Leachie Gecko or Leachianus Gecko (Rhacodactylus Leachianus) is a type of reptile that is native to New Caledonia. Something pretty cool about these guys is they stay up all night and make strange noise.
Growling and squeaking at night. They also have a unique sounding voice compared to other geckos. People like these guys for that reason.
They can live from 15 to 20 years old if cared for properly.
Their natural habitat is hollow trees as high as they can go.
They also like it warm. Really warm actually so if you’re going to care for one of these guys you should be aware they like warm temperatures
Table of Contents
What is a Leachie Gecko?
Leachie geckos do have an alternate name which goes by New Caledonian Giant Gecko. That’s a mouthful so i like calling them leachie geckos.
Leachie’s can come in a variety of colours based on where they’re from on New Caledonia Island. Some colours are Brown, Grey, and Green.
sometimes based off of where they’re from their patterns will be different too.
These guys like to Sleep during the day and stay up all night so expect them to be silent during the day.
When it comes to handling them, they can be sensitive to negative handling experiences so you will want to keep them away from kids.
Leachie geckos originate from an island in the south pacific known as New Caledonia which is why they have the name “NEW CALEDONIA GIANT GECKO” . They get the giant part because of their size (obviously) because they can grow up to 17 inches in length… some are even known to grow slightly bigger.
There are a couple of subspecies you should know about as well so you know which one you’re taking home with you.
The first of the sub-species is called Rhacodactylus Leachianus Henkeli, and the other is called Rhacodactylus Leachianus. They have very similar names so its easy to get confused.
the main way to tell the difference between the two is by their size and colour. The Rhacodactylus Leachianus Henkeli is known for its colours and the Rhacodactylus Leachianus is known for its size.
Leachie Gecko Care Guide
I’ve had my Leachie Gecko for a few years now and they do require a lot of work. Daily work. So be prepared for that. I think some people underestimate how much you need to care for pets in general especially reptiles.
I spray my little guys enclosure daily so there is enough water for him to drink.
Leachie Gecko Diet
Leachie Gecko’s can consume a large variety of food in their diet. Their Diet can consist of insects like crickets and cockroaches. They can also consume fruit as well. You can also feed them other small lizards as they are omnivorous by nature.
Try your best to stick to their natural diet. Insects and fruit loaded up into feeders. Sometimes Leachie geckos can be picky. Keep a close eye on their behaviour and see what they like to consume.
Crested gecko’s and leachie gecko’s can eat the same diet and here is a supplement you can purchase for them as well
https://amzn.to/3kZatwV (affiliate link)
If your Leachie Gecko is young make sure you feed them 4 to 5 times a week and adults can eat 2 to 3 times per week. Each feed is 2 insects.
One thing you must be careful of is something called Impaction. There will be a whole article about it for you so you understand what it is so make sure you check it out. Impaction is basically a block in the digestive tract.
Here is a list of the things a Leachie Gecko can eat so you don’t have to worry. i feed my leachie these things all the time 🙂
- blueberries
- watermelon
- strawberries
- raspberries
- pears
- mango
- figs
- grapes
- dates
- blackberries
- apples
My Leachie doesn’t eat food off the ground so i have to place it on his little tree in his enclosure. like i said they can be picky. This is usually because they spend so much time in trees which is their normal habitat so they are used to eating like that. Make sure you only give them fruit every other day
Leachie Gecko Enclosure
Speaking of enclosures you can actually get a more vertical tank instead of horizontal. There will be an entire post about tanks alone i will be sure to link it here
Leachie gecko Tank size
You don’t need to go all out on a tank for these guys, but like i said before it would be better if you get yourself a vertical enclosure. They really like to climb.
Here’s a little graph for you to use as reference
| Hatchling | 10 Gallon tanks are good |
| Juvenile | 20 Gallon tanks are good |
| Adult | 30 – 40 Gallon is good |
My Leachie has a glass tank with a mesh top and little doors on the front and a built in background. You can get creative with the stuff you put in your enclosures but you can also buy pre-built stuff as well. i will link everything for you in case you want to purchase what i would purchase.
Geckos in general can feel overwhelmed by a tank that’s too big for them so going ALL OUT isn’t always the best option. Stick to the sizes mentioned above. They will feel safest when you recreate their natural environment.
Leachie gecko Lighting
Leachie geckos don’t require extra lighting because they are nocturnal creatures. If you want you can give some UVB lighting in there especially if you have some real plants in there. Remember they are nocturnal so if you do put lights in there don’t leave them on at night. You will mess with their circadian rhythm.
Leachie Gecko Heat Requirements
Try not to let the temperature exceed 85 degrees Fahrenheit and don’t let it drop below 65 degrees Fahrenheit. In Celsius those temps are 30 degrees and 18 degrees
During the day you can keep it higher and at night you can keep it lower (Remember natural habitat)
in my house i have to put a little ceramic heater underneath so it stays warmer. I live in a country where it gets really cold during the winter so its important for that.
You can also use RED BULBS but make sure they are low wattage.
Leachie Gecko Humidity requirements
You should aim to keep the humidity between 55 percent and 75 percent. Make sure you mist the tank twice so they have drinking water and if you do buy a water bowl make sure its heavy on the bottom so it doesn’t tip over. i used a regular bowl for a long time and my leachie kept tipping it over.
Leachie Gecko Substrate
You have a plethora of options here. My Leachie Geckos tank has plants inside it as well as High grade mulch. You want things in there that hold onto moisture well. Things you can use are
- Organic soil mixture
- coconut fiber
- High grade mulch
- peat-based potting soil
- paper towel
make sure you change things like paper towel often, especially for hatchlings.
BE CAREFUL WITH TOO MUCH MOISTURE. Leachies can develop fungal infections on their toe pads. its usually because of too much moisture so make sure there is a period of time where the tank is dry. If you’re going to mist do it in the morning and at night. That way the whole day is letting the tank dry out.
Tank summary
| Tank type | Glass or Plastic |
| Lighting | UVB during the day but not needed |
| substrate | Organic soil, mulch, coconut fiber and paper towels |
Leachie Gecko Handling
Sometimes these guys can be a mix bag when it comes to being handled. Some like it and some don’t
Some even might bite you because they are afraid of being picked up and in doing so some will drop their tails.
My Leachie loves being held. He could spend all day on my chest.
Leachie geckos are great beginner reptiles to handle because they are larger and less fragile.
so you will be able to learn how to handle reptiles with the right finesse. It takes a bit of practice to understand where to hold them so you don’t hurt or drop them and find out where they are most comfortable.
Don’t be afraid to try it out. like i said before mine loves being held.
Young Leachies (hatchlings) like to jump around a lot. If you’re going to handle them make sure you softly pinch their neck but obviously not too hard that it will hurt them and support their bum.
If you notice your Leachie gecko doesn’t like being held yet don’t give up hope. Sometimes what will happen is they need to acclimate to their environment so they are comfortable then they will let you hold them
when they get to juvenile age they will open up to handling more.
Summary of Handling
- Some like being held some don’t give them time to acclimate to their environment
- They are good for learning how to handle geckos because they are less fragile
- more timid kinds of geckos out there if you want to handle more often (other than Leachie geckos)
- Hatchlings like to jump around so make sure they are well supported so they dont hurt themselves by jumping out of your hands
- when they are older than 6 months they will open up to being held more
- if you have two or more growing up in the same cage make sure they are very young and grow up together or they will get hostile towards each other
Leachie Gecko Temperament
They are cautious by nature. You might end up getting a Leachie and they might not ever warm up to you. That only matters if you care a lot about handling.
if you get them from a hatchling state and handle them from that age up until adulthood the odds of them warming up to you is much higher.
Remember that Leachie Geckos like to hide. It might be easier to get a different type of gecko if you want to handle them all the time
Leachie Gecko’s are highly territorial reptiles. Don’t be afriad if they growl. This is called Cage aggression. They make lunge and try to bite when you get near. Just be careful and expect the unexpected.
Leachie Gecko Bite
So you’re probably wondering if their bites hurt?
Its can hurt. They have pretty strong jaws. If you just purchased yours make sure you wear thick gloves until he learns to trust you.
After they trust you to handle them more they will be less likely to bite. what you can do is handle them between 5 to 10 minutes every two weeks or so. Eventually over time they will learn to trust you.
be patient with them because like i said before they like to hide and would rather be watched 🙂
remember expect the unexpected.
Leachie gecko Price
These guys can run up to 1000USD! (1300 CAD)
Some more rare breeds can run up to 4000 dollars USD
Be prepared to spend quite a bit on these guys. There are cheaper Geckos you can spend your money on.
Why are they so expensive?
To be honest it comes down to breeding. They are hard to breed. They need to be compatible pairs in order to mate. If they aren’t they will just end up fighting and becoming violent with each other.
They can also take a long time to reach breeding age which adds to their hefty price tag
To put it in a business sense. Supply doesn’t equal demand. Leachie Geckos are sought after which makes it tough to keep up with demand. since leachies have a more complicated breeding requirement it will take longer to meet those demands
How long do Leachie Geckos Live?
They can live up to 20 years. This is a pretty long time. i didn’t expect this when i first found out about this myself
Summary of Leachie Geckos
- Unique because of their vocal sounds and size
- They live up to 20 years
- They are cute and entertaining to watch but you have to catch them at night
- They are expensive
- They are defensive and can bite you
- You should handle them when they are hatchlings in order for them to trust you
Leachie Geckos are interesting. They can be rewarding but if you truly care about handling them it would be better to consider a different reptile entirely.
Check out this video about leachie geckos from Clint’s reptiles
Another website you can check out about this is
If you;re looking for a different kind of reptile pet to have check these out as well
