Although the Gargoyle Gecko is quite popular and readily accessible in many pet stores today, they require a relatively high initial investment.
Gargoyle Geckos can be expensive for several reasons:
- Rarity: Gargoyle Geckos are less common than other gecko species, which can drive up their price. They are native to New Caledonia, a group of islands in the South Pacific, and have only recently gained popularity among reptile enthusiasts.
- Breeding: Breeding Gargoyle Geckos can be challenging and time-consuming. Successful breeding requires knowledge of genetics, proper husbandry, and selective breeding techniques to produce healthy offspring with desired traits.
- Morphs: Gargoyle Geckos come in various colors and patterns, called morphs. Some morphs are more sought-after than others due to their unique and stunning appearance. These rare morphs command a higher price.
- Care requirements: Gargoyle Geckos have specific care requirements that need to be met by breeders and owners, such as temperature and humidity control, specialized diets, and enclosures. Providing these necessities can be costly, which may contribute to their overall price.
- Importation costs: Importing Gargoyle Geckos from their native habitat can be expensive due to shipping costs, permits, and possible quarantine processes.
- Initial investment: Breeders who are starting with high-quality breeding stock may have made a significant initial investment in purchasing the geckos themselves or acquiring the necessary equipment for successful breeding.
- Demand: As the popularity of Gargoyle Geckos grows among reptile enthusiasts, the demand for these unique pets increases. When demand is high, prices tend to rise accordingly.
Overall, the cost of owning a Gargoyle Gecko reflects its rarity, unique appearance, care requirements, and the time and effort put into breeding these fascinating creatures.
There are factors that contribute to Gargoyle Geckos being costly. From a long lifespan to appearance, there are aspects that set them apart from other geckos used as pets.
However, probably the most important factor that makes the Gargoyle geckos more expensive than their more affordable gecko cousins (such as the Crested gecko) is the fact that there are fewer breeders of Gargoyle geckos and the demand continues to rise.
Read on to learn more about Gargoyle geckos below.
Are gargoyle geckos good pets?
Geckos are omnivores lizards that eat various fruits, insects, or even tiny, immature animals. They attain full maturity after about a year & a half and can reach a length of up to 8 inches from the tip of their tiny nose to the tip of their tail (unless it has fallen off – which does happen!).
They are an excellent pet for novices with minimal expertise with lizards due to their basic, easy-to-meet lifestyle needs
Gargoyle Geckos were formerly the rarest lizard species kept in captivity. Today, they are more widely produced but are still somewhat less common than other gecko species.
Gargoyle Geckos originated in New Caledonia, an archipelago of islands between Australia & Fiji.
Due to the semi-arboreal nature of these geckos, they thrive in cages with plenty of climbing surfaces. You may also provide them with water – and don’t worry if they fall in – they are able to swim towards land on their own!
The two lumps on their forehead resemble little horns and ears. which adds to their appeal. If you’re considering purchasing a gecko both for yourself and a child, this is an excellent place to start.
The Gargoyle Gecko is also referred to as knob-headed gecko due to the two bumps on the top of its heads is a solitary, semi-arboreal reptile species. They are endemic to the New Caledonia group of islands & have become one of the most recognized gecko species in captivity
If you choose to welcome a Gargoyle Gecko into your house, ensure that you are prepared to commit.
It is not difficult to care for such lizards, but they may live up to 20 years in confinement and are incredibly tenacious. Once they become acquainted with the person handling them, these geckos become relatively calm.
Furthermore, you’ll want to monitor your gecko’s response to handling since most gargoyle geckos take time and patience to acclimatize to human contact, and even then, the majority will tolerate it only seldom for short periods.
How Much Do Gargoyle Geckos Cost?
A Gargoyle gecko is more expensive compared to others like the Crusted gecko, which sells from around $40 to $100, with the more unique breeds selling up to $500.
If you’re thinking of buying a Gargoyle gecko, you’ll likely find varying prices depending on the location you’re buying it from and its color patterns and breeder. However, the retail price of a Gargoyle gecko ranges from $200 to more than $600 for rare breeds.
However, specific features might cause a gecko’s price to approach $1,000. Female geckos, on the other hand, are generally more valuable (and thus more expensive) than male geckos.
What to Consider When Buying A Gargoyle Gecko?
There are various things to put into consideration when buying this pet. The first thing to put into consideration is the health of the gecko.
Gargoyle geckos come in a range of patterns and colors, and then they can also vary in size somewhat. You may like to enquire about the qualities for which your gecko was selected; for example, many breeders selectively raise gargoyle geckos for their knob and horn size.
Select geckos that are healthy and have been purchased from a reliable breeder as well as a reptile shop.
It’s important you buy a healthy Gargoyle gecko because this will determine how you’ll take care of it. Since you want to have a longer stay with your pet, it’s valuable to make sure that you buy a healthy one. The truth of the matter is that if you buy an unhealthy one, you’ll end up spending more money to treat it. It will be a costly affair for you.
The other thing you should put in mind is the breeder you’re buying from. Make sure you’re purchasing from a reputable breeder. Your chances of buying a healthy Gargoyle gecko increases if you buy from the right person.
Take time to find the right breeder. You can search online or receive references from people who already keep the geckos. Finding a dependable breeder will help you avoid the frustrations and challenges that pet owners face after buying pets.
So, what else makes Gargoyle geckos expensive?
To sum up, there are several factors that make Gargoyle geckos so expensive:
1. they are Popular
To begin with, the fact that they are so popular makes them expensive for pet lovers to acquire. Breeders see them as pets with a high level of demand and capitalize on that. Thus, it is because of their level of demand that they happen to be so expensive.
2. There are few breeders
Compared to the more common geckos, like the crested gecko, the gargoyle gecko is breed in lower numbers, which makes the price go up in combination with the high demand.
3. They have a rare look
Another factor that contributes to Gargoyle geckos having a high price is their appearance. They have elaborate patterns and colors, which makes them highly attractive. Since people keep them as pets, they love them for their attractiveness. It’s this factor that adds value to them and increases their price compared to other geckos.
4. They have a long lifespan and regenerative abilities
Gargoyle geckos have a long lifespan. They can stay up to 20 years. As long as they are healthy and taking the right diet, they can stay with their keepers for a very long time. This means that you have to put in efforts to take good care of them. This will also prove to be an expensive affair because of the level of maintenance required.
Another interesting difference that sets the Gargoyle gecko apart from the more common crested gecko is that the Gargoyle gecko can regenerate its tail if it falls off! So that’s also a feature to consider.
