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ReptileTerrestrialEasy
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Gargoyle Gecko (Gargoyle)
Rhacodactylus auriculatus "Gargoyle"
The Ancestral Gargoyle morph. This perfectly unselected, rustic wild-type form offers unparalleled natural camouflage in the New Caledonian forests.
Class:Squamata
Order:Squamata
Family:Diplodactylidae
Genus:Rhacodactylus
Species:Rhacodactylus auriculatus "Gargoyle"
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Environment
Terrestrial
Humidity
50 - 80 %
Day temperature
22 - 26 °C
Night temperature
18 - 22 °C
Adult size
12.5 cm
UVB
None - Low
Species description
Geographical Origin and Habitat: Like its crested cousin, it hails from the lush, cool primary and secondary forests of southern New Caledonia. However, it prefers thicker branches and tree trunks, camouflaging perfectly with bark and lichens during the day.
Taxonomy and Genetics: Rhacodactylus genus. A very prolific species in captivity, where exceptional morphs have been established that accentuate red or orange longitudinal stripes, or mosaic patterns ('Reticulated' and 'Striped').
Behavior and Habits: Strictly nocturnal. By day they remain completely motionless and cryptic on trunks in a head-down position. At night they become much more lethal and voracious hunters than cresteds. Less inclined to frantic jumping, they prefer climbing and ambushing. They can practice autotomy (drop their tail) but, unlike cresteds, their tail **will** grow back, albeit with a visibly regenerated, smoother appearance.
Morphology: The name 'Gargoyle' comes from the massive cranial bumps (extended parietal bones) perched atop the head, resembling ears or small horns. The body is chunkier, wrinklier, and heavier than a crested's. They possess impressive canine-like teeth used in the wild to prey on small geckos and armored insects. Adult males have prominent hemipenal bulges. This classification groups specimens with 'Wild Type' phenotypes, blending browns, moss greys, and blacks without artificially isolated red pigments, preserving the look of the original creature carved in stone.
Care, breeding and tankmates
Terrarium Setup: Vertical glass terrarium (e.g. 18x18x24 inches). Crucial difference: while cresteds love fine foliage and thin vines, Gargoyles absolutely require massive cork bark tubes and thick vertical trunks where they can flatten out to camouflage. A bioactive terrarium is highly recommended.
Lighting and Heating: they suffer in extreme heat. Daytime range of 72-77°F (22-25°C), STRICTLY avoiding exceeding 82°F (28°C) to prevent lethal heat strokes. At night they tolerate drops to 64°F (18°C). Weak UVB lighting (2-5%) is strongly recommended to promote mineralization of their massive cranial bones.
Humidity and Hydration: heavy misting in the evening (reaching 80-90%) and allowing it to dry during the day to 50-60%. They must have a clean water dish (they often use it more than cresteds), in addition to licking water off the glass.
Feeding and Supplementation: Hybrid diet (Frugivores-Carnivores). 70% must be hydrated commercial powder mash (CGD). 30% MUST consist of live insects (large roaches and crickets). They are ruthless hunters and failing to feed them insects suppresses their instincts. Always dust insects with Calcium/D3.
Compatibility: Absolutely asocial and highly aggressive. They must be isolated and raised singly from hatching. Placing two specimens together will result in dropped tails, bitten-off toes, and, in the worst cases, cannibalism towards the smaller specimen.
Health and Common Diseases: Susceptible to MBD (soft bones) like all frugivorous geckos if the diet lacks calcium. They are prone to FTS (Floppy Tail Syndrome) if they sleep upside down on slippery vertical glass walls; to prevent this, the terrarium must be packed with rough horizontal and diagonal trunks.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Like its crested cousin, it hails from the lush, cool primary and secondary forests of southern New Caledonia. However, it prefers thicker branches and tree trunks, camouflaging perfectly with bark and lichens during the day.
Origin
Selective breeding and cultivarsNorth AmericaAustralia, New Guinea, and Oceania
Reptile profile
- Diet
- No verified data available
- Life expectancy
- No verified data available
- Adult size
- 12.5 cm
- Lifestyle/Microhabitat
- No verified data available
- Activity cycle
- No verified data available
- Sociality
- No verified data available
- Reproduction
- No verified data available
- Handling tolerance
- No verified data available
- Brumation
- No verified data available
- Molting
- No verified data available
The catalog's scalar value is 12.5 cm. The ReptTraits v1.2 source reports a maximum adult measurement of 12.5 cm for this species, recorded as snout–vent length (SVL). These figures are not interchangeable: the first is the profile's editorial reference, whereas the second is a published maximum under a specific measurement convention; differences among sources can reflect sex, population, life stage and measuring method.
Image gallery
Licensed images linked to the species or, when marked, to the closest representative taxon.
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