Mourning Gecko

🦎 Quick Care Note: Mourning Gecko
(Lepidodactylus lugubris)
> Tiny, Vocal & Self-Cloning! Mourning geckos are active, social micro-geckos that bring endless daytime movement and quiet chirping to tropical setups. Because they reproduce via parthenogenesis, even a single female can start a thriving colony!
>
🌡️ Essential Parameters
* Temperature: 72°F – 82°F ambient (Avoid temps above 85°F)
* Humidity: 60% – 80% (Mist 1–2 times daily so they can drink water droplets off leaf surfaces)
* Lighting: 12-hour day/night cycle (Standard plant LED; low-output 2.4% ShadeDweller UVB is highly beneficial)
* Diet: Powdered Crested Gecko Diet (Pangea/Repashy) + flightless fruit flies (D. melanogaster) & micro feeder insects
* Feeding Schedule:
* Powdered Gecko Diet: Offer in small elevated ledges 3 times per week
* Live Micro Feeders: Offer dusted fruit flies or pinhead crickets 1–2 times per week
🏠 Quick Setup Checklist
* [ ] Enclosure: 12x12x18 (or larger vertical arboreal terrarium) — Must be 100% escape-proof!
* [ ] Climbing Décor: Thin branches, bamboo tubes, cork bark flats, and broad-leaf plants (Pothos, Sansevieria)
* [ ] Substrate: Moisture-retaining tropical bioactive mix topped with leaf litter
* [ ] Egg-Laying Sites: Cork bark crevices and hollow bamboo perches (eggs are sticky and laid in pairs)
* [ ] Supplements: Dust feeder insects with Calcium + D_3 and a quality multivitamin twice a month
⚠️ Handling & Housing Notes:
* Escape Risk: Mourning geckos are extremely fast, agile, and tiny as hatchlings! Ensure all cable grommets and mesh gaps are completely sealed.
* Handling: Display animals only! Avoid handling as they are easily startled and can drop their tails or escape quickly.
* Colony Growth: Keep population sizes in check by collecting eggs early if your vivarium space is limited.