The Mniarogekko Chahoua is commonly known as the mossy New Caledonian gecko, sometimes referred to as a chewie.

Chahoua are nocturnal, semi-arboreal, omnivorous geckos that are native to New Caledonia.

Classified as Rhacodactylus, a genus of medium to large geckos of the family Diplodactylidae. All species in this genus are found on the New Caledonia.

New Caledonia is a group of asian pacific islands that are part of the sui generis collectivity of overseas France in the southwest pacific ocean.

New Caledonia is located south of Vanuatu, about 1,210 km east of Australia / 7,000 km from Metropolitan France with a total land area of 18,576 km².

Chahoua are found to reside in two particular regions of New Caledonia, they are found where the forests meet the ocean;
The humid forest understory on the southern portion of the main island, Grand Terre and the outlying island off the southeast coast, Isle of Pines. 

New Caledonia has a beautiful semi-tropical climate. The weather is consistent all year round, despite distinct warmer and cooler months.

N. Caledonia avg. annual temp.: 27°C. (~80°F)
N. Caledonia avg. annual humidity: 76%.

-DESCRIPTION-

Chahoua from the Isle of Pines are the larger mossy geckos, typically maxing out at ~100g, with males weighing slightly less.
The length of a typical adult chahoua from Isle of Pines is ~25 - 31cm.

Chahoua from the Grand Terre region are about 25% smaller and have shorter snouts then the geckos found on the Isle of Pines.
Most chahoua from Grand Terre max out at ~60 grams, males weighing slightly less.
The length off a typical adult chahoua from Grand Terre region is ~20 - 23cm.

Mniarogekko Chahoua receives its common name from the moss or lichen-like pattern they display. Chahoua can come in a variety of autumn inspired colors.

Chahoua in captivity have been bred for the desirable traits of high white expression, they are known as a White Collar Chahoua.

Color expression often changes with periods of 'firing up' and 'firing down'. Chahoua are masters of camouflage, blending naturally against tree bark.

Chahoua have angular heads, snubbed snouts, large lidless eyes with cat-like vertical pupils, and velvety skin.

Chahoua have pads called ‘lamellae’ on their toes and also on the very tip of their tails that allow them to stick to challenging terrain such as vertical surfaces, their pads also serve a purpose in mitigating impact from drops and falls. 

Chahoua have a powerful, muscular, fully prehensile tail that is not prone to disengaging as quickly as other species of rhacodactylus. 

Chahoua geckos are well-known for their intelligent, inquisitive nature and excellent temperaments, even as babies.

Their easy going disposition makes them suitable beginner-level pet reptiles which are fairly easy to care for.

Few reptiles actually “like” to be held, but chahoua geckos tolerate handling well.

When cared for properly this species can live up to 15 - 30 years.

-CAGING-

Geckos.com keeps breeding pairs geckos in
Exo Terra small terrariums paired with replacement tops.

Recommended terrarium sizes:

Hatchlings - 8"x8"x12"
0 - 7 months

Juveniles - 12"x12"x18"
7 months - until ready to pair

Adults - 18"x18"x24"
males at 18 months
females at 36 months

-DECOR-

Always have at least one cork bark round placed in the enclosure. Cork rounds provide geckos with a place to hide.

A small reptile bowl in every enclosure ensures water is consistently available. We observe geckos using them for shedding, defecting, and drinking.

Artificial plants and exo terra jungle trees are kept in every enclosure providing additional terrain for geckos to enjoy.

When female reach adulthood they are provided coconut hides, some geckos use them to lay eggs.

Pangea Ultimate Gecko Ledges coupled with biodegradable feeding cups are used to provide formula diet and drinking water.

9ml glass jar bottoms are used in hatchling enclosures to provide formula diet and drinking water. 

-HEAT-

Chahoua require an ambient seasonal temperature to simulate seasonal change.

Late January - Early September:
23°C - 27°C (~73°F - ~80°F)
Late September - Early January:
20°C - 23°C (~68°F - ~73°F)

Chahoua do not require any additional heating element, although some owners provide one in the form of a ceramic heat bulb .

-HUMIDITY-

Chahoua require a consistent humidity of 60 - 80% with a decline to no lower then 30 - 40% between misting sessions.

To raise the humidity in your gecko’s enclosure and provide an extra source of drinking water, use a pump-style pressure sprayer to mist the enclosure every evening, and again in the morning if necessary.

Over-misting can lead to mold formation in the cage which leads to life threatening respiratory issues. 

If having trouble maintaining consistency, consider an auto-mister. 

Geckos.com strongly recommends investing in a quality humidifier/air purifier.

We use battery powered hand misters to spray twice a day. 

Geckos.com choice of sprayer is a Solo 260 Battery-Powered One-Hand Sprayer.

-LIGHT SOURCE-

Geckos.com recommends keeping chahoua in a room with plenty natural light such as a sunroom.

If you wish to provide supplementary UV we recommend an Arcadia ShadeDweller 2.4% Arboreal ProT5 Kit.

Chahoua are capable of surviving without supplementary UVB lighting as long as they get a certain amount of dietary vitamin D3 and natural sunlight.

It is to be noted studies show there is health benefits to providing a UVB light.  

-SUBSTRATE-

Geckos.com keeps a sterile setup using paper towels as substrate.

Alternatively, bioactive setups consist of a combination of potting soil, coconut fiber, and sometimes orchid bark as substrate.

The potential benefits of having a bioactive terrarium, otherwise known as a vivarium is great, but there is an inherit risk to infant geckos impacting as well as microfauna consuming gecko eggs.

[ Geckos.com Recommends ]

Arcadia ShadeDweller 2.4% Arboreal ProT5 Kit
Biodegradable Feeding Cup Small
Biodegradable Feeding Cup Large
Coconut Hide
Cork Round
Exo Terra Jungle Tree
Imagitarium Araceae Plant
Solo 260 Battery-Powered One-Hand Sprayer
Thrive Brown Reptile Bowl Small
Ultimate Gecko Ledge
Ultimate Gecko Ledge Small Cup Adapter

In nature chahoua are observed to be omnivorous, specifically frugivorous and insectivorous.

Chahoua enjoy insects such as crickets, discoid roaches, dubia roaches, grasshoppers, locust, and red head roaches.

Chahoua enjoy a variety of fruit such as:
banana, blueberry, fig, kiwi, mango, papaya, pear, raspberry, and strawberry.

Avoid feeding excessive bananas to chahoua. They are known to bind calcium and can be bad for them if fed in excess.

Citrus fruit should always be avoided.

-HATCHLING DIET-

0 weeks - 2 months

First meal should be 2-4 days after hatching.
Feed the hatchlings CGD every two days.

At one month introduce small crickets into feeding rotation.

Cycle between feeding crickets, and CGD every two days.

Cycle on/off dusting crickets with Vitamin D3.

-JUVENILE DIET-

Male: 2 months - 18 months
Female : 2 months - 36 months

Cycle between feeding juvenile geckos CGD, and crickets every two days.

Cycle on/off dusting crickets with Calcium, Vitamin D3.

A variety of fruits mentioned above can be provided as a snack or blended with the CGD.

-ADULT DIET-

Male: 18 months + 
Female: 36 months + 

Cycle between feeding adult geckos CGD, and crickets every two-three days.

Cycle on/off dusting crickets with Calcium, Vitamin D3.

A variety of fruits mentioned above can be provided as a snack or blended with the CGD.

During breeding season we add Arcadia EarthPro-A to the CGD bi-monthly.

Arcadia EarthPro-A helps with immune function, wound healing, tissue repair, and combating metabolic bone disorder.

-CRICKET INFORMATION-

Geckos.com feeds gut-loaded feeder grade banded crickets to our chahoua.

As a rule of thumb, do not provide hatchling or juvenile chahoua crickets that are bigger then the width of the chahoua's head.  

Dusting crickets can be accomplished by placing the crickets in a zip-lock bag with Calcium or Vitamin D3 and shaking gently.

-DIET PREPARATION- 

Mix 1 part powder : 2 parts water
Adjust to achieve desired consistency.

Remove uneaten food after 24 hours.

Prepared mix is good for up to 7 days if refrigerated.

-GENERAL HEALTH-

 Female chahoua lay highly calcified eggs, making them susceptible to calcium deficiency.

Males typically experience a calcium deficiency at the end of the breeding season after all the hard work.

Physical symptoms of calcium deficiency are a kinked tail and a sunken in skull.

Add more calcium to cricket dusting before/after geckos lay eggs. 

If females tail is still kinked after 1 - 2 weeks after laying eggs:

give one dose of liquid calcium orally with 1ml feeding syringe.

If males tail is still kinked after end of breeding season:

give one dose of liquid calcium orally with 1ml feeding syringe. 

See a licensed veterinarian as soon as possible if there is moderate concern.

[ Geckos.com Recommends ]

Crested Gecko Diet (CGD)
Pangea Figs & Insects
Pangea Fruit Mix Apricot
Pangea Fruit Mix Gecko Treat
Pangea Fruit Mix with Insect
Pangea Fruit Mix Papaya
Pangea Fruit Mix Watermelon
Pangea Gecko Breeding Formula
Repashy MRP 
Repashy MRP "Classic"
Repashy MRP "Mango SuperBlend"

Insect Supplies
Armstrong Cricket Keeper
Chicken Egg Tray
Flukers Cricket Quencher w/ Calcium
Flukers Hi. Cal Cricket Diet
Gutloaded Banded Crickets
Orange Cube Cricket Diet

Supplements
Arcadia EarthPro-A
Bug-de-lite Liquid Calcium
Sticky Tongue Farms Miner-All

Supplies
1ML Dosing Syringe
Exo Terra Tweezers
Industrial Spray Bottle
Wide Mouth Gecko Diet Bottle

Chahoua possess a strong, muscular, fully prehensile tail that they use to assist themselves in maneuvering around the environment.

Unlike some of its relatives, the tail is not prone to easily dropping.

Chahoua are agile expert climbers, launching themselves through their terrain with seldom worry.

When preparing to jump chahoua will spring load their backs in an arch.

Chahoua extend their fingers wide while leaping forward to strategically land on their cushioned toe pads in order to mitigate impact. 


-HOLDING CHAHOUA-

Most reptiles do not generally enjoy handling, chahoua seem to not mind appropriate handling from time to time. 

When handling geckos refrain from grabbing them from above. Instead, scoop from below, supporting the geckos body and all four feet.

Start with short handling sessions at first and gradually make them longer.

If your gecko is jumpy at first, allow it to hop from one hand to the other until it has calmed down.

When chahoua grip objects with their claws, they can be tough to remove. Pick them slowly and they will retract their claws.
Be gentle, do not rip them off. 

Only put the gecko back in its enclosure when the animal feels calm.

-HOLDING HATCHLINGS-

Newborn hatchlings should have limited contact for the first 1 - 2 weeks. No contact except providing nutrition and daily misting. 

-MOVING ENCLOSURES-

When moving a gecko to a new environment do not disturb the animal for 1 - 2 weeks while it acclimates, otherwise maintain the enclosure regularly.

-ROAMING AROUND-

Chahoua are territorial, solitary animals.
Keep chahoua seprate, unless paired.
No contact with other household animals.

Chahoua should be given a safe space to explore without stress.

Before letting your chahoua roam outside of their enclosure make sure you gecko proof your household. Be sure to block crawl spaces such as vents, under refrigerator, ect.