The Mourning Gecko is a small species of lizard that is native to much of South-East Asia and many of the Pacific Islands. It has also been introduced into South America.
This small lizard only grows to around 4 inches in length. It also goes by another name, the common smooth-scaled geckos. This is a clear reference to its smooth scales.
The lizard got its common name ‘Mourning Gecko’ as all of these lizards are female. Hence, they were in ‘Mourning’ as there was no males to mate with.
Mourning Gecko Taxonomy
The Mourning Gecko belongs to a family of lizards called Gekkonidae. This group of lizards are known as the Common Geckos and contains many of the most widespread species of geckos.
This is the largest family of geckos in the world with 64 different genera and over 950 different recognised species. This list is constantly growing as new species are discovered and sub-species are reclassified.
The genus that the Mourning Gecko belongs to is called Lepidodactylus. This genus contains 41 different species. As a group, they are known as the Scaly-Toed Geckos.
The species in this genus are closely related to the House Geckos and the lizards in the genus dtellas.
Some of the other species in the Lepidodactylus genus are the Slender Chained Gecko and the Fiji Scaly-Toed Gecko.
The scientific name for the Mourning Gecko is Lepidodactylus lugubris. It was first described by Dumeril and Bibron in 1836.
Duméril and Bibron were responsible for describing a number of species together including the Crested Anole and the Veiled Chameleon.
Mourning Gecko Description
The Mourning Gecko is a small species of lizard that only grows to around 4 inches in length, including the tail. However, these tiny lizards have a stunning appearance.
They generally have a tan coloured background but the shade of this can vary greatly from very light to very dark. The shade of the lizard can also vary depending on their mood and other factors.
They typically have dark spots or patterning that runs along the length of the lizard’s body. The intensity of this can vary greatly. These markings often come in the form of a chevron-like pattern.
They also have a characteristic thin brown stripe that runs from the back of the lizard’s head to the tip of the nose. This is present on both sides of the gecko’s head.
Natural Habitat and Distribution
The Mourning Gecko has an extremely large geographical distribution. Their range extends throughout much of Southern Asia, South-East Asia and throughout many of the Oceania islands.
In Asia, they can be found in countries such as India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Malaysia.
They can be found on a large number of South-East Asian islands including many of the Indonesian islands, the Philippines and New Guinea. They can even be found as far South as Queensland, Australia.
The Mourning Gecko is also present on some of the Pacific Islands such as New Caledonia, Fiji, Tonga, Samoa and French Polynesia.
They have also been introduced into many Central and South American countries. They can be found in places such as Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica, Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador.
In India, they share some of their geographical range with species such as the Indian Python, the Gooty Sapphire Tarantula, the Bengal Monitor and the Bamboo Viper.
In New Guinea, they live in a part of the world that has a huge diversity of different reptile species. They share part of their geographic distribution with a wide range of other reptiles such as the Bismarck Ringed Python, Blue Tailed Monitor, Blue Tongue Skink, Boelen’s Python, Crocodile Monitor, Emerald Tree Monitor, Mangrove Monitor, Amethystine Python, Peach Throat Monitor and the Pink Bellied Side Neck Turtle. However, some of these reptiles may have different habitat niches.
Behaviour
The Mourning Gecko is a very unique species with some amazing characteristics. Probably the most fascinating aspect of these lizards is how they reproduce.
These lizards reproduce Parthenogenically. This is a form of asexual reproduction where the ‘female’ does not need a male in order to produce offspring. The babies are essentially ‘clones’ of the mother.
The frequency in which this lizard lays eggs and its ability to reproduce without the presence of a male makes these lizards very prolific at reproducing.
This is probably a key reason why these lizards have a very large distribution. It literally only takes one lizard to hitch a ride on a cargo ship and they can establish themselves somewhere else.
Mourning Gecko Enclosure
The Mourning Gecko is an arboreal species so you should look for an enclosure that is taller than it is wide. This will help promote their natural tendency to climb.
You can comfortably house 2-3 Mourning Geckos in an enclosure that measures around 30x30x45cm. If you want to keep more, increase the size of the enclosure.
While you don’t have to worry about keeping one male to ‘X’ number of females, as they are all females, you do need to ensure they have enough space or fighting may occur over territory.
Some keepers choose to keep hatchlings in the adult’s enclosure. This can work fine if the enclosure is large enough and there are plenty of hiding places. However, we recommend housing babies in a separate enclosure for a number of reasons.
A Baby Mourning Gecko is tiny and can escape through the smallest of holes in the enclosure. A gap in the door or wite mesh is all these tiny lizards need to escape.
Adults are also known to eat babies so in order to prevent cannibalism, it is best to keep them separate. This will also eliminate stress as the babies won’t have to worry about the larger lizards.
Plastic Critter Keepers are great for housing babies as they are secure and the ventilation holes are small enough that the babies can’t escape.
It is best to keep these lizards in a naturalistic setup. A Mourning Gecko will thrive in a live bioactive vivarium. In fact, many people successfully keep these lizards in their dart frog enclosures.
While it is usually frowned upon to keep two separate species together, these lizards are an exception. If you are considering this, look for Dart Frogs that are more territorial as the geckos are arboreal.
There are many different types of live plants that work great for these lizards. However, not all plants are safe so make sure you look up the plants you are using beforehand.
Some plants that work well and are used by many keepers include Ferns, Bromeliads, Orchids and Vines.
You should add other types of enrichment to the enclosure also such as Cork Bark, Rocks and branches. These cage furnishings will promote climbing and can act as a hide for the gecko also.
Substrate
A number of different substrates can be used in a Mourning Gecko enclosure. However, if you are going bioactive, you will want a substrate that will allow the plants to thrive.
Eco Earth or Coco Fibre are great substrates for maintaining high levels of humidity. Adding a top layer of Sphagnum Moss will help increase humidity even further.
Temperature and Lighting
A Mourning Gecko enclosure should be heated using an overhead heat source. You can use something like a basking bulb, infrared bulb or ceramic heat emitter as the source of your heat.
If you are using a bulb that emits visible light, this will need to be turned off at night to ensure the gecko is exposed to an adequate day/night cycle.
In this case, you will need to ensure the temperature in the room remains at a sufficient temperature until the heat source turns back on the next morning.
You should aim for a hot spot of around 85F. This will be at the top of the enclosure close to the source of the heat. The temperature will reduce as the gecko moves further down towards the bottom of the enclosure.
You should aim for a temperature of around 75F here. This will provide your lizard with an adequate thermal gradient.
During the night, the temperate can drop to around 70F, or even the high 60s. However, this must rise back up again on the morning to allow the gecko to raise its body temperature again.
Humidity levels should be around 60-70% in the enclosure. It is natural for this to fluctuate as you spray the enclosure and it dries out. However, the enclosure should never be kept ‘soggy’ and the humidity should remain above 50%.
Mourning Gecko Diet
Mourning Geckos are omnivorous, meaning they eat a variety of food that comes from both plants and animals.
In the wild, these lizards diet consists mainly of insects, different types of fruit and pollen. It is important that they get the same nutrients in captivity.
However, most people only offer fruit to their geckos as an occasional treat. The popular ‘Crested Gecko Diet’ can be used to replace the fruit and pollen portion of their diet.
Many keepers use different feeding routines and schedules as there are a number of different successful methods. So just because someone else is doing something different, it doesn’t mean you are doing something wrong.
One method is to alternate between CGD and dusted insects every second day. When doing this, you can skip a feed on one or two days a week.
Another method is to offer CGD daily and only replacing it with dusted insects 1-2 days in the week. Both methods seem to work really well.
The most important factor is that your geckos are healthy and have a good body mass, i.e. they are not too skinny or overweight. If you notice issues, adjust your feeding routine accordingly.