New Owner Checklist

Your gargoyle gecko was bred in captivity. With good care it will live 15–20 years and grow to about 8–10 in (20–25 cm) and 45–65 grams. It is awake at night and sleeps by day, so evening is feeding and watching time. Print this page and keep it near the enclosure.

Before your gecko comes home

• Front-opening terrarium, at least 18×18×24 in (45×45×60 cm) for an adult.
• Cork bark rounds, branches and leafy plants at several heights, plus a couple of hiding spots on the floor.
• Small basking bulb on a thermostat, over one upper corner.
• Digital thermometer and digital hygrometer (not stick-on dials).
• Light on a 12-hour timer. Optional low-output 2–5% UVB bulb.
• Spray bottle or mister and a shallow water dish.
• Complete powdered gecko diet, a small food cup, an insect dish or tongs, and calcium powder.
• Gram scale.
• Run the setup for a few days and confirm temperatures before your gecko moves in.

One gecko, one enclosure

• Never add a roommate. Gargoyles bite tails and toes off other geckos and will eat a smaller one, including a crested gecko. This is the most common way keepers lose an animal.

Daily and weekly care

• Warmth: basking corner 82–85°F (28–29°C) by day; the rest of the enclosure 72–78°F (22–26°C); nights can drop to the low 70s°F (21–23°C), or into the 60s°F (16–20°C) in winter. Never let any part go above 85°F (29°C).
• Moisture: mist well every evening so humidity rises toward 80%, then let it dry to 50–60% during the day. In winter you may need a light morning mist too.
• Water: keep a shallow dish filled and change it daily.
• Light: 12 hours on, 12 off. No lights at night. Replace UVB bulbs about every 6 months; one guide allows up to 12 months for a T5 tube.

Feeding at a glance

• Powdered diet: mixed with water and served in a small cup every evening for babies, every 2–3 days for adults. Remove leftovers after a day.
• Insects: small crickets, dubia roaches or black soldier fly larvae, lightly dusted with calcium. Once a week for adults, once or twice a week for youngsters.
• Serve insects in a dish or with tongs, not loose in the enclosure.

Settling in and handling

• Give your gecko 3–4 weeks to settle before handling.
• Babies and young geckos bite and jump. Keep sessions short and low over a couch or bed.
• Wait until your gecko is at least 3 in (7.5 cm) from snout to vent before regular handling.
• Most adults are calm and will sit on your hand.
• Never hold the tail. If it drops, keep the stump clean; a new tail grows back.

Weigh it every week

• Weigh weekly on a gram scale and write it down.
• Steady weight means a healthy gecko. A sudden drop means call the vet.

Call a reptile vet if you see

• A soft jaw, kinked tail or trembling.
• A tail that flops sideways when your gecko hangs upside down.
• No poop for more than a week.
• Runny or smelly stools.
• Wrinkled skin or sunken eyes.
• Shed stuck in rings around the toes.
• Any open wound.
• No eating for three weeks.

Wash your hands

• All reptiles can carry Salmonella, even when healthy. Wash your hands with soap and water after touching your gargoyle gecko, its enclosure or anything in it.
• Keep your gecko and its supplies out of the kitchen and anywhere food is made or eaten. Do not kiss your gecko.
• The CDC says children under 5 should not touch reptiles, and reptiles are not recommended for homes with children under 5, adults 65 and older, or people with weakened immune systems.