MNIAROGEKKO CHAHOUA CARE SHEET
Mniarogekko are a genus of large sized geckos comprised of two described species that are native to New Caledonia. At Jecko's Geckos LLC, we are currently working with only Mniarogekko chahoua, but breed both Mainland and Pine Island localities. The difference between the two localities is mostly based on size (Pine Islands are larger in body and head length), but some anecdotal evidence suggests that Mainlands grow their tails back after autotomization while Pine island individuals do not.
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Habitat:
These geckos typically live in large trees in the forests of New Caledonia. Inside the cage we recommend cork bark, Zoo Med Flexible Hanging Vine, and Pangea’s Ultimate Reptile Vine (assorted vines and foliage can be found here:
https://www.pangeareptile.com/store/vines.html). Cage size should be appropriate for the age of the gecko. For a single baby/ juvenile we use 8x8x12 Exo Terra tanks (or equivalent size from other companies, i.e. https://dwgeckos.com/). For adults, we use 18x18x24 Exo Terra tanks or larger. A single adult will do well in a 12x12x18 Exo Terra tank.
Lighting:
No extra heating or lighting is required, but we do supply UVB to all our adult breeders and often see them out during the day under the lights. We recommend a temperatures between 70-85° F.
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Diet:
We feed our Mniarogekko chahoua on live insects and Pangea Fruit Mix Complete (Apricot, Breeder, or Insect). We recommend feeding your M. chahoua insects at least once a week. Many breeders feed their M. chahoua insects multiple times a week. Make sure the food item is an appropriate size for your gecko. Feeding occurs every other day.
Misting:
We lightly mist our geckos daily.
Substrates:
We use paper towel at Jecko’s Geckos and swap it out every other week or sooner if it appears to be dirty. Other substrates may be used but veterinarians suggest some substrates may cause impactions.
Babies and Juveniles:
We recommend smaller cages with paper towel, pieces of cork and fake plants. We recommend using Zoo Med Flexible Hanging Vine, and Pangea’s Ultimate Reptile Vine. Feeding is the same as adults, just smaller fruit mix quantities and smaller insects.
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Breeding:
Mniarogekko chahoua tend to start laying eggs in the spring (February-April). Depending on conditions, they can lay eggs for a while in winter (December). October-December is typically when laying begins to slow down. No eggs are laid during the cooler months/ brumation period. During the brumation period, we keep the conditions the same and feed the same amounts. The temperature drops only a few degrees from the house naturally being cooler in the winter. We keep adults are kept together year round.
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Life Expectancy:
The life expectancy of these geckos are unknown. Best guess based on the time to sexually mature (2 - 3 years), size, and number of offspring produced would be 10 or more years. Individuals are often known to live more than 10 years in captivity.
These are our general guidelines that we adhere to at Jecko’s Geckos LLC. In general there is little information on this genus for captive care. We are happy to advise, but our care comes from experience and other advice from other veteran hobbyists. For additional questions please email us at jon@jeckosgeckos.com.