Gargoyle geckos found in nature consume an array of insects and fruits. To recreate this diet, provide your gargoyle gecko with Repashy Bug Burger or Arcadia Insect Fuel along with dusted feeder insects (crickets, roaches and waxworms) as a supplement that provides essential nutrition.
Provide small pieces of fruit from time to time as this helps stimulate their natural foraging instincts and encourage foraging behavior.
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Feeding
Gargoyle geckos feed on both insects and fruit in their natural environments, but for captive environments they should also receive appropriately-sized feeder insects (such as discoid roaches or crickets ) coated in calcium- and vitamin-rich coating, which can be purchased pre-mixed at many pet stores.
Add a UVB lamp to the enclosure, as this helps your gecko synthesize vitamin D3. These lamps can be purchased both at pet stores and online.
Handle your gecko with care when handling, over an unclimbable surface. Geckoes are excellent jumpers and may quickly flee if they become anxious or scared, although fearful or stressed geckos may drop their tails which should regrow if left alone; this should be seen as a sign of stress and should be avoided as their tail serves an essential function in climbing foliage and camouflaging against predators – not to mention creating sticky residue that sticks to molecules on walls and glass enclosures which helps them climb.
Terrarium
Gargoyle geckos are semi-arboreal lizards that spend most of their time climbing, enjoying climbing branches and plants to spend time on. As hatchlings they should be kept in simple caging setups with paper towel substrate, pvc tubes or in small aquariums (up to 5 gallons). As soon as they grow big enough they would benefit more from larger enclosures.
Gargoyles are omnivorous creatures in their natural environments and consume an assortment of fruits, nectars and insects; in captivity they will readily accept crickets, mealworms and waxworms, but should first be gut loaded prior to feeding.
Fresh fruit is an excellent source of vitamins and minerals for geckos, but beware any dried fruit with added sugar as this should only be given in smaller pieces that have not been processed or contain additives. Humidity must also be properly maintained by spraying a light mist twice daily into their enclosure – pet stores usually carry hygrometers to assist with this task as well as live plants to regulate it further.
Supplements
As with most reptiles, geckos require supplements to make up for any deficiencies in their natural diet. Gargoyle geckos should be provided with pre-mixed powdered food, feeder insects stuffed with gut-loaded and dusted insects, and occasionally fresh fruits as nourishment.
Pre-mixed powdered gecko foods can be purchased at most pet stores and mixed with water to form baby food-like consistency, then fed daily to babies and juveniles; 2-3 times each week to adults. In addition, offer store-bought or specially gut-loaded feeder insects such as dubia roaches, crickets, black soldier fly larvae or mealworms at regular intervals – these should all be dusted with high-quality calcium/vitality dust such as Repashy Bug Burger, Arcadia Insect Fuel or Dubia Diet for maximum effect.
Fruits like figs, dates, mango, apricots and papaya should only be offered as occasional treats. Be wary of fruits that contain too much phosphorus (which draws calcium away from bones and can lead to metabolic bone disease) for the body to absorb.
Care
Gargoyle geckos are relatively hardy creatures and, with proper care, can make an excellent addition to new reptile owners. A few considerations when keeping these lizards include:
Recording the diet of your gecko in a feeding journal is an easy and accurate way to monitor their eating habits, making it easier to know when more food needs to be given.
Offering feeder insects 2-3 times each week and supplementing their diet with powdered food mixes and fruits will keep their pets thriving. Hornworms and waxworms should be avoided as these high-fat feeder insects can quickly lead to weight gain in lizards.
Add leafy greens, cruciferous vegetables, fruit and supplements such as calcium and Vitamin D3 powdered onto feeder insects so your gecko gets all of their essential vitamins and minerals through natural means. Also avoid foods high in oxalate such as starfruit and rhubarb that could be toxic to reptiles. It is also important to avoid foods high in oxalate such as starfruit and rhubarb that could be toxic for reptiles. Supplements including calcium and Vitamin D3 should also be added by dusting feeder insects in order to ensure your gecko is getting all their essential vitamins and minerals through natural means.
