🐾 LandCare difficulty: BeginnerLegal complexity: Low
Mourning gecko
Lepidodactylus lugubris · also called Common smooth-scaled gecko, Sad gecko, Lugubris gecko
A tiny, parthenogenetic (all-female, self-cloning) arboreal gecko that thrives in colonies, making it one of the few geckos that genuinely does best kept in groups.
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Quick facts
| Size | Tiny: adults only 8.5-10 cm (3.5-4 in) total length. |
| Lifespan | 5–10 years |
| Social needs | group |
| Native region | Indo-Pacific and Southeast Asia (widely introduced across tropical coasts and islands) |
| Origin | Old World |
| Climate | 🌴 Tropical |
| Family | Gekkonidae |
| Genus | Lepidodactylus |
Part of the Geckos
Geckos range from desert ground-dwellers to humid cave and forest specialists; eyelid geckos like Goniurosaurus and leopard geckos have movable eyelids and are largely terrestrial.
Habitat & space requirements
From the minimum an animal needs to be kept humanely, up to the ideal setup. Bigger is almost always better — minimums are floors, not targets.
Life & growth stages
How this animal changes through its life — each stage often has its own care, diet and space needs.
Color & pattern variants
Natural variants occur in the wild; selectively bred (man-made) variants were developed in captivity.
Habitat & enclosure
A small colony does well in a planted vertical terrarium of about 12 x 12 x 18 in (30 x 30 x 45 cm), which can comfortably hold several individuals thanks to their tiny size and social tolerance. Furnish densely with cork bark, bamboo, vines, and live plants to provide abundant climbing surfaces, hiding spots, and multiple feeding stations so animals can space themselves out. A bioactive coco-fiber or soil substrate supports humidity and lets the colony lay eggs throughout the enclosure. Because they are tiny escape artists, ensure the enclosure is very secure with fine mesh.
Keep a daytime range of about 72-82F (22-28C) with a modest basking area and a slight nighttime drop; they tolerate room-temperature setups well. Maintain humidity around 60-80% with daily light misting and good ventilation. As a nocturnal-to-crepuscular species they do not require UVB, though low-level UVB is beneficial; provide a low-wattage plant light for any live plants.
Substrate
A bioactive mix of coco fiber, sphagnum moss, and leaf litter over a drainage layer holds humidity and supports a clean-up crew of springtails and isopods for these tiny arboreal geckos. In a simpler setup, plain moist paper towel or coco fiber works but must be misted and spot-cleaned regularly.
Equipment & setup
Use a tall, well-ventilated terrarium with dense cork bark, bamboo, and live plants (pothos, bromeliads) for climbing and egg-laying; keep temps around 72-80F with an ambient room or low-watt heat, and maintain 60-80% humidity via daily misting or an automatic mister. Low-output UVB (T5 5%) plus dietary D3 supports bone health, and a small ledge or magnetic feeder cup holds powdered crested-gecko diet.
Diet
An omnivore easily maintained on a powdered crested-gecko/day-gecko meal-replacement diet (Pangea, Repashy) mixed with water and offered in shallow dishes, supplemented with small live insects such as flightless fruit flies, pinhead crickets, and bean beetles dusted with calcium and a multivitamin. Their small size means prey must be tiny.
Many keepers also offer a little fruit puree or nectar as enrichment. Mist for drinking droplets and provide a shallow water source. A reliable insect feeder culture (fruit flies) is the easiest way to keep a colony fed.
Behavior & temperament
Bold, active, and entertaining to watch, mourning geckos are unusual in being a parthenogenetic, all-female species: individuals reproduce clonally without males, and colonies are self-sustaining. They are highly vocal for their size, chirping and squeaking to communicate. They have delicate skin and readily drop their tails, so they are a watch-don't-handle species.
They are genuinely social and best kept in groups; females even engage in pseudocopulation that stimulates egg-laying. Because every animal is female and reproduction is rapid, a colony can quickly outgrow its enclosure, so plan for population management. Provide many hides, perches, and feeding points to minimize the mild competition that can occur.
Health
A hardy species overall. The main husbandry issues are metabolic bone disease and egg-laying problems (calcium depletion) in such prolific breeders, so consistent calcium with D3 supplementation is essential; egg-binding can occur in calcium-deficient females. Low humidity causes retained shed on toes and tail tips.
Because they breed so readily, the biggest practical 'health' concern is overcrowding, which raises stress and competition, so rehome or rehouse surplus animals. Watch for thin tails, lethargy, or jaw deformities (calcium issues). Quarantine and a reptile-vet fecal check are sensible when adding animals from outside your own colony.
Tips, DIY & hacks
Mourning geckos are parthenogenetic and all-female, so a colony grows on its own; provide plenty of cover and never overcrowd or undersize a tank, as they will eat their own tiny eggs and hatchlings if stressed. They thrive on a mixed diet of crested-gecko meal-replacement powder plus dusted fruit flies and micro-crickets, making them an ideal feeder of feeders or a low-cost first arboreal species.
Sources
- Common mourning gecko - Wikipedia (wiki)
- NEHERP: Mourning Gecko Care (care guide)
- Wikipedia: Mourning gecko (wiki)