Rhacodactylus leachianus geckos of exceptional size and colour produced by Drew Stevens in Ontario, Canada
Specializing in high quality, locale specific, and beautiful locality crosses of the New Caledonian Giant Gecko
Please direct all inquiries to drew@monstergeckos.com
Click Here to View the 2010 Available Offspring...
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The
New Caledonian Giant Gecko (Rhacodactylus leachianus) is the largest known
living species of gecko. Leachianus geckos, or "Leachies", as
they are fondly known, are found on the largest island of New Caledonia,
Grande Terre, and its various smaller satellite islands. Specimens from
Grande Terre belong to the sub-species Rhacodactylus leachianus leachianus,
which as adults can reach sizes of 14.5+ inches from snout to vent and
upwards of 450g in weight. Their smaller island relatives are classified
in the sub-species Rhacodactylus leachianus henkeli, and generally stay
closer to 10 inches from snout to vent and weigh in between 130g - 250g.
Unlike most gecko species, their tails usually only make up between 20-25%
of their total length. Leachies are a mainly frugivorous gecko, feeding on the nectars of fallen fruit, though they will occasionally accept insects and pink mice. A meal replacement powder, which was developed and manufactured by Repashy Superfoods meets all the nutritional needs of these magnificent beasts. This has simplified the keeping of Leachies, making them no harder to maintain than the more commonly available species of geckos. |
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Giant
Geckos are engineered for life in the trees, rarely leaving their favourite
hollow, even when breeding and egg laying. Some hollows have been discovered
with more than 100 hatched eggs in a single chamber. Specimens from
Grande Terre have been found in the forest canopy, as high as 100 feet
off the ground. Island varieties tend to reside in smaller trees, more
commonly 10-30 feet in height. Their specialized feet make them masters
of climbing; therefore their terrarium needs to meet these needs. |
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Most
females will lay an average of 6 eggs per season in increments of two
at a time, roughly 5 weeks apart, although 8 is not unheard of. Single
egg clutches are also not uncommon. At warmer temperatures, hatching takes
approximately 90 days, and at cooler temperatures incubation time can
extend to 150 days, particularly with specimens from Grande Terre.
Babies will slit the egg approximately 24 hours before emerging, with
R. l. henkeli typically weighing 3-4g and R. l .leachianus 5-7g at birth.
Babies shed within the first 48 hours after hatching, and tend to begin
feeding after 3-5 days. While they do command respect, most individuals can be carefully handled during the day with relative ease for short periods, though care must always be taken. Active mainly at night, they make their presence known through a series of whistles, chirps, clucks and growls. These warnings can be quite frightening at first, but overtime most giant geckos will become trustworthy captives. Leachies are relatively long lived, with some specimens living well past 25 years in captivity, actively reproducing for a large part of their lives. |
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current status in the wild is questionable, due to various reasons, including
deforestation by man, and the introduction of invasive species, such as
the little fire ant. Importation has been halted, and they are presently
being considered for CITES status. Captive bred specimens tend to be quite
hardy, and Leachies are gaining in popularity as larger, more colourful
specimens are being produced. If you have any questions whatsoever, including husbandry or requests for adult pictures, or to just talk geckos in general, please feel free to contact me at drew@monstergeckos.com. |
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