Are you planning to add a new member to your family? Wow! Docile and tame – these big doey eyed Gargoyle geckos offer great company.
They are easier to take care of and not fussy when it comes to feeds. The only thing you need to note – do not forget to moisturize their habitats daily.
Great news for both novice and expert handlers! These cool looking unique creatures are suitable for all.
Gargoyle geckos originate from the land of New Caledonia, near Australia. They are the ideal pets as it thrives well with a minimum amount of care. They get their names from the bumps present on their skull, giving them a horny look. Though their shades are vivid during the night, they have a marble-like pattern. Some have bold stripes with red or orange body hues.
Availability
Gargoyle species were the rarest among the captive-bred lizards at one point. Whereas these days they are successfully bred in huge numbers. As a result, they are commonly found at a standard value in the pet market.
Gargoyle Gecko’s Size
On an average, they reach a moderate size of 4-4.5 inches from snout to the vent with a total length of 8”. Adults grow up to 7 to 9 inches long in full including the tail. When they feel threatened or scared, they lose their tail. However, this grows back after some time. They become sexually mature by 15 – 18 months when they weigh around 35 g.
Gargoyle Gecko Lifespan
With proper care, these guys will accompany you for 15 – 20 years while bred in captivity.
Gargoyle Gecko Care Guide
1. Housing
Young ones can be safely placed in huge plastic terrariums or a 20-inch reptile tank that has a screen top. Adults require a 20-gallon tank with a screened lid. Huge enclosures result in better displays.
In places having moderate to high humidity, these geckos thrive well in screen enclosures. These tanks are light in weight and more comfortable to clean and maintain. It’s safe to keep several females and one male in an enclosure. Males generally fight for superiority and shouldn’t be held in large numbers together.
2. Temperature and Lighting
Geckos are ectothermal in nature. Hence it is essential to offer them the right temperature range for feeding and activity. A good thermometer is necessary to maintain consistent and accurate measurements.
During the day, they prefer a temperature of 70 – 82°F. At night, the temperature drops to 70°F. Most of the regions have this temperature range during the warmer months of the year. Hence does not require extra heat. During summer, place them in a cool room spot if the temperature rises above 87°. As for the windows, they can tolerate up to 60°F.
You can provide heat quickly using a ceramic heat emitter or a low watt incandescent bulb. Place it on the screen top at one end of the cage. See to it that the basking areas reaches the desired temperature using this method. Heat tapes and heat pads can also be easily placed under the warm side of the tank. Maintain the other end at a lower degree to regulate body heat.
Do you have live potted plants in your living vivarium? If so, you can run a fluorescent bulb along the length of the enclosure for extra lighting. During the daytime, these guys usually rest in their shelters or foliage. However, they remain more active when the sun goes down.
3. Gargoyle Gecko Food
Powdered diets are available in the market for these lizards. They thrive well when fed with this powdered food. This has been laboratory tested on thousands of lizards for over 10 years. You can mix it with two parts of water. Provide it in shallow bowls thrice a week. Let them eat as much as they want in one feeding. The mix can be kept up to 36 hours before discarding them.
Not interested in giving them powdered feeds? Then you can resort to a variety of pureed infant diets available in the stores. These include apricot, peach, banana, or mixed fruits with 10% smoothly ground chicken. Powdered minerals and vitamin supplements for reptiles should be adequately covered in their diet. This ensures that they get all the necessary nutrients for a healthy living.
Other than fruits, they love munching on various types of insects. Some keepers tend to choose this as their primary diet or at times as supplementary feed. Crickets are a great choice and are usually sold in plenty in various pet stores. Choose a size where the cricket’s length is the same as the width of your gecko’s head.
You can lightly coat these crickets using a mineral or vitamin supplement. The supplements should include Vitamin D3, calcium, and other essential minerals and vitamins. This can be usually taken three times a week as the main feed. Or once weekly along with the powdered diet.
4. Water
You can place water in a shallow water bowl inside the tank. Maintain the humidity level between 50 to 70%. In dry spots, remember to lightly mist daily or place an air humidifier in the room. Hygrometers are available these days in pet shops.
5. Handling the Gargoyle Gecko
Do not handle the newly purchased ones immediately. Give them time to settle in for a month. Feed them well regularly and allow them to adjust to the new surroundings. Then gradually start handling them, but make it short that is less than five minutes. Young ones are flighty and may get hurt during handling. To avoid this, wait till they reach 3 inches long from snout to vent before handling.
The young ones usually bite, whereas the adults don’t. They have long, sharp teeth. Biting with these can cause skin lacerations on the surface resulting in bleeding. However, as these are just warnings, they let go quickly. Adults remain mellow and are usually ranked the best among pets.
Gargoyle Gecko Price
The price varies based on the rarity of the morphs. The hatchlings range between $50 – $100. As for the adults, the price ranges from $250 – $1000. From this, you can note that they are quite expensive than the rest of the lizard species. You can also get them from online reptile sites.
Do you think Gargoyle Geckos are the right choice for you? If so, hop on to find a hatchling for sale. Feel free to share the personal feedback of your fantastic pet!
