Gargoyle Geckos - Rhacodactylus auriculatus - Inquiry

[darkness975]

Does any one here keep Gargoyle geckos? I am curious as to the real temperatures they can be kept at (and not the random google pages that all copy and paste each other and say a range of 78 - 85 F )

They do not do well if they are too warm (i.e. in the 80s).

Thanks

 

[StampFan]

Does any one here keep Gargoyle geckos? I am curious as to the real temperatures they can be kept at (and not the random google pages that all copy and paste each other and say a range of 78 - 85 F )

They do not do well if they are too warm (i.e. in the 80s).

Thanks

I've got a couple of gargs. Love them, they always seem out perched on display during the day, while my cresties and chahoua are off hidden away.

New Caledonia is a funny place, the temps are very moderate, rarely get above 80F in a lot of areas for very long (an hour or two), and it goes down into the mid-high 50F in the cold season at night.

I would guess if its in the 80's for a short while every day they'd be okay, but I wouldn't keep them that way all the time.

They truly are excellent reptiles that need no additional heat, and can truly live at room temperatures.

Cresties have a fight or flight response to handling, whereas Gargs will freeze first, then flight, then fight. That freeze-first makes them amazing to get out of the cage when a crestie will run and jump....I can reach into the garg cages and give them a little head pet, and that's quite endearing.

Its the humidity for me that's always a struggle.

 

[darkness975]

I've got a couple of gargs. Love them, they always seem out perched on display during the day, while my cresties and chahoua are off hidden away.

New Caledonia is a funny place, the temps are very moderate, rarely get above 80F in a lot of areas for very long (an hour or two), and it goes down into the mid-high 50F in the cold season at night.

I would guess if its in the 80's for a short while every day they'd be okay, but I wouldn't keep them that way all the time.

They truly are excellent reptiles that need no additional heat, and can truly live at room temperatures.

Cresties have a fight or flight response to handling, whereas Gargs will freeze first, then flight, then fight. That freeze-first makes them amazing to get out of the cage when a crestie will run and jump....I can reach into the garg cages and give them a little head pet, and that's quite endearing.

Its the humidity for me that's always a struggle.

I was contemplating acquiring a gargoyle gecko but I am not sure if the temperatures are adequate. Humidity I can obviously handle I have spray bottles and whatnot, and I have the knowledge of exotic pet keeping for many years since childhood to be able to set it up properly. But the real question I have involves temperature. During the winter, at the current place that I live, the temperature is on the cooler Side by my standards, it is around 67 to 69 F during the daytime, increase is to about 70 to 71 F during prime time, then drops again to 67 to 68 F at night. Personally I liked it much warmer but heating costs are astronomical so I need to be conservative as much as I can.

That being said, do you think that this period of cooler temperatures in the winter would be harmful given that it lasts for about 5 months?

The last thing I would do would be to adopt an animal that would suffer.

I want something a little more interactive than my invertebrate collection but currently where I live is very small and even though I like cats too I think it is a bit small for one at this time. I know that lizards are not exactly cats or dogs or Birds, I've had many over the years, but at least I could hold it some of the day. I am a strictly hands-off keeper when it comes to my invertebrates.

As it is I gave up some of my invertebrate collection that requires warmer temperatures because the wiring here is terrible and I didn't want to run heating pads, and a space heater would trip the breaker because I already tried.

long story short, knowing the temperatures that the air tends to be listed above, what do you think? Humidity might be an issue or it might not, I don't want to attract fungus gnats so I will use paper towel for a substrate so they can't lay eggs in it.

During the summer, without the air conditioner, the temperature can be in the lower to mid 80s. I would have to run the AC much more often than I do now, but my girl can't stand the warmer temperatures so I have a feeling I will be running it more often then I want to anyway. I have a temperature gun that I can use to monitor actual temperatures, and I know they cannot be any warmer than the low 80s at the warmest without being at risk of issues.

Thoughts ?

 

[StampFan]

I was contemplating acquiring a gargoyle gecko but I am not sure if the temperatures are adequate. Humidity I can obviously handle I have spray bottles and whatnot, and I have the knowledge of exotic pet keeping for many years since childhood to be able to set it up properly. But the real question I have involves temperature. During the winter, at the current place that I live, the temperature is on the cooler Side by my standards, it is around 67 to 69 F during the daytime, increase is to about 70 to 71 F during prime time, then drops again to 67 to 68 F at night. Personally I liked it much warmer but heating costs are astronomical so I need to be conservative as much as I can.

That being said, do you think that this period of cooler temperatures in the winter would be harmful given that it lasts for about 5 months?

The last thing I would do would be to adopt an animal that would suffer.

I want something a little more interactive than my invertebrate collection but currently where I live is very small and even though I like cats too I think it is a bit small for one at this time. I know that lizards are not exactly cats or dogs or Birds, I've had many over the years, but at least I could hold it some of the day. I am a strictly hands-off keeper when it comes to my invertebrates.

As it is I gave up some of my invertebrate collection that requires warmer temperatures because the wiring here is terrible and I didn't want to run heating pads, and a space heater would trip the breaker because I already tried.

long story short, knowing the temperatures that the air tends to be listed above, what do you think? Humidity might be an issue or it might not, I don't want to attract fungus gnats so I will use paper towel for a substrate so they can't lay eggs in it.

During the summer, without the air conditioner, the temperature can be in the lower to mid 80s. I would have to run the AC much more often than I do now, but my girl can't stand the warmer temperatures so I have a feeling I will be running it more often then I want to anyway. I have a temperature gun that I can use to monitor actual temperatures, and I know they cannot be any warmer than the low 80s at the warmest without being at risk of issues.

Thoughts ?

Well, in my stack of geckos there is always an enclosure on the bottom/floor, and it can get 68 at night and 71 or 72 as a high, and mine have been eating, doing well all winter.

I'd be more worried about the higher temps than the lower ones. There are numerous reports of these geckos in the mid 80's going into seizure-like activity; I had a little experience with this last summer when I took one of my cresties outside and even though it was around 72, it couldn't handle the direct sun for very long. Brought it in and it was fine.

Can it reside near the floor during the hot periods? Might bring it down a few degrees.

I've been using repti-carpet for the fungus gnat issue; I know its not popular, but these geckos don't spend a lot of time on the ground, so I'm not too worried about it. Others have kept them in tubs with no substrate (large breeders) with no major issues as long as you can keep the humidity up. I use a lot of sphagnum moss in a clay flower pot, works pretty well. I also keep a water dish in with mine; lots of people don't, but I always offer a water dish, and it also keeps the humidity up.

My gargs tolerate a few minutes of handling, but eventually want to move along. I've got one that launches off without warning, ya think everything is fine, then random suicide jump. My cresties are actually less stressed outside the cage, are happy getting taken around the house once in a while.

If you get one the two best things my gargs use are the fake jungle vines throughout and pool noodles cut to size to go across horizontally; the gargs are almost *always* sitting out on these; like a lot of animals people here "arboreal" and don't realize these creatures still prefer to hang out for long periods and sleep in a horizontal position, not vertical. The vertical stuff is more for stimulation and exercise.

I actually have a lot less plant cover in my garg cages than my other geckos, they don't use it much. But my room down there doesn't have a lot of foot traffic, which may also be part of the reason they are out a lot.

Love my gargs, I could talk about them all day.

My last piece of advice is to watch and read about what the larger breeders do and use for their care. The "I have a pet" people have a very different perspective than the folks that breed and raise a bunch. And my experience is breeders do thing very differently (water dishes, etc.).

 

[darkness975]

Well, in my stack of geckos there is always an enclosure on the bottom/floor, and it can get 68 at night and 71 or 72 as a high, and mine have been eating, doing well all winter.

I'd be more worried about the higher temps than the lower ones. There are numerous reports of these geckos in the mid 80's going into seizure-like activity; I had a little experience with this last summer when I took one of my cresties outside and even though it was around 72, it couldn't handle the direct sun for very long. Brought it in and it was fine.

Can it reside near the floor during the hot periods? Might bring it down a few degrees.

I've been using repti-carpet for the fungus gnat issue; I know its not popular, but these geckos don't spend a lot of time on the ground, so I'm not too worried about it. Others have kept them in tubs with no substrate (large breeders) with no major issues as long as you can keep the humidity up. I use a lot of sphagnum moss in a clay flower pot, works pretty well. I also keep a water dish in with mine; lots of people don't, but I always offer a water dish, and it also keeps the humidity up.

My gargs tolerate a few minutes of handling, but eventually want to move along. I've got one that launches off without warning, ya think everything is fine, then random suicide jump. My cresties are actually less stressed outside the cage, are happy getting taken around the house once in a while.

If you get one the two best things my gargs use are the fake jungle vines throughout and pool noodles cut to size to go across horizontally; the gargs are almost *always* sitting out on these; like a lot of animals people here "arboreal" and don't realize these creatures still prefer to hang out for long periods and sleep in a horizontal position, not vertical. The vertical stuff is more for stimulation and exercise.

I actually have a lot less plant cover in my garg cages than my other geckos, they don't use it much. But my room down there doesn't have a lot of foot traffic, which may also be part of the reason they are out a lot.

Love my gargs, I could talk about them all day.

My last piece of advice is to watch and read about what the larger breeders do and use for their care. The "I have a pet" people have a very different perspective than the folks that breed and raise a bunch. And my experience is breeders do thing very differently (water dishes, etc.).

Yea I could keep it on the floor in the summer.

I was hopeful they'd tolerate a bit more handling but I guess not everything is as care free as a leopard gecko.

What do you keep the humidity at? Or do you just keep it moist?

I'd say a water dish cant hurt , and I'd stick with the gecko food. No sense in feeding live if it's going to be a hassle.

I thought about repti carpet but paper towel is easier and cheaper to change.

Assuming there is no power outage or furnace issue, the temp in the living room is as follows:

06:00 - 09:00 its 68 - 71ish, set to 70.
09:00 - 16:45 its 66 - 69ish, set to 68.
16:45 - 23:45 its 68 - 71ish, set to 70.
23:45 - 06:00 (next morning) its 66 - 69ish, set to 68.

The temperature swing is indicitave of the furnace kicking on and off. The wall where the thermostat sits is slightly warmer than the wall the tank would go.

My current collection of invertebrates is in the bedroom which is colder by a few degrees thanks to the huge deck sliding door and the windows. In there it will only be 66 or 67 even if the thermostat in the living room says its 70.

 

[StampFan]

Yea I could keep it on the floor in the summer.

I was hopeful they'd tolerate a bit more handling but I guess not everything is as care free as a leopard gecko.

What do you keep the humidity at? Or do you just keep it moist?

I'd say a water dish cant hurt , and I'd stick with the gecko food. No sense in feeding live if it's going to be a hassle.

I thought about repti carpet but paper towel is easier and cheaper to change.

Assuming there is no power outage or furnace issue, the temp in the living room is as follows:

06:00 - 09:00 its 68 - 71ish, set to 70.
09:00 - 16:45 its 66 - 69ish, set to 68.
16:45 - 23:45 its 68 - 71ish, set to 70.
23:45 - 06:00 (next morning) its 66 - 69ish, set to 68.

The temperature swing is indicitave of the furnace kicking on and off. The wall where the thermostat sits is slightly warmer than the wall the tank would go.

My current collection of invertebrates is in the bedroom which is colder by a few degrees thanks to the huge deck sliding door and the windows. In there it will only be 66 or 67 even if the thermostat in the living room says its 70.

I wouldn't be too worried about those temps. Maybe move it higher in the room during the cooler months, and lower during the warmer months just to be safe.

Essentially I'm using Rubbermaid All Access bins for the adults. They are a nice size, are front opening, super clear, stack, and hold the humidity really well. Between occasional spraying, the humid hide (large clay pot with sphagnum) and the water dish it rare dips below 70 or 80% humidity. I think that nocturnal geckos do well in these bins as only one side is clear, so it allows them to hide just about anywhere without a ton of leaf cover like an Exo-Terra.

I consider the gargs a really nice display gecko that come in a huge number of colors and combinations, that are cool with being picked up for the most part. They aren't exactly social animals, like a bearded dragon let's say, so they aren't going to "bond" with you. But one of my cresties is super chill for handling, and absolutely knows the difference between me and someone else's hand (not sure if its smell, or feel). They do take work to get to the point that they enjoy handling. The fact that they come out at night, the same time that you're checking out your inverts is also a real bonus. Mine start rockin' around 7 or 8pm, and by 11pm are all over the place.

Definitely leave it alone for a while after re-housing it, they do take time to adjust. They can be CRAZY when you first get them home. I try to work with mine for 5 or 10 minutes a day most days of the week.

If you get one please post a pic. I haven't seen an "ugly" garg. I think even the most bland ones have creative colors and strips. And those blue eyes are stunning, like a Siberian Husky. And the fact that they fire up and fire down make them chameleon-like.

 

[StampFan]

Yea I could keep it on the floor in the summer.

I was hopeful they'd tolerate a bit more handling but I guess not everything is as care free as a leopard gecko.

What do you keep the humidity at? Or do you just keep it moist?

I'd say a water dish cant hurt , and I'd stick with the gecko food. No sense in feeding live if it's going to be a hassle.

I thought about repti carpet but paper towel is easier and cheaper to change.

Assuming there is no power outage or furnace issue, the temp in the living room is as follows:

06:00 - 09:00 its 68 - 71ish, set to 70.
09:00 - 16:45 its 66 - 69ish, set to 68.
16:45 - 23:45 its 68 - 71ish, set to 70.
23:45 - 06:00 (next morning) its 66 - 69ish, set to 68.

The temperature swing is indicitave of the furnace kicking on and off. The wall where the thermostat sits is slightly warmer than the wall the tank would go.

My current collection of invertebrates is in the bedroom which is colder by a few degrees thanks to the huge deck sliding door and the windows. In there it will only be 66 or 67 even if the thermostat in the living room says its 70.

Here is a good caresheet from a breeder, there are a few good ones out there. You can find some good info directly from Allen Repashy if you dig deep enough on the 'net (videos, articles, interviews, etc.)

https://www.gargoylequeen.com/caresheet.html

I will caution you, these are like T's. They don't mess much, are easy to keep and feed, and you will likely end up with more than one.....

 

[darkness975]

Here is a good caresheet from a breeder, there are a few good ones out there. You can find some good info directly from Allen Repashy if you dig deep enough on the 'net (videos, articles, interviews, etc.)

https://www.gargoylequeen.com/caresheet.html

I will caution you, these are like T's. They don't mess much, are easy to keep and feed, and you will likely end up with more than one.....

I appreciate all the feedback. Sounds like for my lifestyle it could fit in well. I am not looking for any super needy animals at the moment.

I would probably get an Exo Terra just because I would only have one (for now) and it would be an awesome display setup.

I wouldn't want to kill it with having it too cold and moist at the same time but I guess it seems the temps would be okay. That corner where the tank would go is usually a couple degrees colder than the wall with the thermostat, so you're looking at 66 - 68 when the thermostat reads 70 (i.e. prime time).

As an unrelated note: we are so lucky to have this Forum. I posted on the Pangea forum and I guess I was expecting the same thing as here. Well, my post has not even been "approved by a moderator yet" (because I'm a new sign up) and in looking through the posts many of them are unanswered. Definitely not anywhere near as active as Arachnoboards.

 

[StampFan]

I appreciate all the feedback. Sounds like for my lifestyle it could fit in well. I am not looking for any super needy animals at the moment.

I would probably get an Exo Terra just because I would only have one (for now) and it would be an awesome display setup.

I wouldn't want to kill it with having it too cold and moist at the same time but I guess it seems the temps would be okay. That corner where the tank would go is usually a couple degrees colder than the wall with the thermostat, so you're looking at 66 - 68 when the thermostat reads 70 (i.e. prime time).

As an unrelated note: we are so lucky to have this Forum. I posted on the Pangea forum and I guess I was expecting the same thing as here. Well, my post has not even been "approved by a moderator yet" (because I'm a new sign up) and in looking through the posts many of them are unanswered. Definitely not anywhere near as active as Arachnoboards.

Yep, there are few forums with the level of knowledge and responsiveness of this place.

The other things about Gargs: They *eat*. Mine lick their bowls clean pretty fast compared to my other geckos, unless in pre-molt. And there is nothing easier than preparing crested gecko diet. Get bottle cap, add amount, add 2-3 times amount in water, done! Some of the breeders I've seen actually use *more* water in their crested gecko diet for hydration, then spray less often as they are getting hydration through the CGD.

I really can't say enough about them, easy to keep and pretty cool little guys. I've got one that's a pretty good size too, which is nice.

I was toying with the idea of getting a Cave Gecko as well, as they also enjoy room temperature and don't require lighting, but everything I've seen says that they don't like handling much and hide when they see you, so that's not much fun.

 

[darkness975]

Yep, there are few forums with the level of knowledge and responsiveness of this place.

The other things about Gargs: They *eat*. Mine lick their bowls clean pretty fast compared to my other geckos, unless in pre-molt. And there is nothing easier than preparing crested gecko diet. Get bottle cap, add amount, add 2-3 times amount in water, done! Some of the breeders I've seen actually use *more* water in their crested gecko diet for hydration, then spray less often as they are getting hydration through the CGD.

I really can't say enough about them, easy to keep and pretty cool little guys. I've got one that's a pretty good size too, which is nice.

I was toying with the idea of getting a Cave Gecko as well, as they also enjoy room temperature and don't require lighting, but everything I've seen says that they don't like handling much and hide when they see you, so that's not much fun.

Now I need to start acquiring supplies.

I hope when the time comes I can find a larger one. I'd rather have one that's not a tiny baby.

 

[StampFan]

Now I need to start acquiring supplies.

I hope when the time comes I can find a larger one. I'd rather have one that's not a tiny baby.

These things are very local/regional/geographical, but you can usually find a breeder's "hold back", one that they hatched they thought would be a good breeder that they decide to let go for whatever reason; these are often really nice colored varieties of gecko that are a bit older.

I'm actually surprised these aren't more popular, especially considering they seem to drop their tails less than a crested gecko, and when they do they grow back....

 

[Ellenantula]

I think @Tim Benzedrine keeps a few geckos....

I have a BD, but gotta admit geckos are cute and seem to require less basking lights/temps.

I sort of hope you get one -- I think it would be rewarding!

 

[darkness975]

These things are very local/regional/geographical, but you can usually find a breeder's "hold back", one that they hatched they thought would be a good breeder that they decide to let go for whatever reason; these are often really nice colored varieties of gecko that are a bit older.

I'm actually surprised these aren't more popular, especially considering they seem to drop their tails less than a crested gecko, and when they do they grow back....

One of the main reasons I decided on a Gargoyle instead of a Crested is because if they lose their tail it will grow back, whereas with the Cresteds they do not. I want to get a Leopard Gecko and some other lizards/snakes some day when I am living someplace with proper wiring.

When younger I had my share of lizards, including Anoles, Long Tail Grass, etc.

 

[AverageTy]

I got a small one last year that did great all winter here in Canada. It dropped to 60 in the a few times and it was fine and grew quite a bit over winter.

I handle mine a few times a week it will sit on my shoulder or hands for an hour if I wanted, loves hand feeding. It usually doesn't do a lot during the day, but is running around all night.

Hammy lives in a bioactive enclosure so maintaince is a dream. It has never once went after a cricket... I've heard in the wild they prefer young geckos and have special back teeth for grasping them...

I also have a few bavayia robusta which are super cute and seem interact with each other more. Similar care but they like crickets more.

 

[Tim Benzedrine]

Most of what I am adding has been covered, I think, but since I burnt a lot of time on composing this last night, yer stuck with it.

Yeah, I have three leopard geckos and one crested. It is a bit of a bummer that cresteds do not regenerate their tails and that they drop them so readily. But it doesn't detract from their inherent cuteness and in a way, kinda adds to their charm a little. They are affectionately referred to as "frog-butts" by many keepers. Mine had a tail when I got it, but there was a mishap and now it is a frog-butt.

Leopard geckos are nice too. I have one blizzard morph, and two "normal". If you can call three-legged geckos normal.Those two received injuries that resulted in partial limb loss, and I adopted both of them several months apart. To add insult to injury, one. "Peggy" had also lost her tail as well as her left leg below the knee, was missing her rear left leg. I don't know how it came about.

The other "Lurch" had lost part of its front right leg, again from circumstance that I am unaware of. It has it's tail intact at least.

Now for specifics. As mentioned above, temperatures in the 80's don't set to well for crested geckos. When I rescued mine, I was under the impression that they needed tropical temperatures because I asked the person who was an intermediate in the rescue what they needed and they sort of took a guess. I took it in as a sort of immediate thing, in other words it was dropped in my lap at the spur of the moment and I had to do quick research, and I missed the fact that they do not require such temperature levels. it was only after I noticed erratic movement, sort of tremor-like, that I began researching deeper and learned that that was a symptom of over-heating, so abandoned supplementary heating methods in its starter enclosure and luckily no permanent neurological damage was done. Once it became big enough to move into a more spacious enclosure, I did adhere a low-wattage heating pad to the side of it, because it can get kind of chilly in my house during the winter. When summer arrives, I will move it downstairs where the ambient temps are a bit lower and do not plug the pad in for the season.
Substrate. I use reptile carpet for all my geckos and my snake as well. And as StampFan noted, reptile carpet is controversial. But as he also notes, in the case of arboreals such as gargs and cresteds, it really is not an issue.
It is slightly more of an issue for terrestrials, as the risk of claws getting caught in the fibre and teeth snagged is not a myth. I've witnessed t. However, I have also noticed that at least in the case of my leopard geckos, they seem to learn the consequences of just snatching prey from the carpet indiscriminately. My adult male blizzard morph has it down to an art, really.
My snake has gotten snagged a couple of times, but because I slipped up on presentation of the pre-killed mice and caused him to miss and accidentally grab the carpet.
It costs more, but is reusable, and much more attractive than paper towels. Which is not to say that there is anything wrong with using those, of course. Pretty easy to keep clean, too. Especially if you keep a couple to swap out when you are doing maintenance.
Humidity issues change for me from season to season. Winter is a dry period in my house so I mist a bit more frequently, generally three times a day. When summer arrives, I do it twice.
Live food- I offer it now and then, but more as a whim and a treat. The crested gecko diets that are have good reputations are nutritionally complete. I think that they also offer hydration, given that they are mixed with water

In regard to leopard geckos, they are really easy when it comes to care. They require no special lighting such as UVB, but there has been some discussion going on about how it is beneficial. I don't use UVB, but have been contemplating giving it a try..
As I mentioned, my home can be chilly in the winter, so I do have to resort to heat bulbs during that period for the one that I have to keep in a slightly cooler room A very controversial topic. I do have an appropriate wattage heat pad under their enclosures, as belly heat is necessary, they are not a basking species, being largely nocturnal or as some consider them, crepuscular. Some believe light is harmful to their vision, don't know if that has been studied enough to make it a fact, though.

 

[schmiggle]

I've never kept gargoyle geckos, so please take what I'm about to say with a heaping spoonful of salt. However, I figured I would note that I've had a lot of success keeping highland plants and salamanders cool using ice bottles. Arboreal geckos are a sufficiently different ball game that this might not be a good idea for any number of reasons that I'm unaware of, but I figured I would throw that out there.

 

[darkness975]

@Tim Benzedrine @schmiggle
For me the biggest factor is the winter temps. Some day I will be elsewhere and this will all be moot, but at present the winter temps where I currently live are between 67 - 69 during the day and 69 - 71 during prime time, then drops back to 67 - 68ish at night time. I would not want to cause undue stress, given their preference for humidity, if temps in that range combined with water will make it too chilly for them.

Like mentioned above, I likely have more to be worried about in the summer with temps being too high, but I think given that my girl likes it cooler the AC will be running a lot more than it did last year ...

I have heard plenty of stories of people who have gargs and cresties and if they lose power for a week, while the other lizards are dying from heat loss, the gargs and cresties are still running around and eating even in the 50s temps.

Obviously I would not want to test that theory, and if ya'll think the temps mentioned above are okay (i.e. not too cold to be detrimental) in the winter then I'd say nothing stopping me from getting one, assuming I can find a decent breeder. I presume I will have to have one shipped - I doubt anyone near within driving distance has anything to offer. This region never does.

According to the care sheet that @StampFan linked to, I should be fine. Here is a quote:

"In most situations room temperature is adequate for Rhacodactylus geckos, as long as the temperature stays below 84 degrees (high) in the summer and above 65 (low) degrees Fahrenheit in the winter. My temps in the summer are usually 72/78 (low/high) and 65/72 (low/high) in the winter."