New Caledonian Geckos (Crested, Gargoyle, N.C. Giant)

Establish a range from 70°F to 85°F. The top of the enclosure should be no warmer than 85°F in the basking area, and the diagonally opposite corner no warmer than 70°F.

Mist the enclosure with a spray bottle twice a day. Arboreal geckos prefer to drink droplets sprayed onto plants and the enclosure walls. Also keep a shallow dish of fresh water available at all times. Misting systems on appliance timers make this easy.

Branches and hollow logs make excellent climbing structures and hiding places. Many geckos like to bask in slight concealment, such as under the broad leaves of a plant, so decorate with foliage: plastic vines or living house plants.

Enclosure size: a 5-gallon tall terrarium is the minimum for hatchlings. Juveniles and adults can be housed in a 10-gallon terrarium at minimum. Height matters more than length; these geckos are arboreal.

Coco bark, cymbidium mix, orchid bark and cypress mulch all create a natural, forest-like floor. Moistened sphagnum moss draped across logs or laid on the floor adds hiding places and holds humidity.

Live insects and ripened fruit. Younger animals eat daily; adults every other day. Ripened fruit mashed into a puree like baby food is essential. They take mangos, papayas, seasonal berries, bananas, cooked sweet potato, cooked yam and even cooked carrots. Avoid highly acidic foods such as citrus, pineapple and tomatoes.

Coat or mix all food with a 50/50 mix of calcium and multivitamin.

An overhead heat lamp keeps enclosure temperatures ideal: either a low-wattage night basking bulb or a larger-wattage bulb on a dimmer. We also recommend a full-spectrum fluorescent light high in UVB over the enclosure for 12 hours a day.