- Temperature, Humidity & Lighting. Mourning Geckos should be kept at temperatures between 70 °F and 80 °F. The warmer the temperature the more active this species will become.
- Diet & Nutrition. Mourning gecko food is primarily insects, fruit, and nectar with no desire for green leafy vegetation as this species are more frugivorous than omnivorous.
- Handling and Taming. We do not recommend handling Mourning Geckos. This species is very fast and can grip almost all surfaces and fit itself into small crevices making a missing ...
What vegetable and fruit can you feed your gecko?
What Geckos eat fruits and vegetables? Papaya, figs and raspberries have excellent calcium-to-phosphorus ratios, so they are preferred by most geckos. Although geckos may enjoy banana, peach, nectarine or cantaloupe, and although these foods are nontoxic, they have very poor calcium-to-phosphorus ratios.
What is the best gecko for beginners?
Top 20 Best Pet Lizards For Beginners
- Bearded Dragon. The Bearded Dragon is an all-around popular, outgoing, and easy-to-care-for lizard. ...
- Leopard Gecko. Leopard Geckos are very popular and are widely known for being a great pet for beginner herpetologists.
- Crested Gecko. ...
- Blue-Tongue Skink. ...
- Green Anole. ...
- Argentine Black and White Tegu. ...
- Uromastyx. ...
- African Fat-Tailed Gecko. ...
- Chinese Water Dragon. ...
How often do you feed your gecko?
- Mangos
- Papaya
- Figs
- Watermelon
- Peaches
- Nectarines
- Bananas
- Pears
- Apricots
- Strawberries
How do you care for a baby gecko?
How to Tame a Baby Leopard Gecko?
- Move Slowly. The first tip to tame your baby leopard gecko when you bring it home is never to do anything too fast.
- No Surprises. Always approach your gecko from the front, never surprise it. ...
- Only Handle for Short Periods. ...
- Keep Your Gecko Secure. ...
- Never Grab by Tail. ...
- Wash Your Hands. ...
Can I feed my mourning gecko fruit?
This page contains affiliate links. Much like crested and gargoyle geckos, mourning geckos are omnivorous, which means that they eat a varied diet of fruit, pollen, and insects in the wild.
How often should you feed a mourning gecko?
In the wild, they primarily eat insects, nectar, and fruit. As pets, it's best to feed them high-quality, specially-formulated crested gecko diet (CGD) supplemented by live insect feeders. Mourning geckos do well on a diet of crested gecko diet (replaced every 24-48 hours) and calcium-dusted insects 1-2x/week.
Do mourning geckos need a water dish?
Since the tiny mourning geckos don't drink from dishes, water droplets created through misting is the only way they hydrate. They can even thrive in relative humidity levels of up to 90 percent as far as you ensure that portions of the terrarium are drier.
Can you keep a mourning gecko?
Due to their ready breeding habits, mourning geckos are frequently kept as feeders for snakes, amphibians, invertebrates, and larger lizards. However, they can make fun, easy-to-maintain pets as well.
How long can mourning geckos go without food?
There are 3 aspects of care to consider for all geckos: food, hydration and habitat management. Many older juveniles and adult geckos can go without food for 10 days to 2 weeks, though this is not ideal under normal circumstances. All geckos require more consistent hydration.
Do mourning geckos need a heat lamp?
Mourning geckos should have a low basking temperature between 82-85°F, as measured by a digital probe thermometer with the probe placed on the basking surface. The cool zone in the lower regions of the enclosure should stay between 70-75°F. Heat lamps should be turned off at night.
Can mourning geckos eat watermelon?
The most common frugivorous varieties include crested, gargoyle, chahoua, day, and mourning geckos. Offer fruit as a once a-week treat. A few favorites include papaya, pears, blueberries, mango, guava, cherries, pineapple, plums, grapes, apples, watermelon, and bananas. The best way to offer fruit is in a pureed form.
How do you look after a mourning gecko?
Because mourning geckos are constantly producing eggs, it's vital to make sure they have adequate calcium. All insects should be gut loaded and dusted with a reptile-suitable calcium supplement. In addition, if you are not using UVB in your enclosure, you need to use a multivitamin with D3 supplement.
How do you take care of a mourning gecko?
6:4717:53Mourning Gecko, The Best Pet Lizard? - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSimple they eat crested gecko diet and very small insects. So this might mean that you want to keepMoreSimple they eat crested gecko diet and very small insects. So this might mean that you want to keep a flightless fruit fly culture and we'll have links to those down in the description.
Can mourning geckos eat grapes?
Certain breeds of geckos eat fruit and these are called Frugivorous. Frugivorous geckos — those who consume fruit — often enjoy fruits such as grapes, apples, and apricots. Fruit eating species include crested geckos, gargoyle geckos, chahoua geckos, leachianus, mourning geckos, and day geckos.
What is the lifespan of a mourning gecko?
10-15 yearsLength/Lifespan: Adult mourning geckos are generally 3.5-4 in. in total length. With proper husbandry they usually live 10-15 years. However, being parthenogenic, you can expect your enclosure to be near constantly filled with geckos for as long as it continues to be maintained.
How long can mourning geckos go without water?
A leopard gecko can generally go without water safely for two to three days.
How many mourning geckos are in a 5 gallon?
2 geckosHousing Adults If you want a larger colony, add about 5 gallons of space per additional 2 geckos.
How big of a tank do mourning geckos need?
Once Mourning Geckos approach sexual maturity, we recommend building an appropriate live vivarium enclosure for the Geckos to reside in. We recommend a bare minimum of 3.5 gallons of space per adult Gecko, with larger enclosures always being better!
How do you pick up a mourning gecko?
You can handle mourning geckos but you have to be VERY gentle. They are small and their skin will tear if handled too roughly. The best advice to start out with is to handle them in their tank until you get used to how fast and delicate they are.
Will mourning geckos eat ants?
Mourning geckos are insectivores and will each just about any insect they can catch and swallow.
Species Summary
The mourning gecko ( Lepidodactylus lugubris) is a fascinating reptile species with a unique defining trait. These lizards are parthenogenetic, which means that the females reproduce asexually without males. It’s an exciting process that results in tiny little clones!
Appearance & Colors
Like many species in the Gekkonidae family, mourning geckos like to stay out of sight in the wild. They’re cryptically colored to blend into their surroundings.
Average Mourning Gecko Size
These reptiles are on the smaller end of the size spectrum. The average mourning gecko size is usually between three and four inches when fully grown.
Lifespan
The average mourning gecko lifespan is roughly ten years with proper care. They can live up to 15 years, but those instances are few and far between.
Mourning Gecko Care
Mourning gecko care is relatively easy compared to other species. Undemanding and adaptable, these pet lizards are pretty forgiving and don’t require precise environmental conditions to thrive.
Enclosure Size
The first thing to do is create a suitable enclosure. Thanks to their small size, mourning geckos can live happily in a compact five-gallon terrarium.
Habitat Setup
Creating a habitat setup that mimics their natural environment is an incredibly important part of mourning gecko care. A lush environment with plenty of climbing surfaces will provide all the enrichment they need to stay happy.
What is a mourning gecko?
The Mourning Gecko is also called common smooth-scaled gecko. This is a nocturnal animal that has a diet of small insects and nectar coming from local flowers. This is a unique species because of its parthenogenic nature and there are no available males which have been found.
How many eggs do mourning geckos produce?
Adult Mourning geckos are larger, slimmer and are ready to breed at 8 to 10 months of age. She will produce 2 eggs for every 6 weeks. More on the Mourning Gecko’s pseudocopulation later.
What is the easiest lizard to handle?
Mourning geckos are the easiest to handle because these are usually very friendly. These small lizards will enjoy being out of their tanks and handled by their keepers but make sure to start out young. Just like other reptiles, your Mourning gecko will become more confident if you handle it more often.
What is the disease of mourning geckos?
Similar to other lizards, Mourning geckos are susceptible to stomatitis or mouth rot. You can spot stomatitis like redness and swell along the mouth area, pus or any kind of discharge from the mouth. Also, take note of excess saliva because this is a sign of respiratory problems.
What temperature should a gecko tank be?
The gecko tank should have a temperature of more than 70 degrees Fahrenheit but not higher than 85 degrees.
How long do mourning geckos live?
Mourning geckos can live for more than 10 years in captivity while some breeders report that this lizard can live for more than 15 years. Because of their size, these lizards will not live for a long time in the wild. They are prey to many animals including birds of prey, snakes, larger lizards and many more.
Why do mourning geckos dip in water?
It will dip in its water dish to drink or lick at the moisture on the tank walls and on the plants. A tank with a water feature will be perfect for Mourning geckos. They will love to swim for a short while, nibbling on plants and eating small animals in the water.
What do mourning geckos eat?
In the wild, mourning geckos enjoy an omnivorous diet of nectar, fruit, fruit flies, and other small insects. Mourning geckos are known for a very special characteristic: the entire species is female!
Where can I find mourning geckos?
Simply put, they can be found in the South Pacific islands, in Central and South America, and Hawaii.
What is the adaptation of mourning geckos?
Parthenogenesis. Parthenogenesis is a type of asexual reproduction, which means they don’t need males to reproduce. Offspring, then, are essentially clones of their mothers. This adaptation is likely one of the reasons why mourning geckos have such a large native range.
How long do mourning geckos live?
Despite their small size, however, they can live for as long as 10 years, and there have been some claims of 15 years. Like many other gecko species, mourning geckos “fire up/down,” varying in color from brown to light tan, respectively.
Why are mourning geckos called mourning geckos?
In fact, the name “mourning gecko” comes from the assumption that they were “in mourning” over the loss of their mates when they were first discovered.
Do mourning geckos have eyelids?
Mourning geckos do not have eyelids, so they clean and moisten their eyes with their tongue. Mourning geckos can climb vertical surfaces. Like most geckos, this is thanks to thousands of tiny “hairs” on their toe pads called setae. A mourning gecko can regrow her tail if it gets cut/bitten off.
Minimum terrarium size for mourning geckos
The absolute minimum terrarium size for housing a pair of mourning geckos is 12”L x 12”W x 18”H. Of course, larger is always better, and if you don’t have a method of controlling their population, you will need to upgrade to a larger enclosure within a couple of years.
Do mourning geckos need UVB?
Yes! Because they’re constantly producing eggs, mourning geckos need extra help from access to appropriate UVB lighting. The best UVB bulb for mourning geckos housed in a 12” x 12” x 18” terrarium is the 26w Zoo Med Reptisun 5.0 Compact Coil bulb. However, you will need a larger UVB bulb for a larger enclosure.
Best temperature for mourning geckos
Despite the popular myth that mourning geckos are “room temperature pets,” they do benefit from having a low-temperature basking area. After all, they’re still reptiles, and that means they need a range of temperatures in their enclosure that allow them to thermoregulate.
Best humidity levels for mourning geckos
Mourning geckos are a tropical species, so the humidity inside their enclosure should be fairly high: 60-80%. Humidity should be measured via digital probe hygrometer, with the probe placed in the middle of the terrarium.
Best substrate for mourning geckos
Providing a layer of naturalistic substrate (“bedding”) will help maintain correct humidity levels and also helps make your enclosure more attractive! We recommend the following substrates for mourning geckos:
How to decorate a mourning gecko terrarium
An empty terrarium makes for bored mourning geckos, reducing their quality of life. You will also see fewer natural behaviors from them, which makes them less interesting to watch. Keep your pets entertained and engaged with its environment with the strategic use of décor items.
What to feed to a mourning gecko
Mourning geckos are omnivores, which means that they need to eat both plant- and animal-based foods to get the right nutrition. In the wild, they primarily eat insects, nectar, and fruit. As pets, it’s best to feed them high-quality, specially-formulated crested gecko diet (CGD) supplemented by live insect feeders.
Why are mourning geckos so easy to breed?
Due to it's parthenogenetic nature , this species is incredibly easy to breed. Mourning Geckos are an egg-gluing species, which means they lay soft eggs which are "glued" into place by the Geckos. Eggs are usually laid in pairs, although they aren't always placed next to each other.
What is a mourning gecko?
Mourning Geckos are a small, social, insectivorous-frugivorous Gecko. Aptly named for being "in mourning" of their lost (male) counterparts, this is a primarily female, parthenogenetic species which reproduces asexually. (That is, without a mate!) If you are curious, we recommend reading more about parthenogenesis on this Wiki page.
How long does it take for mourning gecko eggs to hatch?
Most Mourning Gecko eggs hatch out between 55-65 days in our experience. Once hatched, the hatchlings can be placed in typical grow out enclosures as described above. Natural In-Vivarium Development: Alternatively, the eggs can be left inside the vivarium to develop naturally.
What does MRP mean in a gecko diet?
Common lingo: "CGD" = Crested Gecko Diet / "MRP" = Meal Replacement Powder (Both the same thing) A quarantine period is always a good practice to follow for all newly acquired animals. Repashy Gecko Diet can be mixed in small deli cups, and refrigerated for up to 1 week for ease of upkeep.
Do mourning geckos need an enclosure?
The specifics of an enclosure will depend heavily on the age of the Gecko being cared for, so we've divided this section into appropriate age groups.
Do geckos eat repashy diet?
Geckos that are fed inappropriate diets prior to being sold may be apprehensive accepting a healthy diet like Repashy Gecko Diet (or similar brands), and may require more work to wean them onto a better regimen. For this reason, prior diet should be a topic of conversation when purchasing a Gecko from any source.
Do mourning geckos have to be energetic?
It helps knowing the previous diet, living conditions, and handling routines of the Gecko, which most breeders are happy to help describe. Mourning Geckos should appear alert & fairly energetic as hatchlings & subadults.
Do geckos eat crickets?
In fact, for most geckos, that’s all they eat. Even pelleted food probably won’t satiate, and your new friend most likely wants to hunt down his own crickets, too. That means you’ll need to be prepared to buy live insects for feeding, so make peace with that part before you dive in. Options include: Crickets. Worms.
Can geckos eat lettuce?
But here’s where it gets tricky: Most pet geckos cannot eat anything that you like to eat ( unless you enjoy crunchy insects). In fact, even the fruit or lettuce other lizards snack on will seriously harm or kill your leo. They simply cannot digest it because they lack the chemicals to do so in their little tummies.
Do geckos need calcium?
Make sure they chow down on it, though they almost always do. On top of this, geckos need calcium in large supply. Some of that will come from the gut loading or the bugs themselves, but we also recommend calcium powder. You can find this at any pet store and will need to dust it on their prey before they go hunting.
Species Summary
Appearance & Colors
Average Mourning Gecko Size
Lifespan
Mourning Gecko Care
Enclosure Size
Habitat Setup
Temperature & Lighting
Humidity
Water
- Mourning geckos rarely drink from standing water. Most stay hydrated by lapping up droplets from plant leaves. However, providing a small water dish is still paramount. The lizard can use the container to cool off or soak. Use a shallow dish that’s large enough for your pet to crawl inside. Monitor the bowl and replenish the water supply regularly....