Mossy gecko (mniarogekko chahoua) is another nocturnal (active at night) species of new Caledonian gecko hailing from New Caledonia and – like the crested gecko – the Isle of Pines.
This interesting gecko lacks the beautiful eyelashes, but shares many traits with their cousins.
They lack eyelids, instead they have a translucent scale covering their eyes which they clean and wet with their tongues.
The tips of their tails are prehensile and allow them to catch themselves on branches in case of falls. If a chahoua drops their tail, it can grow back!
Adults reach up to 25 centimeters. Temperatures between 22 and 28°C and high humidity are preferred, as with the crested gecko.
They spend most of their lives in the lower to mid level branches of trees, females come down to ground level before laying eggs.
Stress and light levels make them change colors from dull and faded (fired down) to bright, full colors (fired up).
They eat insects (mealworms, crickets and roaches of according size – about the space between the gecko’s eyes) and instant gecko diets (Repashy, Pangea, Arcadia). Finely mixed fruit may be offered as a treat in small amounts (once or twice a month).
Live food should be dusted in calcium and vitamins. Mossy geckos drink water from daily misting (misting also helps with keeping the humidity) and their diet should include more live feeders than that of the crested gecko.
Because of their lifestyle, they don’t need any ground hides. Instead, it’s advisable to use branches, fake or live plants, bamboo sticks, cork tree trunks, huts, coconut shells or ledges attached to sides of their tank.
These geckos do not require UVB.
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