Crucial Tips for Taking Care of the Gargoyle Geckos

Gargoyle gecko is a native to Australia. It also lives in the islands of Fiji. This beautiful reptile has a bony horn-like structure on its skull. Hence, it has been named as Gargoyle gecko. In recent years, people in the USA have started adopting reptiles as pets. Cats and dogs are popular pets all over the world. Reptiles may seem not much popular. But, the fact is that demand for reptiles as pets is rising. In many households of America and Australia, you can find Gargoyle geckos as pets. So, if you are thinking of adopting them as pets, you need to know a few things about them. In the following section, you shall get a complete guide on taking care of Gargoyle geckos.

Basic Features of Gargoyle Geckos

Gargoyle geckos are omnivores like many other reptiles. They eat dry fruits, vegetables, insects, and young small mammals. Since they are nocturnal, they spend most of the time sleeping in the morning. You need to feed them at night. A full-grown and young Gargoyle gecko can be eight to ten inches long. Females are mostly smaller in size. These reptiles have a pretty long lifespan. They can live around 15-20 years if you take proper care of them. In the wilds, they live 10-12 years on average.

Some Interesting Facts on Gargoyle Geckos

Along with the common facts, it is good to know the unique facts on the Gargoyle geckos. To help you, some interesting facts on the Gargoyle geckos have been discussed in the following section of this article.

• Gargoyle geckos do not have eyelids. This is not an uncommon thing for the geckos. Geckos use the tongue to keep eyes moist and clean.
• On the toes of Gargoyle geckos, you shall find millions of tiny hairs. These hairs help them to climb up the smooth and vertical surfaces. However, Gargoyle geckos do not have sticky feet like arboreal geckos.
• Gargoyle geckos use their tails as a fifth foot for claiming. The hairs that are found on the toes can be found on the tails too.
• When they find a potential threat, they surprise attackers by cutting off their tails. This is a trick to divert the attention of the attackers so that they get enough time to escape from the possible threat. Once Gargoyle geckos lose their tails, they take at least three weeks to get back the new tail again. The new tail is usually shorter than the original tail.

Ambiance Setup for Gargoyle Geckos

Since Gargoyle geckos come from the tropical forests of Australia and Fiji, they love moist environments. They prefer ambiance temperature as much as 70 degrees Fahrenheit. The temperature should not exceed 85 degrees Fahrenheit, as they cannot tolerate this much temperature. The common way of understanding high temperature in the setup is to monitor the behavior of the Gargoyle geckos.  In high-temperature conditions, they become exhausted. They move slowly, although they are very active and energetic throughout the day. You can use a temperature gun to measure the temperature inside the setup.

Foods for the Gargoyle Geckos

It is not difficult to feed them, as they have simple dieting habit. A small and growing Gargoyle gecko needs to be fed once in 24 hours. Taking more foods will help in the growth process of the gecko. A fully grownup young gecko should be fed at least once in 2-3 days. They love eating insects, especially crickets. Millet worms are also loved by them. For feeding rich protein, you can use super worms as their foods. Apart from these food items, they also love eating various fruits. For example, Gargoyle geckos eat apricots, mangos, peaches, berries, bananas, figs, etc. Giving fruits occasionally is important, as these fruits are rich source of vitamins and minerals for their bodies.

Safety Precautions

Gargoyle geckos are not violent, and thus they do not tend to bite anyone. When you touch them, make sure that you touch them softly. Using hard hands to hold them is not recommended, as it can injure them. The spine of geckos is fragile. Hence, it can easily be injured. You need to take all these safety precautions when holding the Gargoyle geckos. After touching them, you must wash your hands properly. The body of geckos possesses many bacteria and viruses. Hence, you must be careful.

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