Rhacodactylus auriculatus - Gargoyle Gecko
Gargoyle geckos are a small, solitary easy to keep gecko. They are a
sub-tropical, semi-arboreal gecko and are crepuscular They have the ability to change the intensity of their pigmentation (firing up or down) according to temperature, light, mood, etc. They gain their name from their marbled coloration and slightly protruding "horns" on their heads.
sub-tropical, semi-arboreal gecko and are crepuscular They have the ability to change the intensity of their pigmentation (firing up or down) according to temperature, light, mood, etc. They gain their name from their marbled coloration and slightly protruding "horns" on their heads.
Bringing Your New Pet Home
When you bring your new gecko home, you should already have a quarantine tank set up and ready to go. Place fresh water in a bowl in the tank, mist the tank and offer food, but be aware it is completely normal for them to refuse food for the first couple days, or even longer. You should keep this new gecko separate from any other geckos you may have for 90 days, to ensure there is nothing it could spread to your other animals. Monitor its eating and fecals as they may be strange for up to a couple weeks, but this is due to a new diet, supplements, and environment. It is recommended you do not handle your new gecko for the first 24-48 hours and keeping it to a minimum until it has started eating on its own. Always keep in mind, your new animal is in a new tank, with new decor/dishes/hides, and new faces watching them. They need time to become acclimated to it all. After this quarantine process, they can be safely introduced to their permanent enclosure if it's not already. Be sure to wash your hands before handling any other geckos during this time. |
Enclosure Depending on your need, there are a couple different ways to house a gargoyle gecko. For a single gecko, a glass, front opening terrarium with a screen top or door would be the most appealing. The general rule of thumb, is to have 20 gallons of tank per gecko. Babies and juveniles require less space, but you will need to upgrade as they grow. Some keepers modify plastic tubs with screen to keep their geckos as well. We highly recommend Zen Habitats PVC Enclosure! ![]() Research bio-active and naturalistic, planted terrariums for more advanced options!
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Substrate
Gargoyle geckos thrive best on simple substrates such as paper towel, sphagnum moss, or eco-earth. Loose substrates should be used with caution; geckos can ingest it while hunting bugs and become impacted. If you use loose substrates, it is best to feed out of enclosure or by tongs. Female gargoyle geckos will lay eggs when they reach breeding age, even if they were never with a male. It is best to provide all female geckos with a lay box with loose substrate for them to lay their eggs and prevent egg binding. |
Lighting
Gargoyle geckos are crepuscular, meaning they are active at dusk, dawn and through the night. They should be exposed to 10-12 hours of light per day. Reptiles benefit from the addition of UVB lighting to their environment, so we highly recommend the addition of UVB lighting. All lights should be placed on a timer so the gecko has darkness at night, when they are most active.
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Cage Decor
Since they are most active at night and arboreal, they need to have places to hide from the daylight to sleep and climb. You will most often find gargoyle geckos hanging out in branches or foliage, so decorate the tank heavily with fake greenery, branches, cork bark, and a hide. They spend more time on the ground than crested geckos, and will appreciate cork and ground hides. They are not as good at climbing as crested geckos, so you will not see the on the glass, but they are able climbers and will use branches and bark. |
Humidity and Shedding
Gargoyle geckos are a sub-tropical species, so they require higher humidity level of around 60-80% with dry periods. You can best achieve this by misting the enclosure twice a day, once in the morning and once at night. While it is good to offer a shallow bowl of fresh water, most geckos will not drink from bowls and instead prefer to lick water droplets off the enclosure walls and plants. Misting will not only keep the humidity levels up, but offer them hydration as well.You do not want the cage soaking wet, and should allow it to dry out some between mistings. Gargoyle geckos will shed their skin as they grow and regularly as adults. You’ll notice their color will appear dull when they are about to shed. Generally, the gecko will eat all of their shed, but you may see some of the shed skin in the cage. Some geckos will have unshed skin on their toes, we suggest letting your gecko soak in a shallow container of lukewarm water for a few minutes and you can assist the process by gently removing the skin using tweezers. Stuck shed is often an indication of humidity issues, so you can help this by misting more often or heavier.
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Water
You can offer your gargoyle gecko fresh, clean water in a shallow bowl. However, some will not drink directly from bowls and prefer to lick water from misting off leaves. Water can be treated with a commercial water treatment to remove any harsh chemicals from the water. Be sure to mist your gecko enclosure daily to aid in humidity and give your gecko a chance to hydrate. |
Feeding Gargoyle geckos are insectivores and frugivores. Typically, their diet consists of crickets or dubia roaches and a commercial based, balanced fruit powder you prepare much like a smoothie. These diets are called meal replacement powders or MRPs. Do not feed mealworms or superworms, as they do not digest them well. Crickets can be placed in the enclosure during feeding time, but uneaten crickets should always be removed. MRPs can be mixed in small bowls and placed in enclosure. Insects should be gutloaded with a commercial gutload product. Gutloading refers to the practice of feeding the insects a nutritious diet before offering them to your gecko, to ensure the most balanced nutrition. Geckos that are under 4-6 months old should have MRPs available at all times and it should be changed out every other day with fresh food. Adults can go a few days between feedings and should be offered fresh food 2+ times per week. Keep on eye on food to be sure it is not molding, and remove or replace if it is. Crickets or roaches can be offered 2 times a week. Be sure the insect is appropriately sized for your gecko. It should be no larger than the space between their eyes. Uneaten insects should be removed after a few hours. ![]() There are many MRPs on the market in a variety of flavors. We recommend Pangea Complete Gecko Diet or Repashy Fruit n Grubs. Gargoyles appreciate higher protein content in their diet. |
Handling
Gargoyle geckos are usually open to being handled and with regular contact, can become very tame. Sit on the floor and let your gecko walk from hand to hand at their own pace. When handling your gecko, never hold or grab them by their tail. They have a natural ability to drop their tail as a defense mechanism. If dropped, the tail will grow back, but it may not look the same as the original. Gargoyle geckos can jump but tend to be slower and more clumsy than crested geckos. |