ANIMAL: Halmahera Giant Gecko Gehyra marginata Type of Animal: Gecko Habitat: Jungle Location(s): Halmahera (largest island in Moluccas) Appearance: Cream to light brown coloration when resting, darker or w/ mossy/lichen-like coloration when moving, lidless jade-green eyes w/ black/deep-blue reticulation, feet have claw-tipped sickle-shaped appendages, fairly large head, stout-bodied, juveniles brown or pinkish w/ deep blue eyes, thick skin Food/Diet: Insects, insect larvae, worms, spiders, baby rodents, small birds, smaller lizards, fruit, honey, pollen Status in Wild: Stable Conservation: Breeding in zoos & herpetoculture Lifestyle: Solitary Additional Info: Called: Male Female Young: Hatchling Group: Solitary Weight: 5 oz Gestation: 6 months Life Span: 15-20 years Body Length: 10-11 in Tail Length: 2.5 in Also called Ternate Dtella & Maluku Giant Gecko. Active at night (nocturnal). Highly arboreal, very rarely coming down to the ground. Very shy & secretive in the wild & often in captivity as well. Sexually mature at 3 years old. Can lay 5-8 clutches a year, each clutch having 1-3 eggs. Coloration great for camouflage. Feet help it hold on to smooth surfaces. Fun Fact(s): These geckos prefer not being handled. If startled/threatened, they can drop tails, which then regrow very slowly. Sometimes, tails never grow back. Another defense mechanism is for large skin patches to tear off, exposing pink flesh. They can also bite w/ sharp teeth if needed. Due to some similarities to Leachie/New Caledonian Giant Geckos (Rhacodactylus leachianus)-they’ve been called “leachianus of the poor.” Often mislabeled/mistaken as Gehyra vorax (Voracious Dtella/Voracious Four-Clawed Gecko) due to similar appearance. Gehyra vorax almost nonexistent in captivity while Gehyra marginata fairly rare. Vorax larger than marginata as well & from Fiji/Papua New Guinea/Tonga. They’re rather fast if needed.
