The giant of the gecko world — a heavy-bodied, long-lived New Caledonian species with real presence. Impressive and rewarding, but bold and best for confident keepers.
🟡 Intermediate🦎 World's largest gecko🌙 Nocturnal · Arboreal⏳ 20–30 years
Care difficulty
Intermediate
Animal cost
£150–£400+
Full setup
£200–£400
Adult size
11–14 in / 28–36 cm
Lifespan
20–30 years
Min. enclosure
60×60×90 cm
📋At a Glance
'Leachie' is the largest living gecko species — a chunky, arboreal New Caledonian relative of the crested gecko. Care is similar (cool temperatures, complete diet) but they are powerful, can be territorial and may deliver a serious bite, so they suit a keeper who wants a display animal rather than a cuddly one.
Best for: experienced keepers wanting a spectacular, long-lived centrepiece gecko.
💷Costs & Getting Hold of One
The animal
£150–£400+ depending on locality/type (e.g. GT, Nuu Ana, Pine Isle); premium lines much more.
Low–moderate — complete diet and occasional insects, ~£15–£25/month.
Availability
Moderate. Captive-bred through specialist breeders and expos rather than every high-street shop.
These are minimums, not budgets. The low end still has to meet the animal's needs — proper UVB, a heat gradient, space and filtration are not optional extras. A vivarium alone can cost £250–£300+, and a tortoise's UVB lamp alone is often ~£100. Price the whole setup before you commit to the animal.
Buying tip: Buy captive-bred with known locality and a feeding record. Well-started sub-adults settle better than tiny hatchlings for new keepers.
🏠Enclosure & Where to Keep It
Large, arboreal and heavy-bodied — they need a tall, robust, well-furnished vertical enclosure.
Single adult
Minimum 60×60×90 cm; larger strongly preferred.
Furnishing
Thick, secure branches and cork tubes (they're heavy), plus dense foliage and a snug retreat.
Cohabiting
Only proven, compatible pairs — they are territorial and can seriously injure each other.
Where to keep it
Quiet, stable room out of direct sun; they dislike disturbance.
Like all New Caledonian geckos, keep below ~28 °C — high temperatures are dangerous.
🌡️Temperature, Lighting & Humidity
Temperature
22–26 °C daytime with a natural night drop. No basking lamp needed; room heating only if cold.
Lighting / UVB
Low-level UVB (T5 5%) beneficial. 12-hour cycle.
Humidity
60–70%. Mist once or twice daily and allow drying between.
Bedding / substrate
Bioactive soil mix (coco fibre, bark, leaf litter) works beautifully, or kitchen paper for quarantine.
🍽️Diet, Supplements & Feeding
Omnivorous like the crested gecko — a complete powdered diet (CGD) forms the staple, supplemented with insects.
Staple
CGD (Repashy/Pangea/Arcadia) 2–3× a week.
Live food
Larger insects — dubia, locusts — 1–2× a week; adults may take the occasional pinky mouse.
Supplements
Dust live insects with calcium + D3 and multivitamin; CGD is balanced.
Water
Shallow dish plus misting droplets.
Their size means they eat more than smaller geckos — expect a heavier feeder.
✨Grooming, Shedding & Additional Needs
No grooming needed; correct humidity keeps shedding clean. Their prehensile tail is used for climbing and is rarely dropped.
Check the toes and tail tip after sheds for retained skin, as with all geckos.
🖐️Handling & Interaction
Not a beginner handling animal. Many are territorial and will growl, lunge or deliver a hard, sometimes bloody bite. Some individuals do tame down with patient, consistent contact.
How to handle
Read the animal — a calm individual can be short-handled with confidence, supporting the whole body. Build trust slowly. Never force a stressed or defensive leachie, and keep children well clear of the mouth end.
✅ Do
Learn the individual's temperament before handling.
Support the heavy body fully.
Keep early sessions brief and confident.
Wash hands before and after.
Respect warning growls and back off.
⛔ Don't
Don't assume it's tame — many bite hard.
Don't let children handle unsupervised.
Don't grab from above or corner it.
Don't co-house incompatible animals.
Don't overheat — never above ~28 °C.
🦎Fun Facts
The largest gecko species alive today.
They vocalise — growls, grumbles and barks, earning the nickname 'the barking gecko'.
Different island localities look strikingly different in size and pattern.
They can live 30 years, so it's a genuine long-term commitment.
Their prehensile tail acts like a fifth limb when climbing.
⭐Overall Verdict
A magnificent, long-lived display gecko for the keeper who wants something with real presence — but respect the bite and territoriality. Care is easy; temperament is the challenge.