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Gargoyle geckos are great for beginner reptile keepers, especially when the gecko has the correct setup in order to flourish! With their unique look and gorgeous morphs, these geckos are sure to steal your heart in no time. Before you go out and find your new perfect friend, read on in order to learn what you need to in order to care for your future gargoyle gecko!
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Quick Facts
Life Span: 15 – 20 Years
Enclosure Size: 20+ Gallons
Temperature: 78 – 83 F
Diet: Omnivore
Sleep Pattern: Nocturnal
Care – Gargoyle Gecko
1. Tank Mates
Gargoyle geckos do not need friends to be happy. Males should absolutely NEVER be kept together, as one male will usually try to dominate the other. This can lead to fighting, aggression, one gecko guarding and taking all the food, and even death.
Females can sometimes be housed together successfully, but there have been cases where females have been kept together peacefully, and one day just turn on each other and one will beat the other up. Many will also get nippy with each other’s tails. While them turning on each other will not always happen, it is always a risk, and keeping a close eye on the pair for changes in behavior/health is important if you do decide to keep more than one. And of course, the more gargoyles you keep in a tank, the more space they will need.
Male/Female pairings are possible but are not the best setup for the average keeper just wanting gargoyle geckos as a pet. There are two main outcomes when keeping a male and female together. One is that the pair will not get along and will have to be separated, hoping that no major fights happen during this time. The second is that they will breed, which in turn means the female will start producing fertile eggs. You will then have to deal with these eggs, and it can also be hard on the female if not properly accounted for with proper weight/diet requirements met.
Gargoyle geckos of different sizes or adults and juveniles should NEVER be kept together, as again this can result in bullying.
2. Animal Size
Gargoyle geckos are great geckos because of their medium size. They aren’t overly large like leachianus geckos, but they aren’t as small and delicate as other species. Including their tail, they can grow to 8 – 10 inches in length, and weigh anywhere from 35 – 65 grams. Gargoyle geckos reach maturity and their full size between 15 – 18 months old.
3. Temperament/Handling
Gargoyle Geckos make great pets because they grow up into quite docile geckos as adults. While they are fairly easy to handle, care is to be taken as they can and will jump around, and may even try to jump off your hand/arm/ etc. For young children holding a gargoyle gecko, it may be best to have them sit on the ground so the gecko won’t have far to the ground if they do decide to jump.
Gargoyle Geckos may be calm, but just like any lizard, they don’t like being scared or having their tail pulled on. If frightened or their tail is pulled on, they will drop their tail in an attempt to get away. If this happens make sure your gargoyle gecko stays in a clean, sterile environment until the wound heals. Like most geckos, gargoyle geckos will regrow their tails over time if they have dropped them.
When you first get a gargoyle gecko it may be skittish, but if given proper time to settle into its new home it will settle in quite nicely into a calmer gecko. Make sure to slowly introduce yourself and work with your gecko in little increments every day, and your gecko should soon become used to and comfortable with you. Young geckos especially are more prone to biting and disliking handling, but by the time they are adults they will rarely act out with aggression if properly socialized. As always, every animal will have its own personality and attitude, so nothing is ever guaranteed.
4. Heating/Lighting
As far as gargoyle geckos go, the average room temperature will suffice for your gecko, and additional heating will not be needed during the summer months. If your house is around 78 to 82 degrees during the day, and low 70’s during the night, you’re just fine. However, if you live in a fairly cold area you might need additional heating. Alternatively, if you live in an extremely hot area you may also want to consider how you will keep the gecko from overheating, as too high of a temperature can stress them out, and cause them to become sick.
Gargoyle gecko lighting is fairly simple. As long as your gecko has a pretty steady source of light during the day and darkness at night you are good to go. You can achieve this by putting them in a room with a lot of natural daylight (keep them away from direct sunlight though!), or using any light (like this one) that does not produce much heat and they aren’t able to directly climb on.
UVB bulbs like this one are not necessary if you don’t have live plants, however, if you would like to add one your gecko would greatly appreciate the addition, and it will help to keep your gecko healthy. However, make sure you do not use coil bulbs, as those are not good for reptiles of any kind.
5. Food
Gargoyle geckos can be fed the same food as crested geckos; Repashy or Pangea are two of the main choices for powdered meal replacements. These meal replacements have everything your gecko needs to be healthy. Fruits, bugs, protein, vitamins. Everything your gecko needs in one easy meal, making it so you don’t have to worry about your gecko getting what it needs. They also come in different flavors, which means there will most likely be a version that your gecko likes. It is also quite cheap as far as pet food goes. The one you should feed to your gargoyle gecko will be the same one that is given to crested geckos.
You can also feed your gargoyle geckos other additional insects like crickets, which are completely fine and beneficial for your gecko. If you do choose to feed your gargoyle gecko crickets, feeding them once or twice a week is a good amount, and make sure they are dusted in calcium and are gut-loaded first to ensure your gecko gets all the nutrients it needs.
Gargoyle geckos should be fed the meal replacement 3-4 times per week. All that you need to do is mix the powder with the proper ratio of water it says on the container, and mix thoroughly. Make sure to start with a small amount to gauge how much your gecko eats and go from there. If the bowl is clean every time try adding a little more, or if there is constantly extra food make a little less. You’ll soon find a proper balance. The mixed meal replacement should only remain in the enclosure for 24 hours, and should then be removed.
The best place to put this food is in a small bowl (small deli cups work well and are cheap), and put the bowl on a ledge higher up in the enclosure, as gargoyle geckos are arboreal and prefer their food to not be on the ground. If you are going to use a store-bought ledge such as this awesome one, make sure to use ones with strong magnets, as suction cups aren’t as strong and may result in the ledge falling on your gecko.
6. Substrate
Young gargoyle geckos should be kept exclusively on paper towel, as this will be easiest for you to monitor their waste, and keep them from ingesting anything they shouldn’t. Once your gecko is older it can be kept on a few different substrates.
Paper towels are of course still acceptable, they can be used from the time a gargoyle gecko is born up to an adult and beyond. No risk of them eating it, easy to clean, and fairly cheap as well. However, this is not the most appealing substrate looks-wise.
For a more naturalistic set up or enclosures where you wish to plant live plants, eco earth is also an acceptable substrate. You can easily spot clean it, and changes don’t need to be made very often. If you want to spruce up the substrate even more, moss and leaf litter can be added on top of the eco earth. This will also help prevent your gecko from ingesting any small particles that it shouldn’t.
There are also certain reptile “carpets” available, that can look like anything from grass, to sand, to actual carpet. Sand and grass-looking carpets are fine, however, be wary of the felt/carpet-looking ones, as your gecko’s claws may get stuck in them and rip, harming your gecko. They are also harder to keep sanitary, however removing them for cleaning is fairly straightforward. Tiles are also an acceptable option, as they can be cheap, easy to clean, and a smooth surface for your gecko which removes any danger.
However gargoyle geckos spend most of their time up above the ground, so don’t be too concerned with what you pick, just go with what’s easiest for you and fits the look you’re going for. Just make sure you avoid any substrates that can be dangerous to your gecko, such as sand, wood chips, bark mulch, small gravel, etc.
7. Enclosure
Gargoyle geckos like to climb on things, and they have pads on their feet that help them climb various surfaces such as walls and plants. Therefore it is important for your enclosure to have lots of things to climb on. For a younger gecko, 10 gallons will do well, but once they get closer to their adult size you will need to switch them over to at least a 20 gallon, although you can always go larger. If you keep more than one gargoyle gecko in a tank, you will need to get a tank bigger than 20 gallons.
A glass tank with a screen turned on its side makes a great cheap tank for them. There are also many tanks on the market that are made for arboreal-type geckos and have lots of vertical space. So what you choose to buy will depend on your price range and the amount of space you have. You can also buy a starter kit that comes with decorations included like this one here.
Wire cages such as these are lighter and easier to clean, however, these should only be used in places with naturally high humidity, as any humidity added by you spraying the enclosure will quickly disappear, and this won’t be good for the health of your geckos.
There are also custom cages available made out of various materials, which can be made to your specification. These can get very pricey very quickly, but if you’re looking for something specific this may be a good option.
Gargoyle geckos are nocturnal, which means they are most active at night. Having plenty of plants and vines, as well as branches for them to climb and jump on at night is important. They also like to hide out and sleep in the plants/vines during the day, so having the plants will satisfy this need as well. The plants/vines that you choose to include can be fake ones attached to the walls or ledges, or they can be real ones that you plant yourself. Just make sure that whatever plants you choose, real or fake, can support the weight of the full-grown gecko, and isn’t toxic to your gecko.
Vertical logs and cork bark are also great for your gecko to climb around/in, and can be a beautiful addition to the tank if you wish to include them. Just make sure that any wood you get is not toxic to reptiles, as some woods can seriously harm and injure your gecko. A good list of toxic woods can be found here.
8. Humidity and Water
Gargoyle Geckos do require proper humidity, which you will need to monitor and control. A basic hygrometer will be a good tool to have to make sure that the proper levels are maintained. Humidity levels should not drop below 50%, with 70% being ideal. This can be achieved by misting the cage once or twice a day, allowing water droplets to form on the tank walls and leaves. A misting spray bottle will be a great tool to have around.
Gargoyle Geckos prefer to drink the water droplets from the walls and leaves when you spray down their tanks daily, but including a small water bowl for them to drink from if desired is always a good idea.
9. Sexing Your Gargoyle Gecko
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Determining the sex of your gargoyle gecko will be easier once they are older and more mature. As an adult, your gargoyle gecko will be able to be easily sexed by looking at its underside. Males will have more pronounced pores, as well as a hemipenal bulge at the base of their tails. Females have a flat surface at the base of their tails, with less obvious pores.
10. Gargoyle Gecko Morphs
Gargoyle geckos come in a bunch of beautiful colors and morphs to choose from. As far as I can find, there are currently no dangerous morphs for gargoyle geckos, so the only limit is your price range and availability. However, we think that even the one’s considered “normal” are still absolutely gorgeous geckos!
You can see 10 of these gorgeous morphs here.
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Now that you know what you need to do to care for your new gargoyle gecko, you can confidently bring your new friend home to live with you! Enjoy your new pet, as they will be with you for many years to come!
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