Halmahera Giant Gecko (Gehyra marginata) Care Sheet
The Halmahera Giant Gecko (Gehyra marginata) is a large, powerful arboreal gecko native to the North Moluccas of Indonesia, particularly Halmahera and surrounding islands.
It is considerably larger and more robust than most Gehyra species and is sometimes encountered in the hobby under names such as Halmahera Gecko or Moluccan Giant Gecko.
This is a predominantly nocturnal, highly capable climbing gecko equipped with broad adhesive toe pads. Adults require a spacious, vertically orientated enclosure with substantial branches, cork, vertical climbing surfaces and dense cover.
Although hardy once properly established, G. marginata should not be regarded as an ideal handling gecko. Individuals can be fast and defensive, and adults are capable of delivering a painful bite.
Successful husbandry requires:
- Spacious vertical housing
- Strong climbing structures
- Warm daytime temperatures
- A controlled upper warm zone
- Moderate-to-high fluctuating humidity
- Excellent ventilation
- Low-level UVB
- A varied invertebrate-based diet
- Appropriate supplementation
- Minimal handling
Captive-bred animals should be strongly preferred whenever available.
Quick facts
Scientific name: Gehyra marginata
Common names: Halmahera Giant Gecko, Halmahera Gecko, Moluccan Giant Gecko
Family: Gekkonidae
Origin: North Moluccas, Indonesia
Lifestyle: Arboreal
Activity: Primarily nocturnal
Adult size: Commonly approximately 10–12 in (25–30 cm) total length, with particularly large individuals potentially approaching or exceeding this range
Diet: Primarily live invertebrates; small amounts of suitable soft fruit/gecko diet may be accepted as supplementary food
Day ambient temperature: Approximately 77–82°F (25–28°C)
Upper warm area: Approximately 84–88°F (29–31°C)
Night temperature: Approximately 70–75°F (21–24°C)
Humidity: Generally around 60–80%, with higher temporary peaks following misting
UVB: Low-level UVB recommended
Suggested UVI: Approximately 1–2 at the most exposed accessible position, with shaded retreats approaching zero
Adult enclosure: At least approximately 24 × 24 × 36 in (60 × 60 × 90 cm) for one adult; 36 × 24 × 48 in (90 × 60 × 120 cm) or larger strongly preferred
Housing: Individual housing is safest
Handling: Minimal
Experience level: Intermediate
Taxonomy
The accepted scientific name is:
Gehyra marginata
The species belongs to the family:
Gekkonidae.
Older literature and trade material may use several common names, including:
- Halmahera Giant Gecko
- Halmahera Gecko
- Moluccan Gecko
- Moluccan Giant Gecko
The scientific name should therefore be used whenever animals are recorded, bred or transferred.
Natural distribution
Gehyra marginata is native to the:
North Moluccas of Indonesia.
Its distribution is centred on:
Halmahera
and nearby islands.
This tropical island distribution should not be interpreted as meaning that the species requires permanently saturated conditions.
Warmth, moisture and substantial airflow occur together in its natural environment.
Natural habitat
The species is primarily associated with:
- Tropical forest
- Forest margins
- Tree trunks
- Large branches
- Rock faces
- Vegetated vertical surfaces
It is an accomplished climber and spends much of its time above ground.
Captive housing should therefore emphasise:
vertical usable surface area.
Activity
Halmahera Giant Geckos are primarily:
nocturnal.
Individuals generally become substantially more active around dusk and after lights-out.
Nighttime behaviour may include:
- Climbing
- Hunting
- Exploring
- Territorial activity
- Courtship
- Moving between resting sites
Daytime behaviour
During daylight, animals often remain concealed:
- Behind cork
- Within hollow branches
- Beneath bark
- Among dense foliage
- Inside elevated retreats
A gecko hiding for much of the day is therefore not necessarily unhealthy.
Enclosure size
For one adult, approximately:
24 × 24 × 36 in (60 × 60 × 90 cm)
should be regarded as a basic minimum.
For permanent adult housing, we strongly prefer approximately:
36 × 24 × 48 in (90 × 60 × 120 cm)
or larger.
Why larger is better
Adult G. marginata are substantial arboreal geckos.
Additional space provides:
- More climbing opportunities
- Better temperature gradients
- More UV gradients
- Multiple hides
- Greater behavioural choice
- More exercise
- Better separation of feeding and resting areas
Enclosure orientation
Housing should be:
vertically orientated.
However, height alone is not sufficient.
A tall enclosure containing little more than one branch does not provide adequate usable habitat.
Usable space
Fill the enclosure with interconnected:
- Branches
- Cork
- Vines
- Vertical bark
- Plants
- Ledges
The animal should be able to move through much of the enclosure without having to descend to the floor.
Enclosure strength
Adults are powerful geckos.
Furnishings must be:
securely fixed.
Do not rely on lightweight decorations that can be dislodged during climbing.
Escape security
The enclosure must close securely.
Check:
- Door gaps
- Ventilation panels
- Cable ports
- Background edges
- Lid security
A loose adult gecko can be extremely difficult to recover.
Ventilation
Good ventilation is essential.
The enclosure should provide sufficient airflow to prevent:
- Stagnant air
- Constantly wet surfaces
- Mould
- Persistent condensation
Humidity and ventilation must be balanced.
Furnishings
Provide abundant:
- Thick branches
- Cork tubes
- Cork flats
- Vines
- Large pieces of bark
- Elevated hides
- Dense foliage
- Live plants where practical
Branch diameter
Unlike tiny dwarf geckos, G. marginata requires substantial climbing structures capable of supporting an adult’s weight.
Provide branches of:
several different diameters.
Branch orientation
Use branches positioned:
- Horizontally
- Vertically
- Diagonally
This allows natural movement and behavioural choice.
Cork bark
Large cork tubes and flats are particularly useful.
They provide:
- Vertical climbing surfaces
- Elevated retreats
- Dark daytime hiding places
- Visual barriers
Elevated hides
Provide multiple secure retreats above ground.
Suitable options include:
- Cork tubes
- Hollow logs
- Purpose-built arboreal hides
- Dense plant cover
Foliage
Dense foliage helps provide:
- Security
- Shade
- Drinking surfaces
- Humidity buffering
- Visual barriers
The gecko should be able to retreat completely from view.
Live plants
Suitable robust plants may include:
- Pothos
- Schefflera
- Ficus
- Philodendron
- Other safe tropical plants capable of tolerating climbing activity
Plant safety
Avoid plants recently treated with:
- Insecticides
- Miticides
- Systemic pesticides
- Herbicides
- Leaf-polishing products
Prepare plants appropriately before introduction.
Temperature
Maintain much of the enclosure during the day at approximately:
77–82°F (25–28°C).
Upper warm area
Provide a warmer upper area around:
84–88°F (29–31°C).
This should be a limited zone rather than the temperature of the entire enclosure.
Thermal gradient
The enclosure should provide:
warm upper area → moderate middle → cooler lower/shaded areas.
The gecko must always be able to move away from heat.
Overheating
Do not maintain the whole enclosure above approximately:
82–84°F (28–29°C).
Persistent excessive heat without cooler refuges can cause:
- Dehydration
- Stress
- Reduced feeding
- Heat illness
Night temperature
Allow nighttime temperatures to fall to approximately:
70–75°F (21–24°C).
A modest nighttime reduction is preferable to maintaining daytime temperatures around the clock.
Heating
Where supplemental heat is required, use:
overhead heating.
A low-wattage basking or radiant source can create an appropriate upper warm zone.
Thermostat
All significant heat sources should be controlled by an:
appropriate thermostat.
Never rely upon bulb wattage alone.
Temperature monitoring
Use digital thermometers to monitor:
- Upper warm area
- Mid-level ambient temperature
- Cooler lower area
An infrared thermometer is useful for checking branch and bark surface temperatures.
Lighting
Provide bright daytime illumination.
Although primarily nocturnal, the species still experiences a strong natural day/night cycle.
Visible lighting supports:
- Circadian rhythm
- Plant growth
- Natural environmental cues
Photoperiod
Approximately:
12 hours light / 12 hours dark
is suitable for routine husbandry.
A modest seasonal variation may be provided.
Night lighting
Provide genuine darkness at night.
Do not use permanently illuminated:
- Red bulbs
- Blue bulbs
- Purple bulbs
- “Moonlight” lamps
Nighttime viewing should be brief and minimally disruptive.
UVB
Low-level UVB is recommended.
Although G. marginata is primarily nocturnal, animals may receive incidental UV exposure while resting near partially exposed positions.
UVB should therefore be:
available rather than unavoidable.
Suggested UV Index
Aim for approximately:
UVI 1–2
at the most exposed accessible upper resting or basking position.
Provide extensive shaded areas below:
UVI 1
and retreats approaching:
UVI 0.
What this means in practice
A:
low-output linear UVB lamp
positioned over part of the enclosure is generally appropriate.
Dense foliage and cork should create shade.
UVB distance
The correct lamp and installation depend upon:
- Lamp model
- Reflector
- Mesh
- Distance
- Branch placement
- Enclosure height
Do not choose UVB simply according to the percentage printed on the tube.
Mesh and UVB
Mesh can significantly reduce UV output.
A lamp above mesh may produce substantially less UV at the animal than the same lamp mounted internally.
UV measurement
Where possible, use an appropriate UV meter to check the actual UVI at:
the surfaces the gecko can physically occupy.
Humidity
Maintain general humidity around:
60–80%.
Humidity fluctuations
Humidity should fluctuate.
A useful cycle is:
misting → humidity rises → droplets remain → surfaces gradually dry → humidity falls → repeat.
Temporary humidity peaks
Humidity may temporarily rise above:
80%
following misting, particularly overnight.
This is acceptable provided the enclosure has good ventilation and surfaces are not permanently saturated.
Misting
Light-to-moderate misting:
once or twice daily
is generally appropriate depending upon:
- Ventilation
- Room humidity
- Temperature
- Planting
- Season
Drinking
Halmahera Giant Geckos commonly drink droplets from:
- Leaves
- Glass
- Bark
- Branches
Regular misting therefore provides an important drinking opportunity.
Water dish
Provide a:
clean water dish at all times.
Place it where it cannot easily be contaminated with substrate.
Ventilation and humidity
Do not attempt to achieve humidity by sealing the enclosure.
Warm, stagnant air combined with constant moisture can encourage:
- Respiratory problems
- Skin disease
- Bacterial growth
- Mould
Substrate
Suitable substrates include:
- Organic topsoil
- Coco fibre
- Fine orchid bark
- Tropical soil mixtures
- Bioactive substrate
Substrate depth
Provide sufficient depth to:
- Support plants
- Buffer humidity
- Support clean-up crew
- Absorb occasional excess moisture
Substrate moisture
The lower substrate can remain:
slightly moist
while exposed surfaces are allowed to partially dry.
Avoid permanently saturated substrate.
Drainage
A drainage layer is useful in heavily planted enclosures receiving frequent misting.
Do not allow stagnant water to accumulate beneath the substrate.
Bioactive housing
The species can do very well in a properly established:
bioactive enclosure.
Clean-up crew
Suitable organisms include:
- Springtails
- Appropriate tropical isopods
Choose isopods that are unlikely to disturb:
- Eggs
- Resting geckos
- Newly hatched juveniles
Bioactive does not mean maintenance-free
Continue to:
- Remove uneaten food
- Remove dead feeders
- Clean water dishes
- Monitor drainage
- Maintain plants
- Check for mould
- Inspect equipment
Diet
Halmahera Giant Geckos are primarily:
insectivorous.
Live invertebrates should form the core of the diet.
Suitable feeders
Suitable foods include:
- Crickets
- Locusts
- Roaches
- Black soldier fly larvae
- Silkworms
- Appropriate beetle larvae
- Occasional waxworms
- Other safe captive-bred invertebrates
Feeder variety
Do not rely solely upon:
crickets.
Rotate several feeder species wherever practical.
Prey size
Offer prey appropriately sized for the gecko.
Adults can manage relatively substantial insects, but excessively large prey should still be avoided.
Gut loading
Feeder insects should be:
properly gut loaded.
Provide nutritious food and hydration before use.
Calcium
Dust insects appropriately with:
calcium.
Supplementation frequency should account for:
- UVB provision
- Age
- Growth
- Sex
- Reproductive condition
Multivitamin
Use an appropriate reptile multivitamin according to a planned schedule.
Avoid chronic oversupplementation.
Soft foods
Some Gehyra will consume small quantities of:
- Soft fruit
- Nectar-like foods
- Complete gecko diets
A high-quality commercially prepared gecko diet can therefore be offered occasionally as a:
supplementary food.
Soft food should not replace insects
For G. marginata, live invertebrates should remain an important part of the diet.
Do not assume that husbandry should mirror that of a Crested Gecko simply because both may accept soft foods.
Avoid sugary human foods
Do not routinely feed:
- Jam
- Honey
- Baby food
- Sweetened yoghurt
- Processed fruit products
These are unnecessary.
Adult feeding
Healthy adults can generally be offered live prey approximately:
2–3 times per week.
A small supplementary gecko-diet meal can occasionally be offered separately.
Juvenile feeding
Growing juveniles should be fed more frequently.
Offer appropriately sized prey around:
4–5 times per week.
Feeding time
Offer most live prey:
late afternoon or shortly after lights-out.
Uneaten feeders
Remove excessive uneaten insects.
Crickets in particular can:
- Disturb resting geckos
- Hide in the enclosure
- Bite reptiles
Body condition
Monitor:
- Weight
- Tail condition
- Muscle mass
- Feeding response
- Activity
A digital gram scale is useful.
Obesity
Avoid excessive:
- Feeding frequency
- Fatty larvae
- High-calorie soft foods
A healthy gecko should be robust but not obese.
Handling
Routine handling is:
not recommended.
This is primarily a display species.
Temperament
Individuals vary considerably.
Some become relatively tolerant of routine enclosure maintenance.
Others remain:
- Nervous
- Defensive
- Extremely fast
Bite risk
Adults have strong jaws and can deliver a:
painful bite.
Do not deliberately provoke defensive behaviour.
Necessary transfers
When movement is required:
- Work in a secure closed room
- Close doors and windows
- Use a suitable container
- Encourage rather than grab
- Keep the transfer brief
Skin safety
Geckos have relatively delicate skin.
Avoid:
- Tight restraint
- Pulling
- Grabbing folds of skin
Tail safety
Never restrain the animal by:
the tail.
Tail injury or autotomy may occur.
Social housing
Individual housing is the:
safest default.
Territorial behaviour
Adult geckos can be territorial.
This is particularly relevant to:
adult males.
Males
Do not house:
adult males together.
Serious aggression may occur.
Male/female pairs
Experienced keepers may maintain or temporarily introduce a compatible:
male/female pair
for breeding.
Monitor carefully.
Signs of incompatibility
Watch for:
- Chasing
- Bite injuries
- Tail damage
- Persistent hiding
- Weight loss
- Feeding suppression
- One animal monopolising warm or secure areas
Separate animals immediately where necessary.
Why individual housing is useful
Individual housing makes it easier to monitor:
- Food intake
- Weight
- Faeces
- Health
- Reproductive condition
and eliminates chronic social pressure.
Sexing
Adult males generally show:
- More obvious hemipenal bulges
- Preanal/femoral pore development
- A broader appearance around the tail base
Females lack prominent hemipenal bulges.
Sexing juveniles can be difficult.
Breeding
Only breed animals that are:
- Mature
- Healthy
- Correctly identified
- Feeding reliably
- Well hydrated
- In good body condition
Female condition
Egg production places substantial demands on females.
Pay particular attention to:
- Calcium
- Hydration
- Diet
- UVB
- Body weight
Courtship
Breeding interactions may involve:
- Following
- Territorial behaviour
- Physical restraint during mating
Monitor carefully to ensure courtship does not develop into persistent aggression.
Egg production
Females generally produce:
two hard-shelled eggs per clutch.
Single-egg clutches may occasionally occur.
Egg-laying sites
Eggs may be deposited:
- Behind bark
- Inside cork tubes
- In elevated crevices
- Beneath furnishings
- Within protected enclosure cavities
Provide several secure laying options.
Attached eggs
Eggs may adhere firmly to the laying surface.
If firmly attached:
do not forcibly remove them.
Attempting to detach an adhered egg can rupture the shell.
Removable laying surfaces
Breeders can provide removable:
- Cork pieces
- Bark panels
- Tubes
- Artificial crevices
to make incubation management easier.
Eggs left in situ
Where an egg cannot be removed safely, it can be incubated in place.
If necessary, protect it with a ventilated barrier to prevent:
- Adult interference
- Feeder damage
- Hatchling disappearance
Incubation
A conservative incubation range is approximately:
77–82°F (25–28°C).
Avoid unnecessarily high incubation temperatures.
Incubation humidity
Maintain moderate humidity around the eggs.
They should not be:
- Wet
- Sitting in water
- Covered continuously in condensation
Incubation medium
If eggs are removable, they can be incubated in a ventilated container using an appropriate incubation system.
Hard-shelled gecko eggs do not need to be buried in saturated medium.
Egg orientation
Avoid unnecessary rotation after incubation has begun.
If an egg must be moved, maintain approximately its original orientation.
Incubation time
Incubation commonly lasts:
several weeks to a few months
depending upon temperature and individual development.
Do not attempt to accelerate development with excessive heat.
Hatchlings
Hatchlings should normally be separated from adults.
Adults may:
- Compete with them
- Stress them
- Injure them
Hatchling enclosure
Provide:
- Secure vertical housing
- Fine branches
- Cork
- Dense foliage
- Appropriate low-level UVB
- Drinking droplets
- Excellent ventilation
Hatchling temperature
Maintain daytime temperatures around:
75–80°F (24–27°C)
with access to a small warmer upper area around:
82–86°F (28–30°C).
Hatchling night temperature
Allow nighttime temperatures to fall toward approximately:
70–73°F (21–23°C).
Hatchling humidity
Maintain approximately:
60–80% humidity
with temporary peaks following misting.
Allow exposed surfaces to partially dry.
Hatchling diet
Suitable prey includes:
- Small crickets
- Small roach nymphs
- Small flies
- Other appropriately sized captive-bred invertebrates
Small amounts of suitable complete gecko diet may also be offered.
Hatchling feeding
Offer appropriately sized food:
daily or near-daily during early growth.
Hatchling supplementation
Feeders should be:
- Gut loaded
- Lightly calcium dusted
- Supplemented appropriately with vitamins
Provide suitable low-level UVB.
Hatchling escape security
Young geckos can exploit much smaller gaps than adults.
Check:
- Door gaps
- Mesh
- Cable openings
- Ventilation holes
carefully.
Quarantine
All newly acquired animals should undergo quarantine.
At least:
90 days
is a sensible general minimum.
Longer quarantine may be appropriate for:
- Wild-caught animals
- Imports
- Animals of uncertain origin
Quarantine housing
Quarantine housing should remain functional.
Provide:
- Vertical climbing surfaces
- Hides
- Correct temperatures
- Appropriate humidity
- Water
- UVB
A simple substrate can make faecal monitoring and cleaning easier.
Quarantine monitoring
Monitor:
- Weight
- Appetite
- Faeces
- Hydration
- Shedding
- Activity
- Breathing
- External parasites
Wild-caught animals
Historically, some G. marginata entering the hobby have been wild collected.
Wild-caught animals may arrive with:
- Dehydration
- Internal parasites
- External parasites
- Injuries
- Nutritional deficiencies
- Chronic stress
Captive-bred animals should be strongly preferred.
Parasite screening
Veterinary faecal testing is particularly worthwhile for:
- Wild-caught animals
- Imports
- Animals losing weight
- Animals producing abnormal faeces
Treatment should be based upon diagnosis.
Common health concerns
Potential problems include:
- Dehydration
- Overheating
- Retained shed
- Nutritional deficiencies
- Metabolic bone disease
- Obesity
- Internal parasites
- External parasites
- Respiratory disease
- Trauma
- Reproductive complications
Dehydration
Possible signs include:
- Sunken eyes
- Poor shedding
- Lethargy
- Reduced feeding
- Weight loss
Review:
- Misting
- Drinking opportunities
- Temperature
- Humidity
- General health
Retained shed
Pay particular attention to:
- Toes
- Tail
- Around the eyes
Retained shed around toes can restrict circulation.
Metabolic bone disease
Potential signs include:
- Weak grip
- Tremors
- Soft jaw
- Limb deformity
- Difficulty climbing
- Abnormal posture
Appropriate:
- Calcium
- UVB
- Vitamin D
- Diet
- Supplementation
are important preventive measures.
Obesity
Excessive feeding can lead to:
- Excessive fat deposition
- Reduced activity
- Poor reproductive health
Monitor body condition rather than feeding according to appetite alone.
Respiratory disease
Warning signs include:
- Open-mouth breathing
- Wheezing
- Clicking
- Nasal discharge
- Increased respiratory effort
Review temperature, ventilation and humidity and seek veterinary assessment.
Trauma
Potential injuries include:
- Bite wounds from cage mates
- Falls
- Tail injuries
- Skin damage
- Toe injuries
Secure enclosure furnishings and separate incompatible animals.
Reproductive problems
Breeding females may experience:
- Calcium depletion
- Poor body condition
- Egg retention
Warning signs include:
- Persistent swelling
- Straining
- Weakness
- Tremors
- Reduced feeding
- Failure to lay
Seek veterinary assistance promptly.
Veterinary red flags
Seek a suitably experienced reptile veterinarian for:
- Persistent anorexia
- Significant weight loss
- Severe dehydration
- Abnormal breathing
- Persistent abnormal faeces
- Tremors
- Weakness
- Significant wounds
- Neurological signs
- Prolapse
- Suspected egg retention
Cleaning
Spot-clean regularly.
Remove:
- Faeces
- Dead feeders
- Shed skin
- Mould
- Spoiled soft food
- Heavily contaminated substrate
Soft-food hygiene
Any fruit-based or complete gecko diet should be removed before it:
- Ferments
- Moulds
- Attracts excessive flies
Water hygiene
Clean the drinking dish regularly.
Misting reservoirs and tubing should also be maintained hygienically.
Disinfection
For deeper cleaning:
- Remove the gecko
- Use an appropriate reptile disinfectant
- Follow correct dilution
- Observe required contact time
- Rinse where necessary
- Allow surfaces to become safe before reintroduction
Never mix disinfectants.
Sourcing
Whenever possible, obtain:
documented captive-bred Gehyra marginata.
Ask for:
- Scientific name
- Captive-bred status
- Hatch date
- Sex
- Parent information
- Feeding history
- Supplementation routine
- UVB provision
- Health history
Correct identification
Animals should be recorded under their scientific name rather than simply:
“giant gecko.”
Several unrelated large geckos are sold under similar common names.
Conservation and responsible sourcing
The species originates from a comparatively restricted island region.
Responsible captive breeding can:
- Reduce dependence on wild collection
- Improve traceability
- Maintain healthy captive populations
Avoid purchasing animals of uncertain origin where responsibly produced captive-bred animals are available.
Legal considerations
Always check current legislation governing:
- Acquisition
- Collection
- Import
- Export
- Transport
- Keeping
- Breeding
- Sale
Wildlife collection and export laws in Indonesia may apply independently of the laws governing private possession in the destination country.
Never release captive geckos
Never release captive reptiles into the environment.
Released animals may:
- Die
- Spread pathogens
- Affect native wildlife
- Establish non-native populations
Responsible rehoming is the correct alternative.
Common husbandry mistakes
Common mistakes include:
- Providing too small an enclosure
- Providing height without usable climbing structure
- Using branches too weak for an adult
- Providing too few elevated hides
- Providing insufficient foliage
- Poor escape security
- Heating the entire enclosure uniformly
- Providing no cooler retreat
- Allowing chronic overheating
- Providing no nighttime temperature reduction
- Maintaining permanently saturated conditions
- Poor ventilation
- Providing no UVB
- Providing excessive UVB without shade
- Failing to provide drinking droplets
- Feeding only crickets
- Poor gut loading
- Incorrect supplementation
- Feeding excessive sugary foods
- Treating complete gecko diet as the entire diet
- Excessive handling
- Grabbing the tail
- Housing adult males together
- Ignoring social stress
- Breeding females in poor condition
- Forcibly removing attached eggs
- Failing to quarantine new animals
- Purchasing poorly documented wild-caught animals
Responsible ownership
Before obtaining a Halmahera Giant Gecko, ensure you can provide:
- A large vertical enclosure
- Strong interconnected climbing structures
- Multiple elevated hides
- Dense foliage
- Secure enclosure construction
- A controlled upper warm zone
- Cooler shaded retreats
- Appropriate nighttime cooling
- Moderate-to-high fluctuating humidity
- Excellent ventilation
- Regular drinking opportunities
- Low-level UVB
- A varied live-invertebrate diet
- Appropriate supplementation
- Minimal handling
- Individual housing where necessary
- Quarantine
- Veterinary care
- Long-term commitment
Summary
The Halmahera Giant Gecko (Gehyra marginata) is a large, primarily nocturnal arboreal gecko from the North Moluccas of Indonesia.
For one adult, approximately:
24 × 24 × 36 in (60 × 60 × 90 cm)
should be regarded as a basic minimum, while:
36 × 24 × 48 in (90 × 60 × 120 cm)
or larger is strongly preferred.
Provide abundant:
- Strong branches
- Cork
- Vertical bark
- Elevated hides
- Dense foliage
Maintain most daytime temperatures around:
77–82°F (25–28°C)
with a controlled upper warm area around:
84–88°F (29–31°C).
Allow nighttime temperatures to fall toward:
70–75°F (21–24°C).
Maintain humidity generally around:
60–80%
with temporary higher peaks following misting and good drying between misting periods.
Provide low-level UVB around:
UVI 1–2
at exposed accessible positions, together with abundant shade and retreats approaching zero.
Feed a varied diet based primarily upon appropriately sized, gut-loaded and correctly supplemented live invertebrates.
Small amounts of an appropriate complete gecko diet may be offered as supplementary food but should not automatically replace live prey.
Routine handling should be minimal.
Individual housing is the safest default, and adult males should not be housed together.
Breeding females generally produce:
two hard-shelled eggs per clutch,
often deposited within protected elevated crevices.
Captive-bred animals from traceable sources should be strongly preferred.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION:
This care sheet provides general husbandry guidance and does not replace species-specific research or veterinary advice. Individual requirements may vary.
Always check current legislation governing the acquisition, collection, import, transport, keeping, breeding or sale of reptiles in your jurisdiction.
If you have concerns about an animal’s health or care, consult a suitably experienced exotic or reptile veterinarian.
Information correct at the date of publication.
reptilecommunity.com | Revised: August 2026