Rhacodactylus Trachyrhynchus
Common Name: Rough-Snouted Gecko
 Size:
The greater rough snouted gecko reaches a snout to vent
length of 7.5 inches and a total length of about 12 inches.
Distribution:
This species has a scattered distribution in primary forest
in central and southern Grande Terre.
Description:
This gecko is the second largest Rhacodactylus and is the
largest live bearing gecko in the world. Although it
is still common in the wild it is the rarest of the Rhacs in
captivity. They are a secretive species best reserved
for specialists.
Although not to the same degree as
R.
Leachianus and with a smaller repertoire, rough snouted
geckos can at time be quite vocal, such as when a group
gathers around a communal food bowl or when settling into
their favorite daytime resting place.
Sexing:
This species is sexually dimorphic. Males have a dark
brown to grayish brown background coloration with large
contrasting whitish spots. Females are yellowish brown
with smaller, less contrasting yellowish spots. Males
have a pronounced hemipenile bulge.
Longevity:
This is a long lived species, with a potential lifespan that
could exceed thirty years. An old female with worn
snout scales collected in 1992 was still living and active
in 2003.
Temperature:
This species can be maintained at 25-28°C (77-82°F) during the
day and 22-24°C (72-75°F) at night. Gravid females should be
exposed to a hot spot that reaches 29°C (85°F) during the
breeding season.
Food:
The rough snouted will thrive on the same diet as the
R. Leachianus.
 Captive Environment:
Only by keeping these animals in naturalistic vivaria will
owners be able to observe the range of interesting
behaviors, including vocalization, of these social and
intelligent lizards. A large, landscaped vivaria is
considered a requirement for rough snouted geckos. The
tend to be stressed and exhibit only a limited range of
normal behaviors in small sterile enclosures. They
should be provided with cork hollows or other substitutes
for tree hollows, thick diagonally or horizontally placed
branches, and a few plants such as ficus benjamina and
dracaena. Rough snouted geckos also require large
shallow water containers with a depth equal to twice the
thickness of the body. They are the only New
Caledonian that will freely enter, soak and swim in their
water containers. As with other geckos, males should
not be kept together and some females may fight.
Breeding:
Rough snouted geckos will breed when kept under the same
conditions as R. Leachianus,
producing one pair of babies a year when kept under ideal
conditions. If underfed, subject to improper
temperature regimes, or excessively disturbed, they may skip
one or more years between breedings. Gravid females
appear thicker bodied but also show changes in behavior.
Their movements will be performed more slowly and in a more
deliberate manner. They will bask more frequently and can
become markedly more irritable. Rough snouted geckos
typically give birth to two babies, usually one male,
recognizable by a dark coloration with high contrast whitish
spots and one female, recognizable by its paler coloration
and smaller less distinct spots. Babies can be left
with their parents for up to a month by providing branches
with small hollows. Females initially demonstrate some
parental behaviors. Babies will require at least three
years to reach sexual maturity.
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