HISSS

Meet the New Caledonian Giant Gecko aka the Leachie or Lachlan’s Gecko ℹ️ ⬇️

📖 Scientific Name: Rhacodactylus leachianus
🌍 Native to New Caledonia

📏 Length: 10–14+ in (25–36 cm) some have been recorded to be the size of a football 🏈
⚖️ Weight: up to 300+ grams
✨ Fun fact: they are the largest gecko species in the world!

🌳 Arboreal = tree-dwelling geckos
🌙 Mostly nocturnal (active at night)
🌧️ Found in humid tropical forests

👀 Large lidless eyes with vertical pupils
🦶 Sticky toe pads help them climb glass & trees
🎨 Colors range from mossy green to pink, lavender, and earthy browns

🗣️ Famous for barking, croaking, growling & squeaking vocalizations
💥 Known for having an incredibly strong bite force for a gecko

🎯 Ambush predators!
🔎 They wait motionless for prey before striking with surprising speed

🍴 Omnivores
🥭 Eats fruit, nectar, insects & small prey items
🦗 In captivity they thrive on gecko diets + insects

🥚 Oviparous = lays eggs
⏳ Incubation: ~60–120 days depending on temperature
👶 Hatchlings are miniature versions of the adults

📆 20–30+ years in captivity with proper care

💡 Leachies are intelligent, prehistoric-looking geckos with huge personalities and vocal behaviors unlike almost any other gecko species…. AND MONOGAMOUS! 💞

👉 Come meet one at HISSS. We currently have 1 available in shop looking for their forever home.

Meet the Crested Gecko 🦎
📖 Scientific Name: Correlophus ciliatus
🌍 Native Range: New Caledonia (South Pacific islands)
📏 Size: 6–10 in (15–25 cm) including tail

✨ Fun Fact: Crested geckos were once thought to be extinct until they were rediscovered in 1994!

🌿 Tropical rainforest dwellers
🧗 Arboreal = spends most of life climbing trees and plants
🌙 Nocturnal and most active at night
👀 Large lidless eyes with vertical pupils for night vision

🦶Specialized toe pads covered in microscopic hair-like structures called setae help them climb glass, branches, and other smooth surfaces with ease.

🎨 Huge variety of colors and patterns called “morphs”
🍴 Omnivores
🥭 Eats fruit-based gecko diet, insects, and occasional treats
🦗 Loves crickets and other small feeder insects

👶 Egg-laying reptiles (oviparous)
🥚 Usually lays 2 eggs at a time
⏳ Incubation: approximately 60–90 days

🐸 🍑 Can drop their tail as a defense mechanism, but unlike many geckos, it does not regrow once lost

📆 Lifespan: 15–20+ years in captivity with proper care

💡 Gentle, easy to handle, and beginner-friendly, crested geckos are one of the most popular pet reptiles in the world.

👉 Come meet one at HISSS this weekend!

🐍 HISSS is looking for a host! We’re seeking someone to help lead the fun 🏆. This will be a reoccurring event monthly. Please DM us!