Chahoua Geckos

Mniarogekko chahoua is also known as the ‘Mossy prehensile tailed gecko’. It gets its common name from having the most prehensile tail of all the New Caledonian species and the moss- or lichen-like pattern it displays. Chahoua are found natively in forested areas on the southern and central portions of the island of Grande Terre and on the outlying island of Isle de Pines. Chahoua is the third largest, commonly reaching a snout to vent length (SVL) of 5.5 – 5.7 inches. The Pine Island locals tend to be larger and may reach 12 inches in total lentgh. Chahoua are heavy-bodied and arboreal, spending most of their time off the ground in the lower shrubbery and are not usually found in the upper canopy. They are nocturnal, emerging at night to feed and mate. Chahoua can become quite tame as a captive. This species is favored by gecko hobbyists because of its extremely composed and calm nature when handled.