Mourning Gecko

Lepidodactylus lugubris

A tiny, all-female, self-cloning gecko that chirps at night — an entire breeding colony with zero males, perfect for planted vivariums.

3.5–4 in8–10 years

Habitat

Enclosure

12×12×18 in tall minimum

Temperature

72–80°F

Humidity / Water

60–75% · misted nightly

Heating & lighting

No basking spot needed — room temperature 72–78°F works. Tall planted tank with bamboo and cork; they eat fruit nectar in the wild, so keep ripe fruit in the vivarium.

Diet

Feed these

Powdered gecko diet (Pangea/Repashy)
Flightless fruit flies
Pinhead crickets
Small amounts of mashed ripe fruit

Never feed

Larger crickets — too big
Any male tankmates — none exist
Pesticide-sprayed fruit

Feed every other day with calcium + D3. They are tiny acrobats — you'll hear them chirping, hunting moths at night, and females lay tiny self-fertile eggs constantly.

Cohabitation

Can live with

Other mourning geckos — colonies Small day geckos in big tanks

Never house with

Large geckos or frogs — mourning geckos become food

A colony of females does fine; they are all female — the entire species clones itself, no males exist.