At a glance the quick version
Wikipedia gives 60-70 g for adults, ReptiFiles 45-65 g depending on sex and genetics; hatchlings weigh about 3 g
Looks how to spot one
Arboreal gecko with bumpy head knobs and a gripping tail
A medium-small tree gecko with a broad head topped by small bumps that look like horns or ears, which earned it the gargoyle name. Its toe pads are sticky but less grippy than those of many climbing geckos, and its tail can curl around branches. It has no eyelids and wipes its eyes clean with its tongue. A lost tail grows back, unlike in the crested gecko.13
Personality what they are like
A relaxed, handleable gecko that suits newcomers to reptile keeping. It is mostly active at night and likes to climb and leap between branches.31
Daily activity how busy a day looks
Nocturnal and arboreal. Can jump nearly three body lengths to reach a branch, so it benefits from plenty of branches and foliage plus some floor space.14
Grooming and care the hands-on bits
Mist heavily in the evening and lightly in the morning; the gecko drinks droplets from leaves and glass rather than from a bowl. Let humidity fall back to around 50% between mistings.5
Home where they are happiest
Adults need at least about 46 x 46 x 91 cm (18 x 18 x 36 in), with hatchlings under 12 g starting in about 30 cm cubed. Keep a gradient with a basking spot near 29 C (84 F), general 25-29 C, cool zone 22-23 C and nights 20-25 C; stay between 18 and 30 C. Humidity averages 50-70%. A 12-hour light cycle and low-level UVB are recommended.45
Food basics what goes in the bowl
Omnivore. A good-quality powdered complete gecko diet mixed with water forms the base, plus calcium-dusted insects such as dubia roaches, crickets and black soldier fly larvae. Juveniles get the diet daily and insects every other day; adults get the diet every other day and insects about twice a week.61
Company who they like around
Usually housed alone. Two females can share only in an enclosure about twice the standard size with extra feeding stations and hides; males should not be kept together.4
The story where it all began
French naturalist Arthur Bavay described the species in 1869 under the name Platydactylus auriculatus. It was later placed in Rhacodactylus, and today it is widely kept and bred in captivity.21
Fun facts for the dinner table
- 1
The species name auriculatus means 'eared' and refers to the lobes around its ear openings.2
- 2
It can leap nearly three times its own body length between branches.1
- 3
Females lay two eggs per clutch and may produce eight or nine clutches a year.1
- 4
Rarely, a female can reproduce without a male through parthenogenesis.1
Recognised by the official bits
- The Reptile Database
- Valid species Rhacodactylus auriculatus (Bavay, 1869), originally named Platydactylus auriculatus2
The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you
A typical home-care rhythm for a Gargoyle Gecko. It is our own starting plan, not a vet's advice, and you can change every line in the app.
- Fresh waterevery day
- Temperature checkCheck the warm and cool endsevery day
- Spot cleanevery day
- FeedingHow often depends on species and agevaries
- SupplementsCalcium and vitamin dusting as your vet recommendsas your vet recommends
- UVB bulb changeMany UVB bulbs fade before they stop glowing, follow the maker's adviceevery 6 months
- Weigh inevery month
- Full cleanevery month
- Vet check-upFind a vet who sees exotic petsevery year
You might also like
Crested GeckoLike what we are building? Buy us a coffee.
The breed atlas is free for everyone, with a source on every fact, and it will never show ads. If it helped you, a small tip keeps the research going. Any amount is lovely, and no is a perfectly fine answer too.
Where this comes from
Every breed page shows where each fact comes from. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are pet people, not a science magazine. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.
- Rhacodactylus auriculatus - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.orgused for names, origin, size, weight, body, colours, behaviour, diet, fun facts
- Rhacodactylus auriculatus - The Reptile Database reptile-database.reptarium.czused for taxonomy, distribution, names, etymology
- Gargoyle Gecko Care Sheet - ReptiFiles reptifiles.comused for size, weight, lifespan, temperament, colour change
- Gargoyle Gecko Terrarium Size - ReptiFiles reptifiles.comused for enclosure size, cohabitation
- Gargoyle Gecko Temperature and Humidity - ReptiFiles reptifiles.comused for temperatures, humidity, lighting, misting
- Gargoyle Gecko Food - ReptiFiles reptifiles.comused for diet and feeding schedule
Checked 2026-09-30. Text is written in our own words from these sources.