Gargoyle Gecko activity

[Hashtag ChamLife]

I recently got a gargoyle gecko as a "Christmas gift". I know they're nocturnal, but I also know they dont have eyelids! I find it stash in a back corner during the day - behind a cork round on a birch branch as opposed to any number of fairly dark hides.

I have 3 concerns/questions at this point:

1. How much activity should it be doing in the day? [I assume this is its sleeping/resting time, so minimal is good]

2. I am bioactive with springtails, red worms, and "dairy cow" isopods. The gecko hasn't noticeably touched its "gecko food" (both the insect variety and the papaya flavor as well as the 2 mixed). Can I assume that its eating the isopods instead? Or rather, do they infect eat isopods?

3. How often do they defecate? I think I've only seen 1 remnant, but I mist 2-3x daily by hand and have a nice established colony of the aforementioned CuC.

I did a little bit of Google search and couldn't get a real concise accurate answer. Any insights would be appreciated! Thanks!

Photo just cause who doesn't like to see reptiles?! [Gecko is center left of shot on white birch branch]

 

[janjan20]

Can’t give any advice but these guys are so cool!

 

[salty dog]

I'm also useless for info here, but cool setup!! I like geckos

 

[mkeBob]

geckoforums.net should give you the answers to all of your questions.

 

[CamoChameleonsHuman]

I own 2 Cresteds and 1 Gargoyle. I do not do bioactive though so I'm not sure about your springtail question. I'd assume maybe a baby would eat some isopods but a juvenile or adult wouldn't.
There should be little to no activity during the day. Their eyes are open (no eyelids) but they are out. I use a 13w led light for day/night cycles for them. They definitely appreciate that.

What flavors are you using? Pangea, ZooMed, or Repashy? If he/she eats everyday they should be deficating everyday. If not they won't be. You can try feeding in a Tupperware container small crickets or small dubias. They love BSFL too. Sometimes it's really about finding the right flavor they like. I keep about 7 different flavors of Pangea and 1 Repashy. ZooMed food is garbage.

 

[Hashtag ChamLife]

I own 2 Cresteds and 1 Gargoyle. I do not do bioactive though so I'm not sure about your springtail question. I'd assume maybe a baby would eat some isopods but a juvenile or adult wouldn't.
There should be little to no activity during the day. Their eyes are open (no eyelids) but they are out. I use a 13w led light for day/night cycles for them. They definitely appreciate that.

What flavors are you using? Pangea, ZooMed, or Repashy? If he/she eats everyday they should be deficating everyday. If not they won't be. You can try feeding in a Tupperware container small crickets or small dubias. They love BSFL too. Sometimes it's really about finding the right flavor they like. I keep about 7 different flavors of Pangea and 1 Repashy. ZooMed food is garbage.

I use Pangea foods at the moment. I also use smaller crickets. The dairy cows in the cage are the same size, or bigger, than the crickets. I have 3 cups of food with just enough to cover the bottom of the little cup. I noticed last night and the night before that he/she seems quite active. Just haven't noticed and evidence of eating and wondering at what point should I be concerned.

I'll also add that I don't exactly trust this local shop as no one ever seems to know the age of ANY of the critters they sell. The tried to tell me the veiled Male they had was "maybe 8 months... he'll get to about 2ft long" when he had an amazing crest and looked to be well over 1.5 years. But I digress..

 

[CamoChameleonsHuman]

Gargoyles are more about weight. Considered juveniles under 10g. My boy is about 13g now. I will say instead of putting the food just on the bottom get it in just a corner of the cup if you can. I gotta make more food for my New Caledonians today so I'll post pics then.

 

[Hashtag ChamLife]

Gargoyles are more about weight. Considered juveniles under 10g. My boy is about 13g now. I will say instead of putting the food just on the bottom get it in just a corner of the cup if you can. I gotta make more food for my New Caledonians today so I'll post pics then.

Mine is pretty close to peanut butter consistency. The package said 2:1 water ratio, but I thought it was too soupy myself. I've tried a few flavors... but I'll have to get more I guess. Luckily they aren't too terribly expensive.

Mostly I'm concerned I'm not finding poop... but I do know that my bioactive set up is super fast. They demolish the morning wood I throw in there...

Pics would be helpful. This is my first go at a gecko and I don't want the guy/gal to die. I just have a feeling its eating something as its night time colors are WOW! I had no idea they changed that much. I thought it was awesome during the day... but man oh boy, at night it's a STUD. I also like to watch its eyes dilate... they get so huge at night! I keep it pretty dark and use a dim flashlight covered with a towel, don't wanna break the gecko, hehe.

 

[CamoChameleonsHuman]

Mine is pretty close to peanut butter consistency. The package said 2:1 water ratio, but I thought it was too soupy myself. I've tried a few flavors... but I'll have to get more I guess. Luckily they aren't too terribly expensive.

Mostly I'm concerned I'm not finding poop... but I do know that my bioactive set up is super fast. They demolish the morning wood I throw in there...

Pics would be helpful. This is my first go at a gecko and I don't want the guy/gal to die. I just have a feeling its eating something as its night time colors are WOW! I had no idea they changed that much. I thought it was awesome during the day... but man oh boy, at night it's a STUD. I also like to watch its eyes dilate... they get so huge at night! I keep it pretty dark and use a dim flashlight covered with a towel, don't wanna break the gecko, hehe.

Sometimes they do the same thing as juvenile chams in New enclosures and go off food for a bit. Anything over a week would be worry some though. Do you have the food elevated? Do you have lots of foliage and branches for it to climb up to the food if so? Gargoyles aren't the best with climbing flat surfaces. They're chunkier and have less developed toe pads as Crested geckos. Although they are way less inclined to drop their tails and regrow if they do unlike a crested. And yes they fire up at night when the humidity increases and temps drop, then fire down during the day. Here's my Crowley this summer fired down and fired up. He's considered a striped/blotched

 

[CamoChameleonsHuman]

So my Gargoyle is still in his starter ZooMed 12x12x18. Plan on getting him a 18x18x24 or 18x18x36 in the near future however. I like the ZooMed 12x12x18 over the Exoterra 12x12x18 because it has a single door which you can mount the magnetic pangea ledges onto as well as a cork bark back that he loves to climb. He has a hollow cork bark with moss that he really only uses for shedding. Substrate I use is ZooMed Forest Floor. I don't use heating or UVB but I've heard if you can get them in the mid to upper 70s appetite will increase which is something you can try. They will go off their food a bit when about to shed or in shed which isn't abnormal. I hand spray in the morning lightly. And at night I hand spray about double that. Not hard to get these small enclosures to 100% RH

 

[Hashtag ChamLife]

So my Gargoyle is still in his starter ZooMed 12x12x18. Plan on getting him a 18x18x24 or 18x18x36 in the near future however. I like the ZooMed 12x12x18 over the Exoterra 12x12x18 because it has a single door which you can mount the magnetic pangea ledges onto as well as a cork bark back that he loves to climb. He has a hollow cork bark with moss that he really only uses for shedding. Substrate I use is ZooMed Forest Floor. I don't use heating or UVB but I've heard if you can get them in the mid to upper 70s appetite will increase which is something you can try. They will go off their food a bit when about to shed or in shed which isn't abnormal. I hand spray in the morning lightly. And at night I hand spray about double that. Not hard to get these small enclosures to 100% RH
View attachment 255117View attachment 255118View attachment 255119View attachment 255120

An Update:

Tonight I cut the lights out a little early. While bringing in my (many) orchids, because it's getting below 50 tonight brrrr, I decided to check on him/her. Much to my surprise, it was head first in the gecko food! I also noticed earlier that it had, in fact, pooped by where it "sleeps" during the day. Now just to remember what flavor was in that cup, lol!

Thanks for the tips! What not sure what worked or if it was a matter of getting comfortable or me just finally catching it eating.

 

[CamoChameleonsHuman]

An Update:

Tonight I cut the lights out a little early. While bringing in my (many) orchids, because it's getting below 50 tonight brrrr, I decided to check on him/her. Much to my surprise, it was head first in the gecko food! I also noticed earlier that it had, in fact, pooped by where it "sleeps" during the day. Now just to remember what flavor was in that cup, lol!

Thanks for the tips! What not sure what worked or if it was a matter of getting comfortable or me just finally catching it eating.

I'd say all the above! Glad the little guy/girl is eating!

 

[Hashtag ChamLife]

I'd say all the above! Glad the little guy/girl is eating!

Tonight I set another "trap". Turned out the lights a little early, left the heat on as it'll get cold again tonight. Success! I picked the right food again - the "with insects" flavor. I guess we have a winner:



Not sure what the technical classification is for its markings - strip, blotched, neither, etc. But the pics don't do it justice. He/she is turning out to be really cool!

 

[CamoChameleonsHuman]

Tonight I set another "trap". Turned out the lights a little early, left the heat on as it'll get cold again tonight. Success! I picked the right food again - the "with insects" flavor. I guess we have a winner:

View attachment 255402

Not sure what the technical classification is for its markings - strip, blotched, neither, etc. But the pics don't do it justice. He/she is turning out to be really cool!

I'm no expert on Gargoyle morphs but he/she seems to be what is called "wild type"