Chahoua Gecko Care Guide
A large, heavy-bodied New Caledonian gecko with mossy camouflage and a prehensile tail. Long-lived and impressive. The husbandry resembles a crested gecko's with one important difference: chahouas need considerably more insect prey than their relatives.
Chahoua Gecko at a glance
| Adult size | 10-12 in |
| Lifespan | 15-20 years |
| Enclosure | Tall and planted; 18 x 18 x 24 in minimum for an adult |
| Temperature | Room temperature suits them; avoid heat above the mid-70s°F |
| Humidity | 60-80% |
| UVB | Low-level beneficial |
| Diet | Commercial gecko diet plus a substantial insect share |
| Handling | Tolerant compared with many geckos, but still a display animal |
| Experience | Intermediate |
What most chahoua gecko care sheets get wrong
These are the errors that show up most often in secondary care sheets and forum advice. Each one is a real welfare issue, not a preference.
A crested gecko diet plan underfeeds a chahoua.
The New Caledonian geckos get treated as a single husbandry group, and for temperature and humidity that mostly works. It does not work for food. Chahouas consume considerably more insect prey than crested geckos do, and a keeper running the crested gecko routine of commercial diet with occasional insects is underfeeding them. The prepared diet remains important; the insect share has to be much larger.
They regrow their tails, which crested geckos do not.
Crested gecko keepers know that a dropped tail is permanent. Chahouas are different: the tail is prehensile and it regenerates. This matters when choosing between the two species, and it means a tail drop in a chahoua is a setback rather than a permanent change.
Price attracts buyers who have not read the care requirements.
Chahouas are among the more expensive New Caledonian geckos, which in this hobby tends to draw impulse purchases on appearance. The animal is not difficult, but it is a fifteen-to-twenty year commitment with a real feeder-insect routine attached.
Why keep a chahoua gecko
- Mossy, lichen-like camouflage unlike anything else in the hobby
- Large and heavy-bodied for a gecko, with real presence
- Prehensile tail, and they regenerate it if dropped
- Long-lived: 15-20 years is a genuine companion-animal timespan
- Generally calmer and more tolerant of handling than crested geckos
Why you might not want one
- Expensive compared with other New Caledonian geckos
- Higher insect requirement means more feeder maintenance than a crested gecko
- Nocturnal, so daytime viewing is limited
- Humidity must be maintained properly; they are not a dry-room species
Common questions
How big do chahoua geckos get?
Adults reach roughly 10 to 12 inches in total length, which makes them one of the larger New Caledonian geckos and noticeably heavier-bodied than a crested gecko. They are arboreal and use vertical space, so enclosure height matters more than floor area.
What do chahoua geckos eat?
A commercial gecko diet of the type made for crested geckos, plus a substantial share of live insects. This is the key difference from crested geckos: chahouas consume considerably more insect prey, and a prepared diet alone does not meet their needs.
How long do chahoua geckos live?
Fifteen to twenty years with correct care, which is longer than many keepers expect from a gecko. Combined with their price, that makes them a considered purchase rather than an impulse one.
Do chahoua geckos regrow their tails?
Yes, unlike crested geckos, which do not. The chahoua's tail is also prehensile and used for climbing. A dropped tail regenerates, though the regrown tail often differs somewhat in appearance.
Are chahoua geckos good for beginners?
They are not difficult, but they are expensive, long-lived and need a larger insect-feeding routine than a crested gecko. A keeper comfortable with crested geckos will manage a chahoua; a complete beginner is usually better starting with a less costly species.