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New Caledonian Giant Gecko - Pine Island
Rhacodactylus leachianus
Endemic to Nuu Ana, this small, highly patterned island form of the New Caledonian Giant Gecko displays striking pink and green markings. It requires a humid, vertical enclosure.
Class:Squamata
Order:Squamata
Family:Diplodactylidae
Genus:Rhacodactylus
Species:Rhacodactylus leachianus*
* Pine Island
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Environment
Terrestrial
Humidity
60 - 80 %
Day temperature
22 - 26 °C
Night temperature
18 - 21 °C
Adult size
28 cm
UVB
Low
Species description
Geographical Origin and Habitat: Endemic to the island of Nuu Ana in the New Caledonia archipelago. They live in the high canopy of humid primary rainforests, sheltering in tree hollows.
Taxonomy and Genetics: Family Diplodactylidae. Rhacodactylus leachianus. The Nuu Ana locality is one of the smaller, highly patterned island forms, prized for its vivid pink and green markings.
Behavior and Habits: Strictly nocturnal and arboreal. Highly territorial. They vocalize at night with barking, growling, and whistling sounds. Can form stable, long-term breeding pairs.
Morphology: Large and massive body reaching 25-30 cm. Loose, saggy skin that functions as camouflage. Head is disproportionately large with strong jaws. Displays olive green, grey, and mossy patterns with bright pink spots. Males develop visible hemipenal bulges at the base of the tail.
Care, breeding and tankmates
Terrarium Setup: Large vertical terrarium (minimum 60x45x90 cm). Provide thick cork bark tubes, sturdy climbing branches (arm-thick), and heavy artificial or live plants (Sansevieria). Substrate should retain moisture.
Lighting and Heating: Cool temperate climate. Maintain temperatures at 22-26°C. Avoid temperatures above 28°C. Provide low UVB (5%) to support calcium synthesis.
Humidity and Hydration: Maintain high humidity (60-80%) with a daily evening misting. Good ventilation is critical to prevent respiratory infections. They drink water droplets from surfaces.
Feeding and Supplementation: Primarily frugivorous. Feed high-quality powdered gecko diets (CGD, Pangea/Repashy) in elevated bowls. Supplement weekly with gut-loaded roaches or crickets dusted with calcium and D3.
Compatibility: Highly territorial. Never house males together. Keep singly or in established pairs. Monitor new pairs closely for severe aggression.
Health and Common Diseases: Females have high calcium requirements. Do not handle aggressively; they can lose their tail (autotomia), which does not regenerate. Avoid heat stress.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Endemic to the island of Nuu Ana in the New Caledonia archipelago. They live in the high canopy of humid primary rainforests, sheltering in tree hollows.
Origin
Australia, New Guinea, and Oceania
Reptile profile
- Diet
- No verified data available
- Life expectancy
- No verified data available
- Adult size
- 28 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 28 cm. The ReptTraits v1.2 source reports a maximum adult measurement of 28 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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