SpeciesGargoyle gecko
Gargoyle gecko
Rhacodactylus auriculatus
Sturdier and less delicate than the crested gecko, with bony bumps on the head. In German it is also called “Höckerkopfgecko”. It gets by at room temperature and needs no heating: One of the few genuine beginner geckos.
- Group
- Gecko
- Level
- Beginner
- Origin
- New Caledonia
Where the species comes from
- World region
- New Caledonia
- Countries
- South of the main island of Grande Terre
- Habitat
- Drier bush forests and forest edges
The app does not yet hold an origin entry for this species. The distribution given here comes from the specialist literature.
The natural habitat is the yardstick for how you furnish an enclosure. Knowing where an animal comes from is knowing why it needs heat zones, hides and a particular humidity.
Husbandry at a glance
The same details appear in the animal’s profile inside the app.
- Enclosure
- Upright format, height before floor area. The Animal Welfare Ordinance sets no minimum size for gargoyle geckos. The reference is the German 1997 expert report on reptile keeping: for a pair at least 6 × 6 × 8 snout-vent lengths, i.e. 72 × 72 × 96 cm at 12 cm.
- Temperature
- 22–26 °C by day, 18–20 °C at night. Above 28 °C it becomes dangerous.
- Humidity
- 60–70 %, mist in the evening, let it dry during the day.
- Lighting
- Weak UV-B is beneficial, but not essential.
- Substrate
- Coco humus with leaf litter.
- Furnishings
- Cork tubes, branches, broad-leaved plants. The gecko sleeps by day upright against bark.
- Water
- Water droplets from leaves; plus a small dish.
- Feeding
- Ready-made fruit gecko diet two to three times a week, plus insects once a week.
- Behaviour
- Crepuscular and nocturnal, calm, mostly stays in one place.
- Handling
- Brief and rare. The tail can be dropped, but it grows back.
- Cohabitation
- Alone or as a pair. Never two males together.
- Health
- Very robust. Heat above 30 °C is poorly tolerated.
- Seasonal cycle
- No winter rest: New Caledonia. From June to September, a cooler phase of eight to ten weeks at 18–22 °C by day and 16–18 °C at night. The gargoyle gecko tolerates heat above 28 °C poorly — the cooler season is recovery for it, not deprivation.
- Safety
- No permit required.
Legal position in Switzerland
No permit foreseen
No permit required. The species does not belong to any of the groups listed in Art. 89 of the Swiss Animal Welfare Ordinance
No certificate of competence foreseen
No proof of competence required. It is only demanded for the animals named in Art. 89 of the Ordinance
No CITES listing
Not listed in the CITES appendices: Import and transfer require no species-protection papers. Keep the proof of purchase nonetheless
Minimum enclosure dimensions
Annex 2, table 5 of the Animal Welfare Ordinance does not list this species. Among snakes the table names only giant snakes (pythons and boas), elapids, vipers and pit vipers, and a few venomous or dangerous colubrids; for the rest no figure appears there.
The general rule in Annex 2 (letter K) then applies: the enclosure must be large enough for everything the species needs (hides, basking spot, climbing branches) to be arranged sensibly. As a yardstick, the ordinance points to expert opinions on a scientific basis. There is therefore no binding figure. The guide values in the calculator come from the 1997 expert report. Binding information comes from the cantonal veterinary office.
What the enclosure must provide
Provide species-appropriate heat and light zones, UV-B where needed, suitable substrate, retreats, climbing or digging options, water and natural rest periods.
Paperwork
Keep the purchase contract and proof of origin. Use the scientific name to check CITES and import status reliably.
These details are a guide, not legal advice. Binding information comes from the cantonal veterinary office; the text of the ordinance is what counts. More on the legal position
