Mourning Gecko vs Gargoyle Gecko: Key Differences
| Adult weight | Mourning: 2–4g | Gargoyle: 50–70g |
| Reproduction | Mourning: parthenogenetic | Gargoyle: sexual |
A big size difference
Gargoyle geckos are considerably larger, reaching roughly 50–70g as adults, versus a mourning gecko's 2–4g — this drives very different feeder sizing, enclosure dimensions, and handling considerations despite both being arboreal, humidity-loving geckos.
Reproduction is the biggest difference
Gargoyle geckos reproduce sexually and require a male and female pair to produce fertile eggs. Mourning geckos are parthenogenetic — every female can lay fertile eggs on her own, no male required, and colonies of females live together without the pairing considerations a gargoyle breeding setup needs.
Husbandry overlap
Both species share broadly similar humidity, ventilation, and no-heat-lamp-needed housing philosophies, and both can be fed a complete MRP powder as a dietary staple — the core difference in day-to-day care comes down to scale, not style.
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A single adult mourning gecko needs a minimum 12"x12"x18" front-opening, well-ventilated enclosure — taller matters more than wider since this species is highly arboreal — furnished with cork bark, branches, and dense foliage for climbing.
A complete mourning gecko setup needs a tall 18"+ front-opening enclosure, cork bark and branches for climbing, coco fibre/moss substrate, a misting routine to hold 60–80% humidity, and complete MRP powder — no heat lamp is required in most homes.
Hatchlings can start in a small (roughly 5"x5"x8") enclosure to make food easier to find, juveniles move up around a few months old, and adults need a minimum 12"x12"x18" vertical enclosure.
Mourning geckos generally do best at normal room temperature, roughly 75–82°F, and can suffer heat stress above about 82°F. Most homes need no basking bulb or heat mat at all — just monitoring during hot weather.
Low-level UVB (roughly 5–6% output) is increasingly recommended as good practice, though it isn't strictly mandatory for mourning geckos the way it is for a strongly basking desert species — their diet's built-in D3 from MRP covers much of the gap.
Mourning geckos need roughly 60–80% humidity, achieved through misting once or twice daily, with good ventilation to prevent the dampness from turning stagnant.