By Stephen Cemelli

Housing
Caging can range from simple plastic storage containers or as complex as commercially available enclosures with a sliding front door. Adults should be kept individually in an enclosure about the size of a 20-gallon aquarium (24 inches long by 12 inches wide by 16 inches tall) or larger. Be careful that enclosures are made of a material that can be cleaned easily and sterilized, such as plastic. They seem to prefer opaque surfaces instead of clear surfaces. Mulch substrate can be used for non-breeding animals. However, if it used with breeding animals, gravid females may bury their eggs in the substrate, risking egg dehydration. Adequate humidity is easily maintained by using substrate at a depth of 1 to 2 inches. Regular moistening of substrate is necessary due to the low humidity levels in most home environments. Leachies require a humidity of 50 to 80 percent with a fresh water source at one end of the enclosure at all times help maintain high humidity levels. It is best to stay away from mesh, screen or screen top cages as they are difficult to keep humid. Care must be taken to maintain humidity levels without over-saturating the substrate. This over-saturation may cause serious skin infections which can quickly lead to the demise of a leachie. In this cool humid environment, fecal matter and uneaten food must be removed promptly to avoid bacterial or fungal growth.

Cage furnishings can vary from cork flats and hollows to wrist-thick branches as well as live plants for aesthetics. A hide box with a moist, peat-type mixture can be added for humidity and an egg-laying chamber, (which also can be used as a refuge and can aid in shedding).

When setting up an enclosure, be sure to give the geckos plenty of places to hide and branches to climb. Keep these geckos at temperatures from the mid to upper 70s year round is good for non-breeding animals; however, breeding animals will produce best with a natural seasonal temperature fluctuation. Most R. leachianus, especially gravid females, make use of and benefit from a basking site, but this is not mandatory. A 15 watt incandescent bulb and/or fluorescent fixture can be used for plant growth or a basking site. Full spectrum lighting is not necessary.

Handling Tips
Most young leachies can have a tendency to be flighty when first handled, but with frequent gentle handling, they can become quite calm. Don’t grab a leachie tightly, as this will frighten it, and can causing a predator-to-prey response (as well as a sure way to get bitten). Allow the leachie hold on to you, and you can become a moving branch in its perception. I find the hand-to-hand technique works best, allowing the gecko to move between your hand as it walks. Eventually it will soon get tired and relax. Also, when removing your gecko from its enclosure, do so swiftly and almost catch it off guard. When a leachie sees you coming in slowly, it can lunge and bite, chasing you from its territory. For safety reasons, an animal with this behavior is best removed from its enclosure using gloves. Once out, even the most aggressive leachies usually calm down, and do not attempt to bite. As they mature, most become calmer and are less resistant to being handled. Note however, that some Grande Terre individuals always seem defensive, and are quick bite.

Feeding
In captivity the majority of their diet should consist of a commercially produced powdered diet made specifically for Rhacodactylus geckos. Note that human baby food should never be used as a substitute. The majority of leachies that I have seen fed such baby foods regularly have developed deformities due to nutritional deficiencies. Proper food should be fed two to three times per week in the summer when temperatures are warm, and then one to two times in the winter. A varied diet of size-appropriate insects (no longer than the geckos’ head is wide) Such as crickets, wax worms, mealworms and roaches should be offered weekly. Offer as many as the gecko can eat in one sitting, and be sure to dust the insects with a calcium and multivitamin supplement. Remember that uneaten insects should be removed promptly.  Pinky mice can be fed periodically, but not more than one to two times per month to avoid obesity issues. 

Longevity
Studies done on the island of Bayonnaise showed that the average age of wild leachies is somewhere around 8 years. At this time no other longevity information is available on other locales of leaches, but it is speculated that the average age of animals on the mainland might be longer due to a larger habitat. Fighting to the death is common, and only the strongest animals survive to breed. In captivity, with proper care and nutrition, they are known to be a long-lived species. One animal, brought in as an adult, was recorded living over 30 years in captivity. Time will tell what “old age” is for R. leachianus.

Health problems
A common problem seen in captive leachies is Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD), which is usually the result of improper diet, such as baby food or improper supplementation. Proper diets formulated for Rhacodactylus geckos can be solely used with great success. Obesity occurs in animals that are overfed or fed pinky mice regularly. Growth problems are seen with animals kept too dry, which can also results in the geckos being unable to find their food. Stunting and or deformities are commonly seen due to malnutrition.

Skin infections, due to overly damp and improperly sterilized caging, are also a problem that can set in very quickly. This usually ends in death. If it is caught early, removing the gecko from its enclosure and cleaning and sterilizing the cage and then setting the gecko back on sterilized paper towels seems to greatly increase the geckos chance of survival. The gecko should be immediately taken to a qualified reptile veterinarian.

Hatchling and Juvenile Care
I keep my hatchlings and juveniles in individual shoebox enclosures 12 inches long, 7 inches wide and 4 inches tall. I add a coconut hide or a flat slab of cork bark large enough to allow water and food cups to be wedged into a corner. This keeps the gecko from flipping the cups. Paper towels line the bottom, and I change them one to two times a week. Fresh water is provided every other day, and I spill a small amount on the paper towel around the bowl to elevate the humidity.

When the gecko reaches a size where its waste is too much for paper towels, I switch to mulch. The side by the water is kept moist, and the other side is kept dry. This way the gecko can hydrate and then find a dry place to rest. The goal is air humidity — not a wet enclosure.

A Growing Obsession
Given the many different natural color variations and locales, the ease of care, calm temperament and impressive size of these geckos, it’s not hard to see why leachies have become a favorite with many reptile enthusiasts. With that said, I caution the new enthusiasts: if you acquire one, it can be difficult to stop there. For me, the obsession has grown into a quest to have pairs from each locale. I have taken flight in a species-specific breeding program ensuring the purity of the different morphs for future herpetoculturists and continue to learn more about these great animals every year.

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