Key Takeaway:
- The signs of a gargoyle gecko shedding include white spots on the skin, greyish or pale skin, too much hiding, reduced activities, and loss of appetite.
- Gargoyle geckos can shed their skin to accommodate new growth or shake off parasites.
- Adult gargoyle geckos shed once every month.
- Hatchling gargoyle geckos shed once every week due to their fast growth rate.
- Juvenile gargoyle geckos can shed twice a month.
- When your gargoyle gecko is shedding, you should increase its humidity, provide them with hiding spots, and avoid petting or holding them.
- Gargoyle geckos shed by scratching their bodies against rough surfaces, licking, and eating their shed away.
- Gargoyle geckos can shed in 1 to 3 days once their skin becomes greyish or pale.
- Gargoyle geckos prefer to eat their shed to regain their lost nutrients.
- You shouldn’t hold your pet gargoyle gecko during the shedding phase. Leave it alone to do its thing.
- Gargoyle geckos can get shedding problems (dysecydsis) due to improper living conditions, stress, parasites, and diseases.
- You can treat shedding problems by misting, soaking, and massaging the gargoyle gecko. Alternatively, you can seek help from a vet
- Stuck shed should be removed to prevent necrosis of the limbs and tail
Do you know that gargoyle geckos shed their skin once they outgrow it? Well, this is quite normal in all reptiles.
Therefore, your gargoyle gecko will shed its entire skin every time it outgrows it. Well, even humans need a new set of clothes if the old clothes no longer fit.
Why Do Gargoyle Geckos Shed?
Gargoyle geckos unlike other animals have a skin that does not grow larger. So, as a gargoyle gecko grows, its skin becomes tighter and uncomfortable.
At some point, the gecko will need to shed the old skin and grow a new one that can accommodate its increased body size.
Gargoyle geckos can also shed their skin to shake off parasites.
When Do Gargoyle Geckos Shed?
Shedding should begin as soon as the gargoyle gecko has put on some more weight and becomes bigger.
So, if your adult gargoyle gecko is healthy and putting in weight constantly, it should shed at least once a month.
Hatchlings and juvenile gargoyle geckos tend to shed weekly or twice a month as they are constantly growing.
Signs Of Shedding
Apart from seeing the old skin falling off, how else can you tell that your gargoyle gecko is shedding?
Well, here are some other signs that you should be on the lookout for.
- Dull color – Once the shedding process begins, you’ll notice that the gecko’s skin is no longer bright. The skin normally becomes dull or pale.
- Reduced Appetite – If your gecko isn’t feeding as much as it used to, it is probably preparing to shed its old skin.
- Reduced Activity – Your gargoyle gecko won’t be very active during the shedding process. It will climb less and probably spend most of its time hiding.
- White spots – You might also notice white spots spread throughout the gecko’s skin. However, you must ensure the spots don’t have a blister-like appearance as that may be a sign of a fungal or bacteria infection.
How Often Do Gargoyle Geckos Shed?
Adult crested geckos can shed once or twice a month depending on the growth rate.
The shedding will reduce as the gargoyle gecko’s growth rate begins to drop or stagnate. In that case, your gargoyle gecko will only shed once every month.
For baby gargoyle geckos, the shedding happens quite often due to their fast growth rate.
Your baby gargoyles can shed once or twice per week depending on how fast they grow.
Juvenile geckos may also need to shed their skin more especially if they are at the stage where they grow pretty fast.
| Age | Shedding Frequency |
| Baby/Hatchling | Weekly |
| Juvenile | Bi-weekly |
| Adult | Once or twice a month |
How Do I Know If My Gargoyle Gecko Is Shedding?
Many people fear that their gargoyle geckos aren’t shedding because they’ve never seen them do it.
Well, you’ll not always see the old skin after your gecko drops it. Why? Most gargoyle geckos will eat their shed and leave no trace.
So, unless you are very keen, you’ll never know if your gecko has been shedding.
However, you can tell if your gecko is shedding by monitoring its behavior, activity, skin coloration, and feeding patterns.
If your gargoyle gecko has dull or greyish skin and is not feeding or moving a lot, it might be shedding its skin.
A shedding gecko might even spend most of the time in its hiding spot.
What Do You Do When Your Gargoyle Gecko Is Shedding?
Assuming that your gargoyle geckos are in the process of shedding, what should you do? Well, you can help them shed effortlessly by doing the following things:
Provide Hiding Spots
Gargoyle geckos will need somewhere to hide as he or she continues to shed. So, it’s only fair that you provide several hiding spots in the enclosure.
You can add more plants or place one or two hide boxes in the tank. Ensure to keep the hiding spots moist to make the shedding easy.
Increase the Humidity
All geckos need a humid environment when shedding their old skin. Therefore, you’ll need to bump up the humidity in your enclosure to about 70 or 80 percent.
If you are not using an automatic fogger to maintain a high humidity level, you should mist the tank several times every day.
A humid environment will help your gargoyle gecko shed its skin faster and effortlessly. Besides, you’ll not need to fret about incomplete shedding.
No Touching or Handling
Once you provide your gargoyle gecko with the perfect environment for shedding, leave it alone.
This is not the time to pet or handle your gargoyle gecko. Touching or handling your gecko will only induce stress and interfere with the shedding process.
So, unless you want to slow down the molting process, you shouldn’t disturb your pet gecko. Moreover, petting the gecko may cause incomplete shedding.
Once the shedding is complete, you should allow the new skin to settle and toughen a bit before you pet or handle the gargoyle gecko.
How Do Gargoyle Geckos Shed?
Once the gecko’s old skin can no longer serve its purpose, it will separate from the underlying skin.
This is why your gargoyle gecko’s skin begins to look greyish and pale.
During this time, your gargoyle gecko might start to scratch its body against rough surfaces.
The gecko should also try and get rid of the old skin by licking itself. Amazingly, gargoyle geckos will pull the shed with the help of their mouth.
You might not even see the old skin because these geckos end up eating it.
How Long Does It Take a Gargoyle Gecko To Shed?
A gargoyle gecko should shed in 1 to 3 days after it starts showing the signs. The shedding duration can vary from time to time.
Besides, your gargoyle gecko should shed faster if you provide the right conditions.
Can You Hold a Gargoyle Gecko While It’s Shedding?
No, you shouldn’t hold or pet your gargoyle geckos during the shedding process.
Shedding is an important process and you shouldn’t interrupt it by holding the gargoyle gecko.
Holding a gargoyle gecko that’s shedding may induce stress and irritation. As a result, your gecko might have an incomplete shed or even delay the shedding process.
Remember that a gargoyle gecko’s skin is very sensitive during the shedding process. Therefore, it’s easier for the gecko to get hurt during this period.
That explains why you give the new skin enough time for it to harden before holding your gargoyle gecko.
Can Gargoyle Geckos Eat Their Shed Skin?
Yes! Gargoyle geckos love eating their shed skin. That’s why you’ve probably never seen old skin in the gargoyle gecko’s enclosure.
Remember that geckos lose some nutrients and minerals through the shed skin. Eating their old skin helps them recover some of the lost nutrients.
Should I Leave My Gargoyle Gecko Alone When Shedding?
Yes. Your gargoyle gecko should be left alone when shedding. These lizards can shed on their own as long as they have the right conditions.
The only time you might need to help your gargoyle gecko is if it has stuck shed.
Shedding Problems
Gargoyle geckos can shed their old skin without any problems. However, sometimes the shedding process is not always smooth.
It can become problematic if you fail to provide your gecko with the right humidity level.
Apart from improper living conditions, shedding problems can occur due to underlying health problems.
The most common shedding problems (dysecydsis) are incomplete shedding or shedding more frequently than usual.
Incomplete shedding happens when your gargoyle gecko is unable to get rid of the entire shed.
This will result in some old skin getting stuck on the toes, tails, and other body parts.
Your gargoyle gecko shedding more than usual could also be a problem. As we mentioned earlier, adult gargoyle geckos should shed once a month.
So, if your adult gargoyle geko sheds more than twice a month, it probably has parasites or an illness.
How to Treat Shedding Problems
You can treat dysecydsis by increasing the humidity levels in the enclosure. Doing so should help the loosen up the stuck shed.
Sometimes you’ll need to soak the gecko in lukewarm water for 15 or so minutes to loosen the stuck shed.
You can even try removing the stuck skin with a Q-tip after soaking the gargoyle gecko.
In case your gecko sheds too much, you might need to take them to the vet. A vet should diagnose what’s causing the excess shedding and treat the condition.
Do Gargoyle Geckos Hide When They Shed?
Yes. Gargoyle geckos prefer to hide during the shedding process. That’s why they do it in hiding spots or areas with lots of plants.
A gargoyle gecko may even shed at night when no one is around.
Stuck Shed On Gargoyle Gecko
Sometimes you’ll see stuck shed on your gargoyle gecko and that’s a sign of incomplete shedding. This problem can happen due to stress or improper living conditions.
Stuck shed on your gargoyle gecko can become dangerous if you fail to address it. In some cases, the stuck shed will cut off blood flow to the gecko’s tail or limbs, causing necrosis.
Unfortunately, necrosis will cause your gecko to lose its tail or limbs.
Pulling the stuck shed off the gecko isn’t recommended as it might hurt your pet. You can help remove the stuck shed by soaking the gecko in lukewarm water for 10 to 15 minutes.
Alternatively, you can spray your gargoyle gecko with a shedding aid that consists of water, vitamin E, aloe, and jojoba oil.
Summary
Gargoyle geckos must shed their skin often to accommodate their growth. They can even shed to get rid of parasites.
At least you can tell whether your gecko is healthy by monitoring its shedding process.
You must ensure that the living conditions in your gargoyle gecko’s enclosure are right to facilitate smooth shedding.
Make sure you check for stuck shedding to prevent necrosis or other problems.
Sources
- https://reptifiles.com/gargoyle-gecko-care-guide/gargoyle-gecko-health/shedding-gargoyle-gecko/
- https://reptilescout.com/gargoyle-gecko-shedding/
- https://myreptileblog.com/how-often-do-gargoyle-geckos-shed/
- https://www.braeunerd.com/born-again-reptile-body-scrub-molting-shedding/
- https://www.thebiodude.com/blogs/helpful-husbandry-faqs/why-do-reptiles-shed-their-skin-and-how-can-you-help
