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NOTE: Please find other gecko species' husbandry sheets above.
So, you've purchased or been given your first gargoyle gecko. Well, there are a few things you need to know to get started.
In the pages that follow, I hope to provide the basic information you need to maintain a healthy pet gargoyle gecko.
Additional, more in-depth information can be found later in this chapter.
- If You Have Not Made The Purchase Yet....
Gargoyle geckos have a few requirements you should know about before purchasing them as a pet.
Your new pet will require a tight fitting top to their enclosure. They will jump a surprising distance.
While they are one of the most easily handled reptiles, the time should be limited to a few minutes per day and should exclude small children.
They do also require misting each day. While including a dish of water is a good idea, these geckos lap water from leaves in nature.
When you are ready to purchase your first gargoyle gecko, look for healthy animal.
A perky disposition (not constantly sleeping) is something you should look for. If you are purchasing on-line, ask specific questions.
Your experience and the animal's will be more enjoyable if you start with a healthy gecko.
Finally, you should be prepared to care for your gecko before purchasing the animal. The best way to do that is to continue reading.
- Did you know this about gargoyle geckos?
- Gargoyle geckos (Rhacodactylus auriculatus) are endemic (can only be found) to the islands of New Caledonia which is a rainforest environment.
- They're nocturnal, sleeping during the day in the branches or hollowed out trunks of trees. They coming out at night to eat.
- Gargoyle geckos are semi-arboreal. They crawl through the scrub habitat and jump from branch to branch. In nature, they are found on trees closer to the ground than other species of Rhacodactylus.
- Gargoyles can grow up to 9 inches (full length) and can live up to about 15 years!
- Their common name refers to the nobes-like bumps on the top of their head.
- Gargoyles may drop their tails. If roughly handled by the tail, it may come off.
This is a defensive behavior, where a bird or even larger lizard get a tail for a meal and the gargoyle gets to live another day.
Also, gargoyles are know to be 'tail eaters' so keeping 2 together often results in tail-less animals.
Their tails will grow back fairly quickly, if lost, although is will look a bit different from the original.
- The tail is prehensile, acting like the tail of a monkey.
- Male gargoyles are very intolerant of other males. Two males should never be housed together.
- Enclosures, What Do I Keep Them In?
Now that you have your first gecko, what do you do with it. Your gecko needs a home. There are several options available to you.
One of the easiest and least expensive methods of housing gargoyle geckos involves using an empty glass aquarium. A 10 gallon is fine for younger animals but is a bit too small for one adult.
A 20 high works well as your gargoyle gecko will enjoy the extra area the high tank will provide.
Two to three gargoyles (1 male and 2 females) should be kept in minimally a 29 gallon tank
If you are using a glass enclosure, select a permanent place away from the sun as they can heat up very quickly.
A screen top is required as they can crawl up the glass sides.
Another excellent option is a full screen enclosure. This allows better air flow.
Finally, one inexpensive option is to use a plastic sweater boxes with holes drilled in the top. These are used primarily by those breeding large numbers of gargoyle geckos.
- Heating and Lighting
Lighting is usually required to view your new pet. However, gargoyle geckos do not require the same high UVB lighting other lizards do such as bearded dragons and chameleons.
This is because they are nocturnal. A standard florescent is sufficient to light the enclosure and allow for viewing. A timer to control turning the light on and off is very useful.
A "red" light can be used if you wish to enjoy your reptile's night time activity.
Heating the gargoyle's enclosure is easy as they prefer normal room temperatures.
If the enclosure will be between 70-80 degrees F during the day and will not drop below the mid 60s, no additional heating is required.
One way to warm up the enclosure, if required, is to use an incandescent light bulb.
Attach it to the enclosure so there is not possibility it will come into contact with the animal and will not overheat the screen material.
Also, make sure the animals have an area in the enclosure to move to that is cooler.
- Bottoms Up!
As important as other elements of your gecko's enclosure is the substrate they will spend all their time on.
There are many options such as slate or tile, Repti-carpet, coco fibers, organic dirt, paper towels, and a bare bottom setup.
A decision you must make is how much maintenance you anticipate putting into the gecko enclosure.
If using tile, slate, bare bottom tank, or carpets they will need to be removed/washed occasionally.
Cocofibers will need to be discarded once feces build up.
Finally, not mentioned in the above list are products such as orchid bark and sand that, when ingested, will cause severe impaction problem with your gecko.
Because of this, these materials are not recommended at all.
- Other Furnishing
Hides
Your gargoyle gecko needs a place to hide in the daytime. This is usually called a humid hide but may be referred to as a lay box.
Most often used are plastic sandwich boxes or margarine containers.
By cutting a hole in the top or side and filling with a medium that can be moisten, a hiding place can be made.
The box can be filled with vermiculite, peat moss, paper towels, or coco
fibers.
See this link for instructions on making a humid hide.
Once filled and moistened, the box should be checked each week for moisture.
Dishes
A small dish should be provided for water. Gargoyle geckos will use this for drinking. The water must be fresh, so replacement should be done every other day or so.
The water in the dish should be accessible to the gecko and the dish not so large and deep that they could drown.
Although a water dish is provided, gargoyle geckos enjoy misting at least once a day as they drink off of leaves.
Do not mist so much though that the water does not evaporate within a half day's time.
Rocks, Driftwood/Corkbark, Plants, Branches and Limbs
Again, in the wild, gargoyle geckos climb through trees and jump from branch to branch. Thicker 2-3" thick branches are preferred to thinner branches.
There should not be so many branches added that the geckos have a difficult time crawling and jumping between them.
Although some type of floral cover is appreciated by gargoyle geckos, live plants are not required in your gecko enclosure.
Artificial plants work as well. However, live plants will maintain moisture levels and may serve as a place for female gargoyles to lay their eggs (see breeding sheet).
Cork bark works well as both a decoration and a place for the gargoyle gecko to hide during daytime hours.
Although not desired by your gargoyle gecko, you may wish to use rocks or driftwood as decorations in your enclosure. Make sure any rocks or driftwood added to your gargoyle's enclosure is both washed thoroughly and does not contain any sharp edges.
Another consideration is that when adding the new furnishings, they are in place and cannot topple onto your new pet.
next topic- Breeding and Genetics
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Copyright Walter Kern, Supreme Gecko ©2007
All images and text Copyright Supreme Gecko ©2007 unless otherwise noted
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