Defining Characteristics: 

• Nocturnal
• Easy to Care For
• Easy to Breed
• Parthenogenetic
• Can Be Kept With Poison Dart Frogs
• GREAT IN GROUPS

Name: Lepidodactylus lugubris. This variety is commonly called the Hawaiian mourning gecko or Type B mourning gecko. This is the form found on the Hawaiian islands, where it is an introduced species that has been firmly established for decades. These individuals have pronounced markings near their forelimbs and hindlimbs. Our high expression Hawaiian mourning geckos have these pronounced markings across their entire back.

Recommended Vivarium Size: Mourning geckos will thrive in an enclosure as small as 5 gallons, but 10 gallons or 12x12x12 exo-terras or larger are recommended for multiple animals. Many people successfully keep these geckos in naturalistic vivaria, housed with larger dart frogs. Mourning geckos are escape artists, and it's always important to fully secure their enclosure to prevent escapes! At Josh's Frogs, we secure Exo Terra enclosures by siliconing the lid and blocking the front vents with pond foam. 

Temperature: Lepidodactylus lugubris prefer temps in the mid 70s, up to the low 80s. Mourning geckos will generally thrive at room temperature, but a low wattage basking light may be needed in cooler climates. Their ideal temperature range is 70F - 80F.

Humidity: Mourning geckos like it humid, and require a humidity of at least 50%. Lepidodactylus lugubris can do well at a humidity of up to 90%, as long as a drier area is provided. Ideal humidity range is 60%-80%. 

Size: Adult mourning geckos get up to about 4" in length. When they hatch, Lepidodactylus lugubris measure less than an inch! The adult mourning geckos sold by Josh's Frogs measure about 2.5-3" when shipped.

Age: Lepidodactylus lugubris is capable of living over 10 years in captivity, with reports of 15 years or more in the literature. These adult mourning geckos are 6-8 months old.

Feeding: Being smaller geckos, mourning geckos prefer smaller foods. Lepidodactylus lugubris juveniles will readily eat pinhead crickets and 1/8 inch crickets. Adult mourning geckos will devour 1/4 inch crickets, as well as other insects that size. All feeder insects should be gutloaded and dusted with a vitamin/mineral supplement.

At all life stages, mourning geckos will feast on gecko diet mix. This can be fed as a complete diet to mourning geckos, but we prefer to offer them a variety of feeder insects, as well.

Sexing: Sexing mourning geckos is the easiest thing in the world - they're all female! Lepidodactylus lugubris is a parthenogenetic species - females lay fertilized eggs, and their offspring are little clones of the parent. Reportedly males exist, but we have not encountered any at Josh's Frogs.

Color/Pattern: Hawaiian mourning geckos differ from normal, or Type A, mourning geckos in several ways. Most notable, this variety has pronounced markings near their hind, fore, or both limbs. To many keepers, this makes them much more desirable. Our high expression mourning geckos have these pronounced markings down their entire back. Besides these conspicuous spots, Hawaiian mourning geckos tend to have a reduced pattern compared to usual mourning geckos.

Social Behavior: Lepidodactylus lugubris is fine housed alone or in groups, as long as enough space and hiding places are provided. The geckos will develop a social hierarchy, with the dominant animal(s) breeding. Mourning geckos can be very vocal when housed together, with the animals making various squeaks and creaks to communicate. Mourning geckos will also display visually to each other, in the form of back arching or tail wiggling. Aggression can sometimes occur but generally does not result in the injury of an animal. Adults may eat offspring.

Breeding: Hawaiian mourning geckos are very easy to breed - they don't need any of our help! Lone females will still produce eggs but not as consistently as pairs or groups; as such, Lepidodactylus lugubris is best kept in pairs or groups for breeding; two females will stimulate each other via pseudocopulation, resulting in 2 gravid geckos. Hawaiian mourning geckos reach sexual maturity at 8-10 months of age, and will lay clutches of 2 eggs every 4-6 weeks. Eggs take about 3 months to hatch at room temperature.

Natural Range: Mourning geckos are found in the tropical coastal areas of the Pacific and Indian Oceans, including the Maldives, Sri Lanka, India, Myanmar, Thailand, West Malaysia, Vietnam, Japan, Taiwan, China, Indonesia, the Philippines, New Guinea, Fiji, the Australian islands of Cocos atoll, Western Samoa, and Guam. Hawaiian mourning geckos have been introduced into Hawaii, as you might guess by their name.

History in the Hobby: Hawaiian mourning geckos have never been common in the hobby, and when available demand a higher price then their duller cousins. Most animals in the trade descend from animals that are field collected in Hawaii by scientists or hobbyists.

Links of Interest:

• Keeping Mourning Geckos with Dart Frogs - Josh's Frogs blog about housing mourning geckos and dart frogs together
• Mourning Geckos on Wikipedia - great information on their natural (and artificial!) range.
• GeckosUnlimited - Mourning Gecko Care Sheet - covers all the basics
• ReptileSpecialty - Mourning Gecko Care Sheet - a good care sheet on mourning geckos

Still not sure if Hawaiian Mourning Geckos (Lepidodactylus lugubris) from Josh's Frogs are the right geckos for you? Read the reviews below and see what other customers are saying!