Mossy Prehensile-tailed Gecko (Rhacodactylus chahoua) Care Sheet:
Size: 240 to 250 mm adult average (5-5.7" snout to vent; 10" with tail)
Weight: 50 to 60 grams adult average
Lifespan: Thought to be 20-30 years
Distribution: New Caledonia. Grande Terre and Isle of Pines
Habitat: Mature forest.
Description: Nocturnal, arboreal prehensile tailed gecko with mottled pattern of green to reddish brown coloration, some specimens have white banding to nape and pelvic regions.
Sexing: Males develop external large hemipenal bulges and pre-anal pores.
Temperature: Maintained at 74-78°F during the day, dropping to a minimum of 68°F at night. Always properly protect the heat source as an unprotected heat source can cause severe burns if an animal comes into contact with it. 72-82 degrees.
Lighting: Being a nocturnal species it seems not to require additional UVA/UVB lighting, but one may be provided for limited periods with no detrimental affects. Background lighting should be controlled with a timing device left on 10-12hrs a day in summer with a 2-4 hour reduction during winter months. As with the heat source, always properly protect the light source as this too may become hot after prolonged used.
Humidity/Water: Humidity should be kept high 60 to 80%. A generous misting should take place once a day during the early evening. Also include a shallow water dish containing filtered water which should be changed daily.
Diet: Omnivorous, feeding on crickets and soft fruits. Feed a number of appropriately sized crickets approximately two times a week with a twice weekly feeding of a commercially available Rhacodactylus powered diet, fresh pureed fruit or baby food mixed with a calcium and mineral supplement offered in a shallow dish. All fruit should be non citrus. Food should always be removed at the first signs of spoiling.
The length of the insects you feed to your geckos should be no larger than the width of your gecko's head to prevent choking. Be sure that the crickets have been properly gut-loaded before feeding them to your geckos to increase the nutritional content. Commercial cricket food is available at local pet stores, or you can also feed them fresh fruits and vegetables. Crickets are dusted with "Rep-Cal" and "Herptivite" 2x per week.
Housing: A minimum size of 400mm wide x 400mm deep x 600mm high is recommended for an adult pair. Never house males together as they may fight and inflict serous injuries. If a number of animals are to be housed together make sure they are of a similar size and always closely monitor first introductions to identify any incompatibility. Peat or coconut fibre substrate can be used for juveniles/adults, but hatchlings are best kept on kitchen roll. Being an arboreal species, thick climbing branches and cork bark should be used, also provide a different hide spot for every occupant. Plenty of foliage either real or artificial should also be used, but unlike ciliatus, chahoua prefer to rest on the branches themselves and not in the foliage. A hide box half filled with a mixture of moistened vermiculite or perlite, peat and sphagnum moss should be included to facilitate shedding and egg laying if a natural substrate is not used. Fecal matter should be removed immediately with a complete cleaning occurring every month.
Similar to that of a crested gecko (R. ciliatus), however on a larger scale. My chahouas are kept in a screen enclosure that measures 36" tall x 18" wide x 18" long. A live (thick) ficus tree, cork hollows, PVC pipe with twisted Bend-A-Branches, and silk leaves decorate the enclosure and provide the chahouas with ample climbing areas and hide spots.
Paper towels serve as the substrate, as I prefer not to do naturalistic enclosures with my Rhacodactylus. Using paper towels practically eliminates the risk of impaction and offers the added bonus of being very easy to clean (and monitor stools).
I also spray down the enclosure once or twice a day to increase humidity and allow the geckos to lap water from their silk leaves.
Breeding: Chahoua should be kept at 68-70°F during the day and 64-66°F at night for a couple of months prior to breeding. They can produce approximately 4-5 clutches in a season, laying two highly calcified eggs every 5 weeks. Females have also been known to guard their eggs. Females should be at least 18months of age before breeding is attempted and they should always be monitored closely for any signs of calcium deficiency.
The first step in breeding chahouas is to sex your chahoua. Male chahouas have a large hemipenile bulge and enlarged cloacal spurs. Males also possess pre-anal pores which can be seen with a 10x jewelers loupe when the gecko is about 3" snout-to-vent length.
Chahouas are usually ready to breed at 15-18 months of age. They should be separated until they are the proper size to prevent premature breeding that can put your female at risk for calcium deficiency.
After placing the male and female together, add an egg-laying container (washed out "butter" tub) with moistened perlite/vermiculite, Bed-a-Beast or moss to the enclosure for the female to deposit her eggs. Some females, however, ignore their lay boxes and prefer to keep you on your toes, hunting for eggs. Chahoua eggs are highly calcified, so be sure to keep a close eye on your female's calcium intake so she doesn't "crash".
Once the eggs are laid, place them in an incubator (I just use a regular tupperware with holes punched in the lid) with moistened perlite and bury the eggs 2/3 of the way. DO NOT ROTATE THE EGGS! Chahouas usually lay about 3 clutches a year and the babies hatch out after 65-95 days of incubation. (Average being 70 days.)
Because the eggs are so highly calcified and there is such a delicate calcium balance... many breeders only hatch out about half of their eggs.
Incubation: Eggs should be incubated in an aerated plastic container, on a medium of vermiculite or perlite mixed with filtered water at a ratio of 2 parts medium to 1 part water, by weight and at temperatures between 70-80°F. Eggs normally hatch in 90-120 days. Any discoloured eggs should be put to one side in the container, do not discard as these eggs could still be viable, if they collapse and mould is visible they should be discarded immediately.