Chahoua Gecko

Overview

• The Chahoua, or mossy New Caledonian gecko, is an arboreal, nocturnal gecko famous for camouflage that mimics moss and lichen in greens, rusts, browns and whites.
• It comes in two forms: the mainland (Grande Terre) locale and the larger Pine Isle (Isle of Pines) locale, which often shows a white collar and commands the highest prices.

• Care is broadly similar to the crested and gargoyle geckos already common in the hobby, but the Chahoua is larger, calmer in the hand and has a famously strong, velcro-like grip.
• Its fully prehensile tail also regenerates almost perfectly if dropped, unlike a crested gecko's, which never grows back.

• The intermediate rating reflects cost, sourcing and calcium sensitivity rather than difficult husbandry.
• Captive-bred animals typically cost several hundred to well over a thousand dollars because females lay only a few two-egg clutches a year, so this is a species to research and budget for, not an impulse purchase.

Housing

• House one adult in a tall, well-ventilated vivarium of at least 45x45x60cm (18x18x24in); 45x45x90cm (18x18x36in) is a genuinely better target, and 60x45x90cm (24x18x36in) suits large Pine Isle animals.
• Chahouas are trunk-perchers rather than twig-dwellers, so wide vertical cork bark rounds and flats they can flatten against matter more than thin branches.
• Dense foliage and a bioactive, planted setup provide cover and help hold humidity.

• Keep daytime temperatures around 22-26C (72-79F) and never let the enclosure sustain heat above 28C (82F), which stresses and can quickly kill this cool-adapted species.
• A natural few-degree drop at night is welcomed rather than harmful.
• A strong basking lamp is unnecessary in most homes, though a low-output UVB tube (a low Ferguson-zone source) is beneficial.
• Mist once or twice daily for 60-80% humidity, always letting the enclosure dry partway between mistings, because constantly wet, stagnant air causes skin and respiratory disease.

Diet

• A commercial complete powdered gecko diet (CGD) mixed with water and offered in a dish several times a week forms the base diet.
• However, the Chahoua is the most insect-hungry of the New Caledonian geckos, and some individuals largely ignore powdered food.
• Budget and plan for live feeders from the start rather than hoping the dish alone will do.

• Offer gut-loaded, calcium-dusted crickets or dubia roaches about twice a week to adults, which is more insect protein than a crested gecko needs; growing juveniles want smaller feeders offered more often.
• Never rely on plain fruit or baby food, which is unbalanced and causes deficiencies.
• Provide fresh water in a dish, though they also lap droplets from misted leaves.

• Calcium supply deserves particular attention in this species.
• Healthy Chahouas store visible calcium reserves in endolymphatic sacs in the roof of the mouth, and keepers should learn to check that these are not depleted.

Health

• A healthy Chahoua has clear eyes, full toe pads, a firm grip, steady weight and clean sheds.
• The biggest risk is metabolic bone disease from inadequate calcium or UVB, and breeding females are especially prone to sudden calcium crashes because egg production drains their reserves quickly.
• Overheating is the other common, rapidly fatal husbandry error, so keep the enclosure below 28C (82F).

• Retained shed around the toes can constrict circulation and needs correcting with a humid hide and gentle moisture.
• A dropped tail regenerates well and is not an emergency, though prevention through calm handling is better.
• Any change in grip strength, appetite or jaw firmness warrants a prompt visit to a reptile-experienced exotics vet.

• Given a 15-20+ year lifespan and the animal's price, locating an exotics vet before purchase is part of responsible ownership.
• Insist on captive-bred stock from a documented breeder, as New Caledonian geckos are protected in the wild and smuggled animals still enter the trade.

Temperament

• The Chahoua is widely considered the calmest of the New Caledonian geckos to handle.
• Rather than leaping like a crested gecko, it tends to sit still and grip with surprising, velcro-like strength, which makes it steady in the hand once settled.
• Juveniles are shyer and flightier, and a startled adult can deliver a noticeably harder nip than a crested, so keep sessions short, low and unforced.

• They are nocturnal, spending the day pressed motionless against bark and becoming active in the evening.
• Expect a beautiful display animal you mostly watch, with handling as an occasional extra rather than the point.

• House them singly.
• Males fight seriously, and even long-established pairs can suddenly injure each other outside supervised breeding contexts.
• Solo housing is the responsible default for a pet Chahoua.