Reptile & Amphibian Forums

HI Im new to this forum.Im at the moment trying to find a good first time egg laying reptile to breed.Im not a beginer at keeping reptiles and have kept them since I was six now Im 14.I went on ebay and bought a few lots of reptiles magazines back issues and of all of them I found the gargoyle geckos as my favorite.They appear easy to breed but I still have a few questions on their care.
1.how big a cage do they need.the guy who wrote the article said a ten gallon was ok for a pair.is this true
2.could I use a reptarium or do I need to use a aqaurium.
3.will they breed all year around or do I need to cool them in the winter months.

thanks for all your time.
nick

Hey Nick,
I am glad to see you did some research before diving in =). In regards to your questions….

1. 10 gallons is really small for an adult pair I would say 15 min, but a 20 on its side would be best. That way there is room to run and hide incase they are getting on each others nerves. Aurics are cannibalistic (love other lizards too) and a little more aggressive towards each other then say cresteds, so you should give them the room. I know of a pair that was housed in a 10 gallon tank and the female ended up killing the male, a larger tank could have avoided this tragedy.
2. You can use them but they really are not my fav of cages, check out my reply to the post below about them.
3. Yes they will breed year round and there is no cooling necessary. However they should be separated during the off season so the female can build up bulk for laying eggs the next season. Usually Oct-Feb is a good time.

Knowing that I really would suggest a crested for your first rhac instead of an Auirc, they are a little easier. But if you feel up to the challenge go for it either or are both rewarding animals to keep. Best of Luck.
-Mike

thanks.one more question though.could I use a spare tank I have that is 30in. long,12in. wide and 18in. tall.also what is the average size of most gargoyle geckos because the magazine never really said exactly.thanks for your time
nick

Thats HUGE for once Auirc...lol. All you need is a 15 gallon tank for single geckos.
-Mike

cool so I could pu a pair in their when their adults.thanks for your help.I also just joined the rachodactylus yahoo group too.Im trying to learn as much as I can before I get one.thanks again
nick