Key Takeaway:
- A healthy gargoyle geckos will have no trouble eating, passing stool, moving around, shedding, and gaining weight.
- Gargoyle geckos are happy when treated right and kept in the right conditions.
- You can monitor your gecko’s health by checking whether the skin is smooth, bright and parasite-free.
- A healthy gargoyle gecko will have lively and clear eyes.
- A healthy gargoyle gecko has no deformities on its back, toes, or tail.
- An unhealthy gecko will have poor appetite, general weakness, less movement, severe weight loss, sunken eye, pale skin, abnormal stool, or a deformed back.
- Consult a vet when you spot signs of an unhealthy gecko.
Having a gargoyle gecko as your companion is an amazing experience. You get to enjoy their docile temperament, beautiful colors, and fascinating behaviors.
But for you to enjoy all those attributes, you must prioritize your gargoyle gecko’s health.
A healthy gecko should give you peace of mind. But how can you tell that your gargoyle gecko is happy and thriving?
8 Signs Your Gargoyle Gecko Is Healthy
A gargoyle gecko is similar to other pets. So, you don’t need rocket science to know when your gargoyle gecko is healthy and happy.
A healthy gargoyle gecko will always exhibit the signs we’ve discussed below:
Healthy Skin
The nature of your gargoyle gecko’s skin will never lead you astray. So, if you want to know whether your gecko is happy and healthy, just check the skin.
For starters, a thriving gecko will always have smooth and soft skin. So, by touching the gecko’s skin, you can tell if it’s coarse or smooth.
You’ll also need to check for wrinkles and paleness. A healthy gecko will have bright and colorful skin that’s wrinkle-free.
But before you conclude that your gargoyle gecko is healthy and happy, check for stuck shed around the tail, toes, and any other parts.
If there is no stuck shed, it means your gecko has been shedding without problems and it’s pretty healthy.
All in all, a stuck shed doesn’t necessarily mean that your gargoyle gecko is unhealthy.
Even healthy geckos may have to deal with incomplete shedding if the humidity levels are not right.
Proper Feeding
Your gargoyle gecko’s feeding habits should tell you if it’s healthy. A healthy gargoyle gecko will have obvious feeding patterns.
You’ll also notice that it has a good appetite for food.
The only time your gecko may not eat is when they are shedding, pregnant, breeding, or during brumation.
So, if your gecko isn’t undergoing any of these processes, it should eat normally. But if that’s not the case, your gecko is probably ill or stressed.
Conditions such as mouth rot and impaction may cause your gecko to lose its appetite. Nonetheless, you still need to ensure that the temperatures are right and the food is appetizing.
Otherwise, geckos don’t like to feed when the temperatures are low. They’ll also avoid stale food and large insects as well.
Smooth & Regular Shedding
Gargoyle geckos should shed at least once a month as long as they are healthy and well-hydrated. Besides, frequent shedding shows that your gecko is growing.
So, if your gecko is shedding frequently and does not have incomplete shedding, it’s definitely thriving.
Remember that retained shed can cause discomfort, infections, and necrosis. Therefore, you need to take incomplete shedding seriously.
Regular Bowel Movements
Your gecko’s ability to have regular bowel movements shows that it’s healthy and thriving.
So, if your gecko poops often and its droppings have no abnormalities, everything is okay.
Always check for droppings in the enclosure and try to monitor if the poop is consistent.
Healthy Weight Gain
Monitoring your gecko’s weight frequently can help point out health problems. A healthy gecko will gain weight consistently until it becomes an adult.
Even then, your gecko shouldn’t lose weight.
You must ensure that your gargoyle gecko isn’t underweight or obese. An underweight gargoyle gecko is an indication of illness, stress, or malnourishment.
Ensure that your gecko isn’t obese as it might become vulnerable to health problems.
Clear, Open Eyes
The eyes can tell you so much about your gargoyle gecko’s health. You can tell whether your gargoyle gecko is thriving by just checking the eyes.
A healthy gargoyle gecko has clear and lively eyes.
The eyes will remain bright and open all the time. However, if the eyes are sunken, reddish, or oozing discharge, there could be something wrong.
Your Gecko Is Active
Gargoyle geckos are crepuscular and nocturnal creatures but that doesn’t make them couch potatoes.
These geckos are curious and they love to explore in the darkness.
So, even if your gecko spends most of its day sleeping, it should become active during the night. You should see it climbing branches and looking for food at night.
If your gargoyle gecko is physically active, then it’s healthy and happy. A healthy gecko will happily chase and hunt for any live insects you throw in the tank.
Less Hiding
Gargoyle geckos may take time to get used to their enclosures. During this time, they’ll spend most of their time hiding.
However, the hiding should reduce once they become comfortable and get used to their surroundings.
A healthy gecko will come out of its hiding spots quite often especially during feed time and at night.
You’ll also notice that they’ll become comfortable around you and even allow you to pet them a bit.
Hiding may not necessarily mean that your gecko is sick. Maybe your gecko is shedding or resting.
However, your gecko shouldn’t remain in its hiding spot for more than 24 hours.
Other signs that your gargoyle gecko is healthy are:
- Your gecko has a healthy tail
- No skin discoloration
- Your gecko is alert and responsive
- It is comfortable around you
- No visible injuries or deformities
- No lumpy stomach
- Miminal aggression if any
- The female lays eggs frequently
How Do I Know My Gargoyle Gecko Is Not Healthy?
An unhealthy gargoyle gecko will exhibit general weakness, little appetite, increased aggression, reduced activity and severe weight loss.
You can also tell that your gecko is not healthy if it has sunken eyes or a pale, wrinkled skin.
Some geckos may also vomit and pass abnormal stool when they are sick.
Summary
Gargoyle geckos are hardy animals that you’ll enjoy having in your pet collection. These awesome creatures require very little maintenance, making them one of the best pets for first-timers.
Although gargoyle geckos are low-maintenance pets, you need to monitor their health closely.
Knowing the healthy signs of a gargoyle gecko will help you know if your are providing the right care.
Besides, you’ll know when something is wrong with your gecko and take action immediately.
