CARE SHEET:  Mourning Gecko
	Species:  Lepidodactylus lugubris        Origin:  Introduced species to Hawaii and other Pacific Islands, originally from Arno Atoll, Marshall Islands. Description:  These small arboreal geckos (can climb glass), change color from a dark brown with tiger-like markings on their back and tail to a light yellowy tan with dalmation spots.  They vocalize with short squeaks if well fed and kept warm.  Females are abundant and males non-existant or rare (depending on your source) as these naturally occuring hybrid lepidodacylus are parthenogenic and often lay two eggs that contain daughters that are essentially clones of the mother.
	Housing: 4 to 6 geckos can be easily maintained in a 10 gallon aquarium (mine are turned on their side for a more vertical arrangement).  A fine screen cover is essential as hatchlings are very small. Substrate:  2 to 3 inches of peat moss or coconut fiber Furnishings:  potted plants (pothos), cork bark, driftwood and rocks will make a nice natural display for both the geckos and you, though plastic aquarium vines can also be included to provide dense cover. Temperature Requirements:  these geckos are most active between 75 and 85 degrees (Farenheit) and will benefit from an under tank heater (attached on the back if you have a vertical arrangement) and a UV light.
	Feeding:  Food items should be of appropriate size--these are small geckos.  They relish fruitflies, small crickets, waxworm larvae, mealworms and roaches.  These should be dusted or offered in a dish with some calcium supplement every other day.  Vitamins can also be mixed in with some fruit flavored baby foods and offered once a week.  Mine also enjoy a little T-rex Rhacodactylus food  as well. Water:  Cages should be sprayed morning and night (more if they dry quickly) as well as offering a shallow bowl of water at all times.  Some pebbles in the bowl will prevent hatchlings from drowning if they fall in. Seasonal/Special considerations:  These geckos do fine without any seasonal cycling.  The only special consideration is to ensure adequate humidy for shedding.  A stuck shed can cause loss of a digit which will hinder your geckos adhesive movements around the enclosure.
	Breeding:  Each adult female is capable of laying 2 eggs about every other month if properly cared for.  Healthy females have large calcium sacks visible through the skin of their throats.  If you can't see the calcium, you won't have viable eggs. Incubation:  Eggs are virtually impossible to remove from the enclosure and will hatch unaided in 60-70 days when kept at 75-80 degrees. Hatchling care:  hatchlings are about 1.5 inches long and would make a nice snack for a large adult.  If you're enclosure is heavily planted, the hatchlings will do just fine on their own.  Removing them to their own enclosure is advised but good luck trying to catch them without crushing them.  Hatchlings live off of their yolk reserves until their first shed and can be fed Rhacodactylus food for the first month or so with appropriately sized insects offered once or twice a week.