Gargoyle Gecko

This page is educational reference material for preparing questions. A licensed veterinarian examines the animal, makes the diagnosis, and sets the treatment.

Crested gecko's rougher cousin

Gargoyle geckos, Rhacodactylus auriculatus, come from New Caledonia. Adults are about 7 to 9 inches including the tail and often live 15 to 20 years. The head has the knobs the name describes. They use vertical space and also spend more time on the ground than a crested gecko does. A vertical enclosure around 18 by 18 by 24 inches is a fair minimum. Taller is better if the top stays in the 70s.

Care sits between beginner and intermediate. The diet is the easy part: a commercial gecko diet plus insects a few times a week. Calcium is in that plan. Do not switch them to fruit baby food as the whole menu. Humidity 50 to 70 percent, with a dry-out between mistings so the toes do not stay wet. They can bark when annoyed. That noise is normal.

Tails and temperatures

They drop tails and often grow a blunt replacement. Crested geckos generally do not. Either way, do not pull on the tail to stop a jump. Room temperatures of 72 to 78°F are the target. Overheating is the common husbandry error, not a cold night in a 70-degree house. Floppy jaw, stuck shed on the toes, and a gecko that stays on the floor through the night are reasons to weigh the animal and call a clinic.

ARAV lists gecko vets. The not-eating page covers a skipped week of diet. The checker is the urgency sort.

Gargoyle gecko questions

How are gargoyle geckos different from crested geckos?

Both are New Caledonian and eat a similar powdered diet. Gargoyles have a knobbed head, a more terrestrial streak, and they often regrow a short blunt tail. Cresteds usually do not regrow a tail. Care overlaps. They are not the same animal.

What temperature do they need?

About 72 to 78°F. A heat lamp that bakes the top of the cage is how these geckos get stressed or burned. Room temperature in a normal house is often enough. Add a low thermostat-controlled heat only if the room falls into the 60s.

Do they bite?

Juveniles nip. Adults usually tolerate handling better and still are not a children's toy. Support the body. A dropped tail is the gecko's decision, and the regrown one will not match the original.