Baskden a warm den for reptile folk · baskden.com 
Chahoua Gecko — care sheet
Mniarogekko chahoua · Beginner–Intermediate
| Adult size | 10–12 in / 25–31 cm total length including the prehensile tail; a stout adult is roughly 40–80 g. |
|---|---|
| Lifespan | 15-20 years in good care, and 20+ is realistic for a well-kept animal |
| Enclosure | Minimum 24"L x 24"W x 36"H (60 x 60 x 90 cm) for a single adult, and bigger/taller is better — this is an arboreal climber that uses height, not floor space. A bioactive, heavily planted setup with lots of branches and cork suits them beautifully. |
| Basking / warm zone | Low warm spot of 82-85°F (28-29°C), measured with a digital probe thermometer at the basking branch — no intense heat lamp needed |
| Cool side | 72-75°F (22-24°C) on the cool end; brief highs into the upper 80s are stressful, so keep the enclosure below the mid-80s overall |
| Night | A natural night drop is fine and welcome — 65-72°F (18-22°C), and as low as 65°F is acceptable |
| UVB & lighting | Low-UVB species. They can survive without UVB if given dietary D3, but modern best practice is to provide low-level UVB so they thrive: a Zoo Med T8 ReptiSun 5.0 or an Arcadia ShadeDweller Arboreal kit, aimed to give a UVI of about 1.0-2.0 at the highest basking branch. Keep the branch no closer than about 6" below a low-output lamp and provide shaded hides so the gecko can self-regulate. This is a nocturnal/crepuscular gecko, so keep UVB gentle — not the high output a diurnal day gecko wants. |
| Humidity | 60-80% average on a digital probe hygrometer, with brief dips to ~50% and spikes to 100% after misting being fine. Aim for daily wet/dry cycles rather than a constant swamp — good airflow prevents mold and respiratory trouble. |
| Substrate | A moisture-retentive, bioactive-friendly substrate: Zoo Med ReptiSoil, Eco Earth (coconut fiber), or Exo Terra Plantation Soil; a common DIY blend is about 60% organic topsoil to 40% coconut fiber. A drainage layer and live plants/leaf litter help hold humidity in a taller enclosure. |
| Diet | Omnivore. Base the diet on a complete powdered gecko/crested-gecko diet (CGD) — brands like Pangea, Repashy, Black Panther Zoological, Zoo Med, or Lugarti — mixed with water, PLUS regular live insects. Chahoua want and eat noticeably more insect prey than crested or gargoyle geckos. Feeders: appropriately sized crickets, dubia/discoid/red-head roaches, and gut-loaded locusts. Rough schedule: juveniles (0-12 mo) get CGD daily with insects every other day (1-2x/week); adults (>12 mo) get CGD every 2-3 days with insects about 1-2x/week. |
| Supplements | Gut-load feeder insects 2-3 days before offering, then lightly dust them with a calcium/multivitamin supplement — e.g. Repashy SuperCal NoD, or a calcium powder such as Arcadia CalciumPro Mg / Miner-All. A quality CGD already carries much of the vitamin/mineral load, so keep insect dusting light rather than heavy. |
Before you buy
- This is a tall, planted setup, not a shoebox — budget for at least a 24x24x36 in arboreal enclosure with branches and live/fake plants.
- Chahoua are pricier than most starter geckos and are typically bought from specialist breeders, not big-box stores.
- You'll be keeping live insects on hand alongside powdered diet — they eat more bugs than a crested gecko.
- Plan for a 15-20+ year commitment; this is a long-lived animal.
- Line up an exotics/reptile vet before you need one — good chahoua vets aren't on every corner.
- One gecko per enclosure — don't buy two expecting them to share.
See a reptile vet if…
- Weight loss, a shrinking tail base, or refusing all food (CGD and insects) for more than a couple of weeks
- Soft, rubbery, or bendy jaw/limbs, tremors, or a wobbly floppy gait — possible metabolic bone disease from calcium/D3 or UVB gaps
- Open-mouth breathing, wheezing, bubbling, or mucus around the nose/mouth — possible respiratory infection
- Stuck shed on toes or tail tip that constricts and darkens the tissue
- A female that looks swollen/gravid but is straining, lethargic, or off food — possible egg-binding (dystocia)
- Retained/stuck shed over the eyes, or eyes that are sunken, cloudy, or swollen
- Any wound, bite, or the tail suddenly dropped or injured — chahoua tails regenerate poorly, so injuries need prompt care
Never
- Never house two chahoua together — even a 'pair.'
- Never grab, dangle, or restrain the gecko by its tail.
- Never let the enclosure bake — sustained temps in the upper 80s°F+ are dangerous for this cool-forest species.
- Never rely on live-insects-only or powder-only; they need both.
- Never keep humidity pegged at 100% with no drying-out or airflow — that breeds mold and respiratory disease.
- Never skip a digital thermometer/hygrometer and guess your temps and humidity.
- Never use loose sand or non-safe substrates that risk impaction.
Common chahoua gecko questions
How hard are Chahoua Geckos to keep — are they good for beginners?
Beginner–Intermediate. Like its New Caledonian cousins, the chahoua is forgiving: room-ish temps, no scorching basking bulb, and a big chunk of the diet comes out of a jar. What nudges it past a pure beginner pet is the price tag, the taller planted enclosure, and the fact that it eats far more live insects than a crested gecko does — so you can't skip the bug side of feeding.
What do Chahoua Geckos eat?
Omnivore. Base the diet on a complete powdered gecko/crested-gecko diet (CGD) — brands like Pangea, Repashy, Black Panther Zoological, Zoo Med, or Lugarti — mixed with water, PLUS regular live insects. Chahoua want and eat noticeably more insect prey than crested or gargoyle geckos. Feeders: appropriately sized crickets, dubia/discoid/red-head roaches, and gut-loaded locusts. Rough schedule: juveniles (0-12 mo) get CGD daily with insects every other day (1-2x/week); adults (>12 mo) get CGD every 2-3 days with insects about 1-2x/week.
How big an enclosure do Chahoua Geckos need?
Minimum 24"L x 24"W x 36"H (60 x 60 x 90 cm) for a single adult, and bigger/taller is better — this is an arboreal climber that uses height, not floor space. A bioactive, heavily planted setup with lots of branches and cork suits them beautifully.
What basking temperature do Chahoua Geckos need?
Low warm spot of 82-85°F (28-29°C), measured with a digital probe thermometer at the basking branch — no intense heat lamp needed
What should the cool side be for Chahoua Geckos?
72-75°F (22-24°C) on the cool end; brief highs into the upper 80s are stressful, so keep the enclosure below the mid-80s overall
What night-time temperature do Chahoua Geckos need?
A natural night drop is fine and welcome — 65-72°F (18-22°C), and as low as 65°F is acceptable
What UVB and lighting do Chahoua Geckos need?
Low-UVB species. They can survive without UVB if given dietary D3, but modern best practice is to provide low-level UVB so they thrive: a Zoo Med T8 ReptiSun 5.0 or an Arcadia ShadeDweller Arboreal kit, aimed to give a UVI of about 1.0-2.0 at the highest basking branch. Keep the branch no closer than about 6" below a low-output lamp and provide shaded hides so the gecko can self-regulate. This is a nocturnal/crepuscular gecko, so keep UVB gentle — not the high output a diurnal day gecko wants.
What humidity do Chahoua Geckos need?
60-80% average on a digital probe hygrometer, with brief dips to ~50% and spikes to 100% after misting being fine. Aim for daily wet/dry cycles rather than a constant swamp — good airflow prevents mold and respiratory trouble.
What substrate do Chahoua Geckos need?
A moisture-retentive, bioactive-friendly substrate: Zoo Med ReptiSoil, Eco Earth (coconut fiber), or Exo Terra Plantation Soil; a common DIY blend is about 60% organic topsoil to 40% coconut fiber. A drainage layer and live plants/leaf litter help hold humidity in a taller enclosure.
What supplements do Chahoua Geckos need?
Gut-load feeder insects 2-3 days before offering, then lightly dust them with a calcium/multivitamin supplement — e.g. Repashy SuperCal NoD, or a calcium powder such as Arcadia CalciumPro Mg / Miner-All. A quality CGD already carries much of the vitamin/mineral load, so keep insect dusting light rather than heavy.
How big do Chahoua Geckos get?
10–12 in / 25–31 cm total length including the prehensile tail; a stout adult is roughly 40–80 g.
How long do Chahoua Geckos live?
15-20 years in good care, and 20+ is realistic for a well-kept animal
What are the signs Chahoua Geckos are sick or need a vet?
See a reptile or exotics vet if you notice: Weight loss, a shrinking tail base, or refusing all food (CGD and insects) for more than a couple of weeks; Soft, rubbery, or bendy jaw/limbs, tremors, or a wobbly floppy gait — possible metabolic bone disease from calcium/D3 or UVB gaps; Open-mouth breathing, wheezing, bubbling, or mucus around the nose/mouth — possible respiratory infection; Stuck shed on toes or tail tip that constricts and darkens the tissue; A female that looks swollen/gravid but is straining, lethargic, or off food — possible egg-binding (dystocia); Retained/stuck shed over the eyes, or eyes that are sunken, cloudy, or swollen; Any wound, bite, or the tail suddenly dropped or injured — chahoua tails regenerate poorly, so injuries need prompt care.
Sources: ReptiFiles — Chahoua Gecko Care Sheet · DubiaRoaches.com — Chahoua Gecko Care Sheet · Wikipedia — Mniarogekko chahoua. Written and fact-checked by The Baskden Team — kind, general guidance, not a diagnosis and not a substitute for an exotics vet. baskden.com