New Caledonian Giant Geckos as Pets

The popularity of the New Caledonian Giant Gecko has always been high, almost as high as the price tag, but in recent years the availability has increased and the reduced price associated with island hybrids (such as the Nuu Ana crossed with Nuu Ami) has allowed hobbyists to obtain their first leachie. I figure it's time to sit down and throw a couple of facts on paper for what you can expect with your new or future pet.

Temperament & Personality
Throughout the forums, trade shows and clubs you will hear about the Giant Gecko. It's a very exciting species to work with but there are a few "quarks" to consider before you buy. These geckos are highly vocal! With clucks, growls, whistles and so on. You will begin to learn what these mean in respect to the attitude of the day and believe me, it changes from day to day. A cluck or growl is a hands off warning while a whistle is merely a "sigh" in this geckos world. There is a hiss that is commonly associated with a physical threat such as a lunge or attentive stance. What is even worse is a sleeping gecko that is surprised. So while you may be comfortable handling all the other Rhacodactylus or Vorax geckos take into consideration that the enclosure the gecko lives in will be gaurded and even the hand that feeds is a threat to their home.

Removing the gecko from the enclosure is a must for proper cleaning so you will have to take into account that you may get bit. There are two options to removing the gecko from my experience. You can use a hand towel and place it over the gecko wherever they lye and gently move your hands underneath the upper body behind the front arms. Using the same placement you can wear thick gloves.

After safely removing the gecko from the enclosure you will find the Giant Gecko to be a puppy dog for the most part. I routinely pull them out once a week to clean the enclosure or hang out on my shoulder while I tend to it's cousins of the genus. I have never been bitten handling the gecko away from it's enclosure but I have been bitten while attempting to remove the gecko from it's beloved home. I can't compare the bite to anything but I can tell you it was not a bite with full force as the skin was only broken. In fact the bite felt like a warning nip. The jaws are powerful and in my opinion they would fare very well in comparison to the bite of a Tokay Gecko -- a gecko that you never want to get bit by.

Personality wise these are mysterious geckos. Often in one spot of the enclosure the entire day and returning to the same place after every evening. They may seem aggressive toward anyone walking by their cage. It's not uncommon to hear a whistle followed by a hiss as I walk past the cage. Outside of the enclosure they are inquisitive and very attentive to their surroundings.

You may read my account on my first bite from a R. leachianus leachianus on Reptile Specialty Forums - Giant Gecko Taste Testing.

Giant Geckos and Children
Considering the potential for a bite we keep this gecko as a hands off species for children. Now if we remove the gecko from the enclosure and handle it for a brief period of time we may allow Children to gently pet the gecko. I recommend educating children to the reasons why interaction with the gecko is only allowed if a parent is with them. Chahoua Geckos, Crested Geckos and Gargoyle Geckos all make better pets for Children to handle.

Fun Facts
Giant Geckos consume a great deal of Crested Gecko Diet. In turn they have a large stool accompanied by a smell that is horendous.

The tail is the shortest in length of all Rhacodactylus geckos.

Giant Geckos will eat any lizard or gecko small enough to fit in their mouth.

Scent marking helps them identify their home or the home of another leachie in the wild.

A monogamous pair will occupy a single cork hollow for many breeding seasons. In captivity the pair may quarrel and inflict injury on each other that can result in death.

In my experience they have the shortest jumping distance of all Rhacodactylus.