appearance
Coloration can vary greatly, and its type does not depend on the population. The usual color is dominated by tones from light to dark brown with a wavy transverse pattern. There are color variations in which the brown main background is covered with a mesh pattern. Also, animals with a wide longitudinal stripe along the midline of the back and sides are often found (the color of the stripe can vary from gray to red or orange). Young Geckos do not have a specific juvenile coloration. There is gender dimorphism in coloration.
The average size of a Gecko with a tail is about 20 cm, weight 40-60 g for an adult.
Terrarium
A minimum terrarium size of 40 cm x 40 cm x 60 cm is recommended for an adult couple. Live well in well-equipped containers of the same size. The terrarium or container must be of the vertical type, and branches or driftwood must be present in it since Gecko belongs to the category of tree climbing. The best growth results were achieved when the Geckos lived in separate boxes, one at a time. So, if there is no question about free space, then it is better to plant the female with the male during the breeding season.
Newly hatched babies should always be housed separately, as they can be aggressive at an early age and may bite off the tail of their boxing mate. Never place males together, as they will fight and can cause serious damage to each other. Females exhibit aggressive behavior less frequently, but males may be affected as well. The peat or coconut fiber substrate can be used for both Geckos babies and adults. The terrarium must always be clean.
The optimum temperature is maintained at 21-25 ° C during the day, dropping to a minimum of 18 ° C at night. Always properly protect the heat source as an unprotected heat source can cause severe burns if touched.
If the average temperature at home is above this range, the Gecko is doing great. It is believed that pregnant females need additional warming up.
Lighting
As a night view, Gargoyle Gecko does not need additional UVA / UVB lighting. The background lighting must be controlled with a synchronization device that is set for 10-12 hours a day in the summer and 2-4 hours in the winter months. As with the heating source, always protect the light source properly as it may become hot after prolonged use.
Humidity
Humidity should be high between 50 and 70%. Spraying should be done once a day in the early evening. There should also be a drinking bowl with fresh water in the enclosure, which should be changed daily.
Some breeders often put Geckos in a wet chamber to avoid spraying.
Feeding
Adult animals are fed 1-2 times a week, young ones – once every 2 days. The diet of this species can include almost all food items commonly used in terrarium keeping: house cricket, banana cricket, two-spotted cricket, wax moth, locusts, mealworm larvae, bananas, and other soft sweet fruits. Pregnant and postponing females are recommended to artificially feed newborn mice once a week.
Alice White
