The care of aurics is simple and straightforward. I will go into brief detail on feeding, watering, housing and breeding of this delightful species.

Housing

Auriculatus are arboreal geckos that inhabit the lower portion of the forest and spend more time at floor level than their other Rhacodactylus relatives. This should be taken into consideration when setting up a vivarium for them. I have found that my gargs tend to like more length and width in their terraria than height. I’m not saying that height is not important, as these are technically arboreal geckos, but that while you might choose an 18”x18”x24” tank for a crested gecko, for a garg a wiser choice might be an 18”x24”x18” tank. Minimum tank size for 1 adult is 10 gallons, but 20 gallons or larger is preferred.

No matter what size tank you choose to employ, the set up should be almost the same. Gargs are heavy bodied geckos and require large, secure logs and or branches to climb on and large leafed plants that can support their weight. For my gargs I use a variety of thick vines (found at reptile shops or online), grape wood pieces (found at many reptile shops or garden centers) and cork bark tubes and flats (easily found at reptile stores or online). For foliage, I prefer live plants, but there are also some high quality fake plants on the market now. Some of the plants that I use for my gargs are Pothos, Philodendron, Sansevieria (snake plant), and Asplenium (bird’s nest fern). For a substrate you can use orchid bark, coco fiber or soil. I prefer orchid bark to prevent females from laying eggs directly into the substrate.

Temperature

Gargs come from New Caledonia, where the temperature stays relatively mild year round, so typical house temps are fine. I keep mine at an ambient of 76-82F day and 68-72F night almost year round. A slight temperature drop during the fall/winter period can help induce breeding and give females a break from laying eggs. During the winter my New Caledonian geckos are cooled down to around 68F day and 62F night. I do provide a low wattage basking light during the day for all of my adult auriculatus and most of them can be seen out basking during the day from time to time. A simple 15-25 watt incandescent bulb will work fine without raising the temps up too much, but I prefer to use 13 watt compact fluorescent bulbs or CFLs as they add lots of nice light and don’t put off much heat.

Feeding/Watering

Gargoyle geckos are insectivorous and frugivorous, meaning they eat both insects and fruits/nectars in the wild. They also have been known to eat young birds and other reptiles, so housing them with other species or even other gargs of a different size is not recommended. Food can be in the form of insects, powdered meal replacements or home made fruit purees and should be offered at least 3 times per week. Suitable insect prey can include crickets, roaches, and various worms – all appropriately sized, of course. Powdered meal replacements such as Repashy’s CGD (crested gecko diet) or Clark’s FGD (frugivorous gecko diet) are easy to use and well liked by these geckos. No matter what you are feeding them, make sure you are using a high quality vitamin and mineral supplement, such as Sticky Tongue Farm’s Miner-All and Vit-All, at least every third feeding.

Water should be on hand at all times in a clean water bowl and should be changed daily. Water should also be provided at least once per day in the form of misting. This can be done with a small hand held spray bottle or larger commercial misting systems. Misting the cage provides the necessary humidity for these tropical geckos and also provides drinking water as well.

Breeding

 Breeding of gargoyle geckos is fairly simple and similar to that of crested geckos. Breeding groups can consist of one male and several females, but I prefer to keep mine in pairs. Never house 2 males together, especially if there are females present as fighting will occur. The geckos should be at least 18 months old and of good size/weight before being introduced for breeding. At this age, as long as all care requirements are being met, they should start breeding on their own with no extra work needing to be done by the hobbyist. Eggs are laid directly into the substrate or in a nest box from spring to fall and hatch after 60-90 days depending on temps. I incubate my eggs at room temps from 80F day down to as low as 70F night. For an incubation substrate you can use perlite, vermiculite or Repashy’s clay based Super Hatch. It is important to make sure that breeding females are getting enough calcium during the egg laying season. This can be done by adding a high quality calcium powder into their fruit or by dusting it onto feeder insects.

Care of Juveniles

 Young gargoyles are very easy to care for and can be kept exactly the same as adults, only on a miniature scale. I house mine in large kritter keepers with paper towels as a substrate and some fake plants and a few thin branches. I keep only 2-4 juvenile aurics per rearing tank, as they can grow fast and some will start eating the tails of the others. Food and water should be offered daily for these little devils. I also offer them more live prey than I would a juvenile crested gecko, or even an adult garg, as they seem to need the added protein.

Morphs, Forms and the Future

 There are several morphs or color phases of gargoyle geckos in the hobby and at least a few pattern variations. I’ll start with the pattern types. As of right now there is the standard granite or reticulated form, a wild type or banded form, a striped form, and an aberrant or mosaic form. All of these can also come in different color morphs as well. The color morphs that have popped up thus far are wild type or ‘ruddy’, black and white, red background, red blotched/striped and orange blotched/striped. Also in the hobby are a few yellow, salmon and pink blotched/striped aurics, as well as at least one or two melanistic specimens. There is even a new black eyed, or “phantom eyed” form that is starting to establish itself in captivity. In the next few years I feel we will see some exciting new gargoyle geckos in the hobby and I hope to be on the cutting edge of it.

These geckos are rumored to have received their common name from the natives of their home range hearing the calls and believing that they were mourning their lost male mates. Being parthenogenic, the females essentially clone themselves when they lay eggs. So be aware that if you purchase any you will get babies.

The most important thing with this species is ESCAPE PROOF CAGES. They are very small; as adults they are about 3-4 inches long and very slender, so if there are cord holes or if the mesh has wide holes they can escape. We found out that our plugs had come out of the holes when we saw mourning geckos on our walls. You can plug the cord holes in the back of the Exo Terra tanks by using damp paper towels and letting them dry in the hole or covering the holes up with something like Great Stuff.

Housing and humidity

These are colony lizards so please purchase more than one  unless you already have some at home. They interact, are very social with each other, have body language and vocalizations that make them very delightful animals to observe and learn about. Even though they are small you want to give them room to move as they are very energetic creatures. We have 7 adults in an 18x18x24 Exo Terra Tank. You can put 3 or 4 in the 12x12x18 Exo Terra or something of similar dimensions. They are arboreal and need little places to hide. They are nocturnal,  though in captivity they can be more active during they day than they would be in the wild.  They like lots of places to hide and run about on so please provide plenty of trees with hollows, holes and plants. They will squabble over prime spots so the more spots to hang out on the better.

We mist our enclosures about 3 times a day as we are in AZ; they prefer it humid. We keep ours around 60-70%.

Food

We give ours hydei fruit flies, small crickets, phoenix worms, mealwoms (smaller ones) and baby roaches and we have found out that they like the Crested Gecko Diet. We put a cap full in the tank along with a water dish and they will go drink the CGD on their own accord. We also dust our insects every third feeding with Repcal (phosphorous free) and once a week with Reptivite ( a multivitamin powder for reptiles).  We feed them daily as they have very high metabolisms. They get live insects 4 times a week and Crested Gecko Diet is always in the tank. If they are not fed well they will eat their eggs and hatchlings. You can also leave cuttle bone or a cap of pure calcium (phosphorous free), that has no D3, and they will self regulate their calcium intake.

 Handling

 You can handle mourning geckos but you have to be VERY gentle. They are small and their skin will tear if handled too roughly. The best advice to start out with is to handle them in their tank until you get used to how fast and delicate they are.  That way if one jumps you won’t be chasing it across the floor.  They can become rather tame, but it takes patience to get them to this point.

Temperature and Substrate

Temperature should be above 70 degrees but no more than 85 degrees and the substrate should be something along the lines of Repti Bed, Peat moss and coco fiber, etc. You want something that retains moisture well.

Quirks

 These geckos will eat their eggs from time to time and hatchlings if given the chance, so when your gecko lays eggs do not panic if you see them eating an egg. However watch for hatchlings after about 60 days and remove hatchlings as soon as you see them. They will start laying eggs around 8-10 months old. The geckos stick their hard shelled eggs to the side of the tank. We do not remove them as we have noticed that once the females all got on the same cycle of laying eggs they stopped eating the eggs as often. Plus they usually lay the eggs in the hardest spots to get to, any spot they feel makes a secure nesting site.

The most common noise mourning geckos make sounds exactly like a baby chick peeping.  They also make a squeaking sound similar to a mouse.  A mourning gecko will use its tail to communicate, waving it around, arcing over its back, shaking it side to side and more.  Some more dominant animals will try to loom and make themselves seem larger and often make mock charges at subordinate, less dominant geckos.

I find these tiny geckos to be amazing and wonderful pets.  Watching the colony interact is fascinating, these adorable little geckos are a true joy to own.

It seems that more and more people are falling in love with the gentle giant gecko, known as a “leachie” (Rhacodactylus leachianus). Now, leachianus geckos were never my favorite gecko, as they were always way too expensive for me to purchase for my collection, but lately, I’ve really gotten into these guys.

I fought it off for months, but for those months, I tortured myself, browsing the many threads on various reptile forums that had pictures of these giant geckos. I read stories and watched YouTube videos about how these geckos behaved, and I just couldn’t get over the green base and white and pink blotches that cover their bodies. Plus, they’re big!

Nuu Ana x Moro, Male

I broke down and bought my first leachie, which is a Nuu Ana x Isle E mix, and within a few weeks I had purchased a pure Nuu Anna. Now a few months into my leachianus gecko collection, I have 5!

What attracts me to these geckos? Well, it’s simple. They are docile, calm, and big. For many people, the size is not a good thing, but as long as you have the space, these guys are awesome geckos to add to any reptile collection.

Care

Size:  Up to 12″ including the tail and up to about 400 grams, depending on the locale
.

Lifespan: Thought to be between 20-30 years.

Housing: These geckos are very territorial so they are best when housed individually, whether you have a male and a female or two females, and definitely don’t try to house two males together, as it may end in a catastrophe.

GT Type B, female

Since these geckos can get rather large, you want to be prepared for a larger enclosure. Some keepers may recommend an 18”Lx18”Wx18”T for the leachies from smaller locales, like the Nuu Ana, but a Grand Terre locale leachie will be a little cramped and will prefer an enclosure that’s at least a 24”Lx12”Wx16”T.

If you’re starting off with a younger leachie, you won’t need to worry about that large adult enclosure for some time. Babies and juveniles will live just fine in appropriately sized kritter keepers and storage totes for up to a year in some cases.

I house my year-old Isle of Pine female in a 22 quart storage tub, and she’ll be perfectly fine in that for some time to come, but as an adult, this female will need something much larger, so if you plan on getting into leachies, it’s highly recommended that you keep into consideration the locale, as each locale varies in size, and the space that you have available.

Décor: Leachianus geckos aren’t the most active geckos, but you’ll need to make sure to provide plenty of sturdy décor for these heavier bodied reptiles. You can pretty much use anything from cork bark slabs and hollowed rounds to PVC.

Female Nuu Ana, Male Nuu Ana x Moro, Female GT Type B (Left to Right)

My leachies seem to like plain cork bark slabs the best; I’ll find them camouflaged on their cork bark in all directions, including hanging upside down.

Substrate: Paper towels are best used for younger geckos and even adults, but some keepers prefer to use a coconut coir or peat moss for adult geckos. Personally, I feel that a solid substrate is safer to prevent impaction, but if you’re going to use a loose substrate, you’ll want to make it at least 1-2 inches deep.

Humidity and Temperature: When it comes to setting up the right environment, you have to have proper humidity levels and a temperature gradient. You want the humidity to range between 50-80%, and the temperature will be fine around 75F. 



Feeding and Diet: When it comes to diet, these big geckos are happy to eat a bowl of Repashy Crested Gecko Diet. Younger geckos will sometimes chomp on crickets, but I’ve noticed my older leachies won’t pay much attention to the crickets.

I think it’s a good idea to offer the crickets while they will eat them, as this helps with protein intake and consumption.

In general, the Repashy CGD is the essential diet that provides vital nutrients to most rhacodactylus geckos, to include leachianus geckos.

Ilse of Pine, Female

Conclusion

Even though my initial reaction to the geckos is that they’re not bright and colorful like so many crested geckos and leopard geckos, these guys make up for it in personality and temperament.  Leachianus geckos have become one of my favorite gecko species, and I’ve had seven different gecko species since I’ve started keeping reptiles.

As my own personal disclaimer, I wouldn’t recommend these geckos to everyone as they do require a good bit of space. And, if you are thinking about getting a leachie, you should be aware that although they are generally pretty docile, they can show major attitude at times and show cage aggression. I haven’t experienced any bites from my guys, but I have seen photos showing some pretty nasty finger and hand bites. This is definitely a caution to consider.

Knowledge is Power

The most important tool of any reptile keeper’s trade is information –  information about an animal. Its natural habitat, feeding preferences, temperature and humidity requirements, and breeding behavior among others are the keys to keeping any species successfully. With the following species, information may be hard to gather.  The first thing to do is to try and find someone who already keeps them. Picking the brains of experienced keepers is an excellent way to gain knowledge of the care requirements of any species of animal.  Other good sources are care sheets and books specifically keyed towards the genus or species in question.  However, with the more unusual species, these can be either non-existent or hard to find. In the event that you cannot find a care sheet or book,  looking into the natural habitat of the animal is an excellent way to get a starting point for husbandry.  Does it come from a rainforest or desert? What kind of plant life is found there? What niche does it occupy? What are the average daily temperatures and humidity like?  These types of questions are key in providing the correct environment for your animal.

“Poor Man’s Leachie” (Gehyra marginata)

This species is probably the easiest of the four to maintain.  Gehyra marginata, or the Halmahera Giant Gecko, is often called the “poor man’s leachie” due to their similarities to Rhacodactylus leachianus and their much lower price tag.  Commonly mislabeled as “Vorax” geckos, these animals are in fact a different species than Gehyra vorax, which is extremely rare in US collections. The main difference between the two is eye color.  G. vorax has amber colored eyes, while the much more commonly seen G. marginata has green.  These large, arboreal geckos come from Indonesia, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and several other islands in that  region. They can reach up to 13 inches in length, with the average adult being about 10 inches.  These geckos are normally a brown or tan coloration with some saddling, and can become lighter or darker according to the time of day, their mood, temperatures, and other factors..  These lizards are very hardy, and can be maintained similarly to Tokay Geckos.  I keep an adult pair in a Rubbermaid container the equivalent of a 30 gallon aquarium.  Height is important:  these geckos seldom come to the ground.  They are normally very shy, and they appreciate many places to hide and lots of things to climb on.  I provide large branches about the thickness of my wrist, plastic plants, egg crate, and  hollow cork bark tubing to hide in.  Substrate is coco fiber over a drainage layer of Hydroton, and is covered sporadically with sphagnum moss.  G. marginata are from lush, tropical forests and appreciate high humidity.  Heat is provided with a 60 watt nocturnal (red) bulb.  These geckos like temperatures in the mid 80′s (F), with a basking spot of 90 F.  A water dish is always provided, though they seldom use it.  I mist them once a day in the evening to provide an increase in humidity at night.

My Halmahera Giant Geckos are fed a diet consisting of roaches, super worms, and Crested Gecko Diet (CGD).  Believe it or not, they prefer the CGD over anything else. I also provide a dish of calcium powder in the cage and have observed the female eating it.

As far as handling goes, use caution when handling this species.  Some imported adults can be quite aggressive, and obtaining captive bred animals is always preferable.  They are very quick and have delicate skin.  It will tear easily so don’t grab them (grabbing is also a good way to elicit a bite).  Instead, put a bit of honey on your finger and wait patiently near the gecko. These animals have a real sweet tooth, and honey will go a long way towards earning their trust.

It should be noted that these geckos are highly territorial, and keeping multiple animals together should be done with caution.  When pairing animals, watch carefully for signs of incompatibility, and separate immediately if they are seen.  Not all pairs are compatible.  Once established, a pair will breed year round with some regularity.  The eggs are very large and can take up to 5 months to hatch. Hatchlings can be maintained like adults in miniaturized versions of the setup.

These geckos are underrated, in my opinion. They are very easily maintained, extremely hardy, impressive, and have a subtle beauty to them.  As with many species that are commonly sold as imports; more efforts need to be made to establish a captive bred population of these amazing geckos.

“Giant Bent Toed” (Cyrtodactylus irianjayaensis)

These are among my favorite geckos.  These large, semi-terrestrial geckos are often sold as Giant Bent Toed Geckos, Giant Bow Fingered Geckos, or Giant Ring Tailed Geckos.  This species is from Irian Jaya and Papua New Guinea,  and is often confused with Cyrtodactylus lousiadensis, an Australian species.  The difference can be found in the stripes: irianjayaensis has a jagged edge to the striped markings while lousiadensis has smooth edges.  They are a large, robust gecko, with adults reaching over 12 inches.  Bent Toed Geckos are still rather rare in collections and more work needs to be done to establish these interesting animals. They come from cool, tropical areas and require high humidity (70-100%).  My pair lives in a 106 quart Sterilite container with a mix of peat moss and coco fiber as a substrate.  I provide sphagnum moss areas, good sized branches and cork bark along with lots of plants to provide the climbing and hiding options these geckos need.  Always provide a hide for these geckos; they require it to feel secure.  An interesting fact about this species is that it will soak on a fairly regular basis, so provide a water area large enough for the gecko to fit in it.  Misting should be done at least twice a day to maintain high humidity levels.

These geckos are voracious predators and will consume quite large prey items.  I offer my Giant Bent Toed Geckos roaches of two species, along with pinkie mice every so often and super worms.  Feeders should be dusted with a quality calcium powder at every other feeding, every feeding if the female is laying eggs.

Cyrtodactylus have a reputation for being delicate, but I’ve found these geckos to be hardy and easily kept if the requirements are met.  There are many species in this genus, and although not as brightly colored as some geckos, they are all active and inquisitive animals that are a joy to watch at night.  Handling is not generally a good idea as it can stress them easily, and all Bent Toed Geckos have large sharp nails and can give a decent bite. Move slowly when working in the cage and always stay within the animal’s comfort zone when handling.

“Grumpy Geckos” (Cyrtodactylus intermedius)

Along with C. irianjayaensis I also maintain Cyrtodactylus intermedius, the Malaysian “Night Stalker” Bent Toed Gecko.  These geckos are smaller, with an average size of 8-10 inches, and a much more slender build.  Found in Malaysia, these nocturnal lizards are more arboreal than Giant Bent Toed Geckos, and also have a tendency to be more apt to bite. My Night Stalkers will often be heard calling at night. It’s a short, musical chirping sound that is quite charming.  These geckos can be maintained nearly identically to C. irianjayaensis, with things scaled down for their smaller size and a bit more attention paid to their climbing preferences.  I provide a humid environment that is a tangle of vines and plants with many small branches.  Temperatures are kept in the low 70′s, and misting is done twice daily at least.

Night Stalker Bent Toed Geckos will feed on a variety of insect prey. I provide a diet based on roaches, but crickets are accepted just as readily.  Calcium supplementation should be provided at least every other feeding.  These geckos are active hunters, and it is very interesting to watch them chase down insects in the evening.  They spend a lot of time above the ground, and will only retreat to ground hides during the day to sleep.  Most animals are imported and come with heavy parasite loads and can be difficult to acclimate.  I always attempt to breed these more unusual species, as captive bred animals are superior as pets and it is important to take pressure off of wild populations.

“Living Tree Bark” (Uroplatus fimbriatus)

Leaf  Tailed Geckos of the genus Uroplatus are by far my favorite geckos.  These animals are camouflage personified: they are perfectly suited to staying hidden in plain sight.  Leaf  Tailed Geckos hale from the island of Madagascar, and come in a variety of forms. All species of Uroplatus are CITES I listed and are under threat from habitat destruction.  The Giant Leaf  Tailed Gecko, Uroplatus fimbriatus, is one of the most commonly imported, but is also sadly one of the species least frequently bred in captivity.  These large geckos are a wonder to keep, and are very entertaining.

Giant Leaf  Tailed Geckos are large geckos, reaching over 12 inches total length.  They have very large heads and wide mouths.  Uroplatus geckos are unique in that they have the most marginal teeth and the highest number among all living amniotes. They spend their days hanging motionlessly, usually in a head down position.  At night, these large geckos come alive, and are active lizards.

I maintain my pair of Uroplatus fimbriatus in a large, all screen, arboreal enclosure.  It is 24 inches wide, by 24 inches deep, by 36 inches high.  Three sides are covered with plastic to help maintain humidity.  Substrate is a bioactive mix of coco fiber, peat moss, and leaf litter covering a drainage layer of hydroton (expanded clay balls).  Thick branches provide resting places, although the geckos often prefer to spend their time on the screen sides of the enclosure.  Springtails and isopods populate the substrate, allowing for decomposition of wastes.  Live plants are provided, consisting of Snake Plants and Pothos, along with plastic plants for more cover.  Temperatures for Giant Leaf  Tailed Geckos can range from 68-79F, with the low to mid 70s being ideal.  I provide a large water dish with an air stone attached to an aquarium air pump to roil the surface and encourage drinking.  Hydration is very important with these geckos, as they have thin, delicate skin.  My Giant Leaf  Tails are misted twice a day; once lightly in the morning and again heavily for 5-10 minutes right after lights out.  The key is to provide a 90-100% humidity environment at night while allowing the cage to dry out during the day to prevent mold growth.  Screen caging can make it difficult to maintain this in some cases, but by of blocking some of the screen and careful misting the appropriate environment can be maintained. These large geckos do best when kept cool with high humidity and still preventing air from becoming stagnant.

Roaches are the Uroplatus keepers’ best friend.  These large geckos really are too big for crickets, and roaches elicit an excellent feeding response and are a great staple diet. Giant Leaf  Tailed Geckos will ignore prey that is too small and will rarely eat any sort of “worm” like superworms or mealworms.  Calcium levels are key in breeding females, and I supplement roaches every feeding.

Giant Leaf  Tailed Geckos are not a beginner species, but once you do your research, familiarize yourself with the genus, and have the correct requirements, healthy animals are fairly easy to maintain.  Breeding is somewhat of a challenge with this species. Some Uroplatus keepers adovocate Full Spectrum UVB lighting with Leaf  Tailed Geckos, and I agree. My adults are given 12 hour exposure daily to a 5.0 UVB bulb and thrive with it.  These geckos are rarely bred in captivity, and it is imperative that more captive bred animals be established.  Madagascar’s forests are in great peril, and the flow of imports will not be there forever.

So there you have it; four “oddball” gecko species.  These are all geckos that have their own individual aspects that make them a joy to keep.  Every day is a wonder for me as I enter my reptile room to see parts of the world from all over ensconced in one room.  Every second I spend with these animals I am learning more about them, and attempt to practice better husbandry and, with work, breed them so that I can do my part to lessen the pressure on wild populations.  So, the next time you are in the market for a gecko, consider something a bit different.  You might be surprised at just how incredible an oddball can be.

Naultinus geckos are a genus of gecko that I was always fascinated with but never thought that I would have the opportunity to work with.  What made these secretive geckos so interesting to me was their beautiful colors and appearance, their diurnal and arboreal nature, and that they are live-bearing geckos that come from a completely different environment than most other geckos out there.  I was always curious as to why these geckos could withstand prolonged periods of cold and thrive while most other gecko species needed a relatively warm climate.  How did evolution play a part in this genus and how could they have survived for this long by producing a maximum of two offspring per season?  Being that these geckos are such low producing animals, they will never be readily available to the consumer, and therefore they will also have a relatively high price tag.  These traits make Naultinus a gecko for gecko lovers, not for those looking for an “investment animal”. With this being said there will always be a demand and a lot of hype surrounding these mystical creatures.    

The Naultinus grayii comes from the Northern section of the North island of New Zealand where it is typically found in bushes of the tea tree plant.  This species lives the majority of its life off of the ground, and its green and white pattern provides it excellent camouflage.  At times an animal will be right in front of my eyes on a bush and it takes me a minute to see it, and then I almost feel dumb for not having seen it right away.  The grayii is a very patient predator. They do not stalk their prey like other geckos, instead they wait for an insect to come within striking distance and then they make their move on it.  This must help the gecko preserve its strength since in the cold climate they live in they can’t afford to waste any energy.

Housing Naultinus grayii

I keep a pair of adult naultinus grayii in an 18” x 18” x 36” zoo med screen cage.   I furnish the enclosure with dense hanging brush, cork flats, and as ground cover I use a cork tube as a hide.  I also offer them vines and other pieces of wood to climb on, and I observe them using these occasionally to relocate themselves to another part of the enclosure, or to bask on.  I have this pair setup in as naturalistic  a setup as possible attempting to replicate their indigenous natural climate and landscape as much as possible.  Although they are mostly in the hanging brush they will occasionally go into a moist hide on the ground of this enclosure to shed or to retreat.  I use a layered substrate of eucalyptus leaves, eucalyptus mulch, wood chips, and New Zealand sphagnum moss in this order from bottom to top layer.  I use this mixed ground cover because the eucalyptus has anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties while the top layer of moss and wood chips holds water while helping to keep the ambient humidity up.  I spray the foliage and the inside of the moist hide every morning and never let the temperature in the screen cube rise above 80F in the summer. In the winter I cool these geckos to temperatures as cold as 40F.  In all seasons I provide these geckos with ample UV light.  I use three 18” 5.0 UVB fluorescent strip lights on top of the cage and one additional exo-terra fluorescent 5.0 bulb which sits directly above a bush where the geckos can bask.  I provide basking spots from as close as 1 inch from these lights to ensure proper UVB exposure which is essential to this geckos’ well-being. 

Care and Breeding

I feed my naultinus as much variety as I can.  Staple insects include but are not limited to roaches (dubia, banana, and Madagascar hissing), gut-loaded crickets, blue bottle flies, waxworms and waxmoths, silkworms, hornworms, and on occasion they will get a superworm or a mealworm.  I rotate the gutload of the feeders constantly and I cycle the brands of vitamins and minerals that I dust prey items with.  This extensive feeding regimen seems to contribute to the good overall health of this gecko, no question. 

Naultinus grayii require a lengthy brumation period of very low temperatures to successfully conceive and produce offspring.  These animals will breed in the early springtime and give birth anywhere from late summer to the end of fall having either one or two live born neonates per season.  Once the juveniles are birthed they can fend for themselves and can be housed either separately which is best or with their litter mate or another grayii of similar age. 

   

Difficulties in Obtaining Naultinus

Aside from the limited amount of offspring a single female can produce, these geckos are very difficult to obtain due to the laws surrounding them and their transport.  They are marked on Appendice III of CITES (the convention on international trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora), which makes their export or import tricky, as several requirements need to be met in order for permission to be granted by this organization.  Since New Zealand doesn’t allow any of their wildlife to be exported it is impossible to acquire wild caught animals, or even captive bred animals from within New Zealand.  Because of this, as well as the high dollar amount being paid for Naultinus, in recent times it has become quite common for individuals to attempt to smuggle these geckos;  this has put added pressure on natural animal populations.  To obtain legal documentation for export of  Naultinus from Europe to the U.S., for example, one must prove that the animal was not obtained illegally. This is done by showing that the animal has been produced in captivity from legally acquired parents which doesn’t sound too bad, but many of the animals out there are not documented with legal paperwork even though the animals themselves are captive bred animals.

I feel that these geckos are one of Earth’s precious jewels and I am grateful to have the opportunity to be working with them. They truly are a rewarding species to work with.  I have high hopes for my pair this season and time will tell whether they will produce young, but at this time in the summer all signs point to the female being gravid.  Good times…

I have kept Flying Geckos on and off over the years and am very excited to be working with them again.  I am going to go over some details on how I care for these unusual and underrated geckos.  They are very fun to watch, but they do not like to be handled. Flying geckos are interested in what goes on outside the cage and will watch you from concealed perches.  It is neat to notice a little gecko staring at you from around a stick or a rock.  They also like to hide in plain sight relying on their camouflage to keep them safe.  They will hunt in the daylight if the prey item is something they really enjoy: my big female will come out and get Phoenix worms anytime.  Although they are known as “flying geckos”, you will never see them glide unless placed into about a 40g tank or larger. Even then it is rare to catch them at it. If I could make room for a 4′x4′x4′ enclosure that is where they would be living.
 

Planning for a Flying Gecko

 Flying Geckos are about 6” long. Wild Caught (WC) animals live 3-5 years. Captive Born & Bred (CBB) flying geckos have been known to live to almost 10 years. Males have a pronounced row of pre-anal pores.  Females lack these pronounced pores.  Flying geckos have a wide range of vocalizations and occasionally can be rather talkative.  Males will make a series of chirps when they are trying to attract a female.  Both sexes make alarm calls when grasped.

Flying geckos are definitely not for the beginner gecko keeper.  They need high humidity, day/ night cycles and a well set up vivarium.  Wild Caught  animals often have high parasite loads in the form of tiny red mites and occasionally worms.  Consequently, many imported geckos die of stress and disease.  Wild Caught geckos are aggressive, and will bite, squeak and thrash if grasped.  Captive Born & Bred  animals do not normally suffer from parasite problems and with some work can even be tame.  On a scale of 1-5 (1 being easy, 5 being master gecko keeper), I would give these animals a 3 for a WC and a 2 for a CBB.

 If you get a WC animal, it will have mites.  These parasites love flying geckos; the skin flaps are ideal mite homes.  To remove these blood sucking fiends, take a Q-tip dipped lightly in vegetable oil and gently rub off the mites.  Your gecko will not be happy and you will be bitten.  I find letting the gecko bite me makes it easier to de-mite it.  Check the geckos every few days for more mites for at least 3 weeks, then check every week for 3 more weeks.  Remove mites as needed.

Housing

Flying Gecko Cage. Click to enlarge.

These geckos are arboreal.  Cages that are tall rather than wide are best suited to keeping this species.  Males can not be kept together as they will fight. Females get along with other females pretty well if there is enough space for them all.  I recommend a 20 Tall style tank (24”x13”x17” or 61x33x43.2 cm) for 1-2 flying geckos and increasing size by 10 gallons for each flying gecko added.  Many decorations are preferred, and dense foliage is something any flier will enjoy.  Another cage decoration that I find to be instrumental to keeping these animals is cork bark backgrounds.  They will simulate the tree trunks they inhabit in the wild.  A shallow water dish is also needed, though you must add rocks or something they can climb onto as they are not good at swimming. Eco Earth, Bed-A-Beast and Coco Fiber all work well as substrates.

 Humidity should be maintained at 70-85%.  Daytime temps of 90°, no higher than 95°, are best.  Night temperatures can be into the 70’s.  Do not let the night temperatures get below 70°.  If needed use a night light to provide additional heat. For lighting I use a full spectrum UVB/UVA light and a 75-100w heating bulb.  Lights should vary seasonally: 10 hours of light during the winter, 12 hours during the spring and fall, and 14 hours in the summer

Feeding and Supplementation

I find that flying geckos will eat most anything that skitters, jumps or crawls.  I offer mine Blatta Lateralis (Turkistan) roaches, crickets, and phoenix worms.  My animals have shown no interest in mealworms.  I feed them every other day, 4-6 prey items per gecko.  Occasionally some individual animals may eat sweet fruit or nectar, so I give mine Crested Gecko Diet (CGD) every now and then as a treat.  They seem to prefer Fig and Mango flavored CGD.  Some flying geckos will eat insects from feeding dishes.  I dust their food with Calcium with D3 every other feeding and use a multivitamin dust once a week.  Phoenix worms do not need to be dusted.

 Mist the cage 3 times a day and leave a water dish in the tank. The  water in the dish should be changed daily.  Some animals will drink from water dishes, but not all will do this.

Breeding

In captivity flying geckos may breed year round.  Mine tend to start breeding in mid summer.   I have noticed that weather plays a role as well; every time it rains my pair goes into mating mode.  About 2-3 weeks after mating the female will lay 2 eggs glued to something, usually the worst place for you.  They like to find what they think are secure areas, and often that is just under the lid of the tank or other area where you are likely to accidentally crunch them.  To help them find areas that are secure, place cork bark tubes or bamboo in the tank with holes big enough for them to enter. Eggs take 60-90 days to hatch.  If possible remove them from the enclosure and incubate at 78°.  Eggs can be left in the enclosure if you cannot remove them.  If they are glued to the tank or large piece of cage furniture, do not try to remove them, since they are very fragile. I do not know if flying geckos will eat their offspring or not, so I take no chances and set up the babies in their own enclosure.  I use a 12”x12”x18” Exo-Terra vivarium for them.

Hatchlings are very small, about 1.5” in total length.  They usually go through their first shed within 8-12 hours of hatching and will then begin feeding.  Offer them Fruit Flies (Hydei), week-old crickets, small roach nymphs, and small phoenix worms.  Rear them in the same conditions as adults.  Be sure to feed them every day.
There are no known morphs at this time.  Flying geckos do have a wide range of natural wood colors and even blacks.  They can alter color depending on their mood and can camouflage themselves.

I find they are a very underrated gecko and deserve more of our attention in the hobby.  I hope that this guide to their care inspires you to get a flying gecko or 2 of your own.

Over the years, I have worked with a number of terrestrial gecko species. My favorite of these is the helmeted gecko of Northern Africa. They have a very unique look and make up for their small size with a big personality. Until recently these geckos have been labeled as Geckonia chazalia, but they have recently been reclassified as Tarentola chazalia. They get their common name, “helmeted gecko”, from a row of enlarged scales lining the back of the head. This gives the shape and appearance of a “helmet”.

This species is a small, but sturdily built gecko. Adults are 3” – 4” in length with relatively short tails. The males are noticeably smaller than the females. I have kept this species for several years and enjoy them immensely. These little geckos show little fear of humans. Mine quickly learn to associate my presence with food. When I enter the room, they come to the front of the tanks and pace back and forth, waiting for handouts. They will readily take food from tongs, or even from my fingers. They tolerate gentle handling quite well, but must be handled with care due to their small size. I also find them to be very vocal geckos, with lots of quiet little “chirps” and “grunts” whenever they are active. Their helmeted heads may appear to give them a constantly angry or stern expression, but they are really an easy going and entertaining gecko.

Helmeted geckos are naturally found in a fairly narrow strip along the Northwest coast of Africa, primarily in the arid, rocky deserts of Morocco. In their native habitat, these geckos are usually found under rocks or other debris during the day, which creates a slightly cooler and moister microclimate. Rainfall is quite rare in their range, but the areas where these geckos are found commonly receive heavy fogs, which roll in off the Atlantic Ocean. This is the primary source of moisture for creatures living in these coastal deserts.

Care

These are hardy little geckos that will thrive if given the proper care. Like most geckos, they require a temperature gradient, which allows them to choose a location with a temperature to their liking. I use an undertank heater, which creates a warm end of approximately 85º – 90ºF during the day. The cool end of the cage ranges from 75º – 80º. I allow a nighttime drop in temperature, as well as allowing a winter cooling period for my adult breeders. A 10 gallon tank can easily house a pair or a trio of these small geckos. They will actively explore their habitat, so a variety of rocks and branches will be well utilized. I have witnessed little or no aggression among members of this species, although I have never tried to keep more than one male in an enclosure. I use a substrate of sand for adults and paper towel for new hatchlings. Some keepers have reported that UV light may be beneficial for this species, especially for babies. I have raised all of my animals without UV and have had no problems. Some sources also claim that helmeted geckos are strictly terrestrial and cannot climb glass. I have not found this to be true, as I have found my geckos on the glass walls of their tanks on numerous occasions. For this reason, it is best to have a secure lid on your animal’s cage.

 When I first acquired this species I was told that hydration was the key to successfully keeping them, and I have found this to be true. Even though they come from a harsh desert environment, the moist fog, which is a regular occurrence in their habitat, creates a more humid condition than one might at first think. I give my helmeted geckos a light misting daily, and give the cool end of their enclosure a heavier misting approximately once a week so that the lower layers of the substrate retain some moisture. However, you do not want these geckos in a constantly moist environment, so good air circulation is important.

These geckos are active and aggressive feeders. I am often surprised by how much they eat for their size in comparison to some of my other geckos. They aggressively chase and consume prey as soon as it is placed in their tank. I feed them roaches, crickets, and mealworms. I dust insects at every feeding with Repashy Calcium Plus. It is also important that breeding females are offered food often and have access to extra calcium as they may have health problems if they aren’t fed and supplemented properly during this stressful time.

I have found my females to be prolific egg layers. Even before I had any males to go with my 3 females, they began to lay eggs like clockwork. Once a male was added to the group in 2008, I began to get eggs that were fertile. Early on, I had some issues with incubation and had a number of eggs that went bad late in the developmental process, as well as a couple of newborn hatchlings that failed to thrive and died soon after hatching. I made some changes to my incubation methods, and late in the season had some success in producing my first CB babies. The babies are small, but robust, and grow quite quickly. My adult breeding groups now consist of 2 males and 3 females arranged to produce two lines of unrelated offspring. I have eggs in the incubator and have high hopes of producing more offspring in 2009.

Once quite common in the pet trade, these geckos have become much harder to find. A few breeders are successfully reproducing this species, but others have found them challenging to reproduce. If you are lucky enough to find some of these unique and personable geckos, I’m sure you will thoroughly enjoy these easy going, and interesting geckos as much as I enjoy mine. They are truly unique in both appearance and personality.

We asked breeders this one question. What makes keeping leopard geckos special to you?

The answers rolled in and we are thankful to all who participated!

Ron Tremper of LeopardGecko.com:

For me leopard geckos are a form of living art with a wide pallet of possibilities. Many people have discovered their magic. They are easy to keep and breed and the market is still expanding worldwide. The future is strong for this species of gecko. For 31 generations I have enjoyed making the gecko mutations that I think will interest other hobbyists. It’s a challenge that has many rewards.

Marcia McGuiness of Golden Gate Geckos:

Although I work with 6 gecko species, I love working with Leopard Geckos because they are beautiful, simple to care for, require no lighting, are a manageable size, live a long time, and are easy to tame. They each have distinct personalities, and always seem to have a smile on their faces!

Daidra Salyers of Leopard Gecko Lair:

I love keeping leopard geckos for many reasons. I love the leopard gecko’s temperament and also their personality,which are all different in many aspects. I also love the variety of colors they come in, because they all look beautiful. Finally, the number 1 reason I love keeping leopard geckos, is the whole breeding process, the genetics behind each morph of leopard gecko which is being produced and being able to watch the babies being born and growing into adults.

Summer Johnson of Celebrity Geckos:

We have a true appreciation for leopard geckos and a genuine passion for what we do. They are unique and wonderful animals, each with their own distinct personality. It’s great fun to love and care for them. For this reason, leopard geckos make rewarding and loving family pets!

James Dunn of Okeechobee Reptiles:

For me keeping leopard geckos was out of my control. I started with just one and by the time I realized what was going on I had thirty. Leopard geckos as a rule are docile and easy to take care of but display a wide variety of colors only rivaled by colubrids and ball pythons. I guess it was the mad scientist in me that brought me to where I am today. I love seeing what is going to pop out of the incubator next.

What about you?

Why do you like leopard geckos, what makes them special to you? Tell us below in your comment!

Photo in the lead image is taken by Malt Geckos

Viper geckos have gained popularity lately and for a very good reason. This species is easy to keep and is quite rewarding. Viper geckos only grow 3.5 inches ad females can lay 10 to 20 clutches a season!

Gecko Time asked several breeders and keepers of viper geckos one question: What makes viper geckos special to you and why do you enjoy keeping them? They replied with the following:

Hannah Martin of Greyscale Geckos:

Viper geckos were my first small species of gecko to own, and I certainly will never regret purchasing them. They are so docile and that has led me to joke that viper geckos are simply leopard geckos crammed into a small package. I honestly can’t say enough about their tame personalities and interesting looks. I believe this species has a lot of potential to become a favorite in the gecko community!

Teri of A-1 Reptiles:

The things that I like most about the Viper Gecko specie is the unique patterns down their backs. Their size being one of the smallest gecko specie they are easily housed, eat very little and are a great beginner specie as they breed very easily and go from baby to breeder in eight months.

Jeff of JMG Reptiles:

We have been working with viper geckos for over eight years now and they are one of our favorite small terrestrial geckos to work with. Viper geckos are great for people who want a small gecko for a pet or for somebody who is looking to start a breeding project with a really cool animal. Male viper geckos are not territorial so you can keep as many adult male viper geckos together as you want. One of our favorite things about the viper geckos is there disposition, they are calm and are on one of the few small terrestrial geckos you can handle with out worrying about them running off. They are also easy to keep and breed, females can lay 20 clutches a year and the baby’s are hardy for a small gecko.

Like viper geckos?

Can’t get enough of these cute little geckos? Do not worry, you are not alone. We’ve gathered together some more information for you.

Viper Gecko Care Sheets: HC Network’s viper care sheet, Supreme Gecko’s viper care sheet, and The Lizard Wizard’s viper care sheet.

Viper Gecko Breeders: each person we’ve interviewed breeds viper geckos and may have them available at any time.

Talk to us!

Why do you like viper geckos? Know another care sheet or breeder? Tell us all in your comment below!

The lesser known and rarer U. sphyrurus is contained in a relatively small portion of South Eastern Queensland and Northwestern New South Wales on Australia’s East Coast. The geographic regions that this species inhabits are primarily open forest and woodlands associated with rocky outcroppings of granite, basalt, sandstone and metamorphic rock. The majority of the habitat that U. sphyrurus is found in incorporates granite outcrops.  In their natural habitat, U. sphyrurus is commonly found at the base of the rock outcroppings with easy access to the forest/woodland habitat to forage for prey items.

Underwoodisaurus milii contrarily is found over the entire continent of Australia, in every state.  Like their cousin, U. milii are primarily found in woodland habitats however other habitats include temperate forests on the eastern side of the Great Dividing Range as well as the outskirts of the Western Plateau deserts (Great Sandy, Gibson, and Great Victoria).  Inhabits of east side of the great dividing range are rare because of the temperature differences to the western portion, however there have been recorded specimens found South of Sydney near Wollongong and near Brisbane as well as others.

There are two fairly distinct forms of Underwoodisaurus milii; the southern form and the eastern form.  Additional genetic analysis needs to be completed to understand how different the two lineages are.  The Eastern form is commonly found from the southern portion of the country to the North Coast of the Northern territory.  The Southern form is widely scattered throughout the entire continent and both forms have been to integrate in areas where their distribution overlaps.

When in the field, both species frequent environments that have a canopy cover of around 50% with high leaf litter cover on the ground.  Most shelter sites are comprised of rocks, decaying wood piles, logs, and the litter covering rocky soil.  The vegetation species themselves are of little importance to the preferences of Underwoodisaurus species.

Photos courtesy of David; Wollongong, Australia