Chahoua Gecko

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The chahoua gecko is a big, mossy colored climbing gecko from the forests of New Caledonia. Keepers prize it for its lichen like pattern and its calm, food motivated personality. Some call it by its nickname, the chewie gecko.

Others know it as the mossy prehensile tailed gecko or the mossy New Caledonia gecko. Its scientific name is Mniarogekko chahoua. It was moved out of the genus Rhacodactylus in 2012, after a full taxonomic review of New Caledonia’s giant geckos.

This gecko is not the flashiest one in the hobby, and that is part of its appeal. Its gray, olive or reddish body is broken up by soft green or cream blotches. The pattern looks like moss growing on bark, and it can shift with mood, temperature and age.

It has large, lidless eyes and sticky climbing toes. Its long, prehensile tail can wrap around a branch like a fifth limb. Unlike its close relative the crested gecko, this species keeps that tail far more often, since it is slower to drop and can partly regrow.

This is a good pet for a keeper who has already kept an arboreal gecko, such as a crested gecko or a gargoyle gecko. It suits someone who wants something a little larger and a little rarer. It is not a difficult species by reptile standards.

Still, it does best in a real planted enclosure rather than a bare tub. It is not the gecko to buy for a small child who wants heavy daily handling. For a broader look at how geckos compare as a group, see our gecko overview.

Compared with a ground dwelling species such as the leopard gecko, this species is a true climber. It is calmer than a bold species like the tokay gecko. It also grows a bit bigger bodied than most crested gecko relatives.

Chahoua Gecko Care Basics

Good care comes down to a few steady habits. Give it a tall, well planted enclosure and moderate to high humidity with a daily dry period. Keep it at room temperature warmth, with a mostly fruit based diet a few times a week.

This species does not need intense lighting or a basking bulb to survive. That makes daily care simpler than for many popular lizards. Most of the routine is misting, feeding, and watching how the animal behaves and sheds.

Keepers commonly report that chahouas settle into a predictable rhythm once the enclosure is dialed in. The biggest mistakes are keeping them too warm or too dry. See our guides to lizard enclosures and what lizards eat for more background.

Enclosure Setup

A single adult needs an enclosure at least 18 by 18 by 24 inches. Taller is always better than wider for a climbing species like this one. Glass terrariums with front opening doors and good ventilation work well.

They hold humidity while still allowing airflow. Juveniles can start smaller, but keepers usually move them up well before adult size. Furnish the enclosure with cork bark, sturdy branches, and real or artificial plants.

These geckos move through the canopy rather than along the ground, so plan for horizontal and diagonal climbing paths. A substrate that holds moisture, such as coco fiber or a bioactive mix with springtails and isopods, keeps humidity stable between mistings. Our enclosure guide covers substrate and furnishing choices in detail.

Include a shallow water dish. Most drinking, though, happens from droplets left on leaves after misting.

Heating and Lighting

Chahoua geckos come from a mild, forested climate. Most homes can house them at ordinary room temperature, with no dedicated heat source needed. An ambient range in the low to mid 70s Fahrenheit, or about 22 to 25 Celsius, suits them well by day.

A drop of a few degrees at night is normal and healthy. Sustained heat above roughly 82 Fahrenheit, or 28 Celsius, can stress this species. Keep the enclosure away from direct sun, heaters, or electronics that add unwanted warmth.

Full spectrum UVB is not strictly required, since this species is active mainly at dusk, dawn and night. Still, a low output UVB tube, such as the Arcadia ProT5 Kit Forest 6%, in the range of two to six percent, is increasingly used to support calcium metabolism and long term bone health.

A gentle day and night light cycle on a timer is usually enough, with no hot basking bulb needed. Any lighting should sit outside the enclosure or behind a guard, so a climbing gecko cannot touch it.

What Chahoua Geckos Eat

In the wild, this species is a seasonal omnivore. It switches between ripe fruit, nectar and insects as availability changes through the year. It occasionally takes small lizards as well. Our full diet guide breaks down what captive chahoua geckos eat.

In captivity, most keepers rely on a commercial powdered meal replacement diet, such as Repashy Crested Gecko Diet (Complete/Original), made for crested and gargoyle type geckos. They mix it with water into a paste and offer it on a small dish two to three times a week.

These mixes are built around fruit and a protein source. Many are already fortified with calcium and vitamins, which simplifies supplementation. Gut loaded insects, such as crickets or roaches dusted with calcium powder, add variety and encourage natural hunting behavior.

Offer insects small enough to swallow without a struggle, roughly the width of the gecko’s head. Remove uneaten insects after a short window so they do not stress the animal overnight. Fresh water should always be available in a shallow dish.

Common Health Issues

The most common preventable health problem in frugivorous geckos like this one is metabolic bone disease. It comes from too little calcium or vitamin D relative to what the body needs. A fortified diet, occasional dusted insects, and modest UVB exposure together lower that risk.

Signs of trouble include a soft or wobbly jaw, bent limbs, tremors, or a gecko that stops climbing normally. Low humidity can cause stuck shed, especially around the toes, eye rims and tail tip. That can cut off circulation if it is not resolved.

A humid hide or a short soak in shallow lukewarm water often loosens stubborn shed. Watch for lethargy, weight loss, sunken eyes or labored breathing. These can point to dehydration, parasites or a respiratory infection.

Any of these signs, along with bone deformities or a wound that will not heal, calls for a reptile veterinarian. Do not try to treat serious symptoms at home. Our lizard health guide covers these warning signs across species in more depth.

Behavior and Temperament

Chahoua geckos are mainly active at dusk, through the night, and again around dawn. They spend daylight hours tucked into cover, such as cork tubes, dense foliage or curled bark. They are generally calm and food motivated once settled.

Many individuals learn to associate their keeper with feeding time within a few weeks. Handling is usually well tolerated in short sessions, though this is not a species that craves constant contact. The prehensile tail acts almost like a fifth limb.

It grips branches and helps balance during slow, deliberate climbing. When startled, it may freeze, drop into cover, or give a soft chirp or bark. That trait is shared with several New Caledonian relatives.

Unlike some geckos, this species drops its tail only under serious stress. The replacement tail is usually shorter and less mobile than the original. That makes gentle, supported handling worth the extra care.

Breeding Overview

Chahoua geckos typically reach breeding maturity around 18 to 24 months of age. Females need enough body weight to support egg production safely.

One trait sets this species apart from most New Caledonian geckos. The female lays two eggs that stick together at the shell, rather than laying them separately. A well conditioned female can lay a clutch every few weeks across a breeding season, when kept with a compatible male.

Incubation typically takes 60 to 90 days, depending on temperature. Cooler incubation runs longer, and warmer incubation runs shorter. Extremes in either direction raise the risk of problems.

Breeding should only be attempted with geckos at a healthy weight. Egg production is physically demanding. It can quickly deplete calcium reserves in an underweight female.

Lifespan and Size

A full grown adult commonly measures 8 to 11 inches, or about 20 to 28 centimeters, nose to tail tip. The Reptile Database gives a body length of up to about 147 millimeters, with a tail about as long again.

Its build is solid and muscular rather than slender. Growth is gradual, and most individuals do not reach full adult size until roughly two years old.

With steady care, good nutrition and stable humidity, this species commonly lives 15 to 20 years. That lifespan is a genuine long term commitment, closer to a dog than to a short lived pet.

It is worth planning for that commitment before bringing one home.

How Much a Chahoua Gecko Costs

Most chahoua geckos available today are captive bred. Wild collection from New Caledonia is tightly restricted, and the species is considered uncommon even within its native range. It has also been assessed for the IUCN Red List, most recently in 2017.

Young, unsexed or basic patterned juveniles commonly start in the low hundreds of dollars. Adults, proven breeders, or animals with striking pattern and color often cost noticeably more.

Beyond the animal itself, budget for a tall enclosure, misting equipment, and a low output UVB fixture. Add plants, climbing furniture, a meal replacement diet, and feeder insects. Together, these typically add a few hundred dollars in startup costs.

Our reptile supplies guide and guide to choosing a pet lizard can help you plan a full setup.

Chahoua Gecko Color and Pattern Types

This species does not have the long list of fixed, genetic morphs seen in leopard geckos or crested geckos. Keepers still group individuals informally by pattern and background color.

Common informal categories include patternless animals with few or no blotches, and heavily blotched or reticulated animals with dense mossy markings. Others have lighter tan or reddish backgrounds against darker patches.

These groupings describe natural variation, not selectively bred, name registered morphs. Pattern and color can shift somewhat with mood, temperature and age. Keepers treat a young gecko’s look as a rough guide, not a fixed trait.

For species with more fixed, name registered morphs, see our reptile morphs guide. For other New Caledonian relatives, compare the leachianus gecko and the gargoyle gecko.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a chahoua gecko?

The chahoua gecko, Mniarogekko chahoua, is a large climbing gecko native to southern New Caledonia. It is known for its mossy patterned skin, prehensile tail and calm temperament.

Is a chihuahua gecko the same as a chahoua gecko?

Yes. “Chihuahua gecko” and “chihua gecko” are common misspellings of chahoua gecko, pronounced roughly like “sha wa.” There is no separate species by that name in the pet trade.

How big does a chahoua gecko get?

Adults typically reach 8 to 11 inches, or 20 to 28 centimeters, nose to tail tip. Most geckos need about two years to reach that full size.

How long do chahoua geckos live?

With steady care, a chahoua gecko commonly lives 15 to 20 years. That long lifespan makes it a serious commitment, not a short lived pet.

Do chahoua geckos need UVB lighting?

They can survive without it, since they are active mainly at dusk and night. Many keepers now provide low output UVB, roughly two to six percent, to support calcium metabolism and bone health.

What do chahoua geckos eat in captivity?

Most captive diets center on a powdered fruit and protein meal replacement made for crested and gargoyle type geckos. Gut loaded insects dusted with calcium add variety a couple of times a week.