Lepidodactylus lugubris (Mourning Gecko)
Mourning Gecko Information
Mourning geckos (Lepidodactylus lugubris) are parthenogenetic which means that they are usually all females, and they don't require a male to reproduce. Males do apparently come along occasionally but it is very rare.
They are small geckos, around 4 inches long as adults. They appreciate the same type of environment as dart frogs, as long as there are some drier areas to hang out.
I've had escapees that do fine free roaming in the frog room and have even had them come out into the rest of the house, but they tend to prefer the bathrooms and kitchen because the humidity is higher there.
They like temperatures around 23C-28C (mid 70's F - low 80's F). I'll often find geckos on top of the vivariums, under the lights or around the lights, because they are drawn to the heat. If you want to catch and escaped gecko, using a heat source seems to work better than a food source.
They aren't colourful geckos and blend into the background and wood/cork bark in a vivarium. They are nocturnal so aren't very active in the daytime but will occasionally come out and eat or bask. Ours spend most of their time under the lights on plants that touch the top of the vivarium.
Mourning geckos are good in groups or alone. Having more than one helps influence breeding. They will work out a hierarchy, but put on quite a show in the process.
As the pictures shows, for some reason these geckos decide to lay their eggs on top of, or beside, other eggs. Any protected area (from misting) is fair game. Be careful opening the doors of a vivarium because eggs and baby geckos are easily destroyed in the "hinge" area of a Exo Terra door. Also gecko proofing is a must, baby geckos can get out of the smallest of cracks, let alone the holes for wiring and vents.
Mourning geckos are sexually mature around 8-10 months of age. They usually lay 2 eggs every 4-6 weeks. At room temperature the eggs should hatch in about 8 weeks.
