Scientific Name: Underwoodisaurus milii
Diet: Insectivore
Adult Size: Up to 5 inches(snout to tail tip)
Minimum recommended enclosure size: 10 gallon aquarium or similar dimensions
Recommended heat source: Under tank heater on a thermostat
The Australian barking gecko is a small nocturnal gecko originating from Australia. In their Native habitat, they are typically found living in communities around rocky outcroppings.
Being nocturnal they do not need any special lighting but do require a calcium supplement with D3 to dust their food. I don’t recommend having a light over their enclosure as they may not be comfortable coming out to explore their enclosure.
Australian barking geckos will devour crickets, dubia, and occasionally mealworms. A good guideline for proper prey size for you barking gecko is to feed prey that is no larger than ¾ the size of their head. In my experience, they will rarely eat out of a bowl but will gladly stalk their prey in their enclosure. Although they may not use it, I recommend having a small shallow dish with fresh water available at all times.
Housing your Australian barking gecko is very simple. A good rule of thumb is 12” x 12” of floor space per gecko. A 10 gallon aquarium is slightly larger but they are affordable and readily available. As far as heating I recommend an under tank heater on a thermostat at one end of the aquarium. The surface temp should be 80-85 degrees Fahrenheit with a cool side ambient temperature from 68-74 degrees Fahrenheit. A great tool for measuring surface temps is an infrared thermometer that can be easily found at a hardware store or on Amazon. Australian barking geckos do well on 1” layer of a 50/50 mix of play sand and coconut coir(peat moss may be substituted). I recommend keeping the substrate slightly moist. Australian barking geckos are found on loamy soil in the wild and are much less susceptible to impaction. Australian barking geckos are very adept climbers so be sure that you have a very secure lid on their enclosure.
Australian barking geckos can do well in groups as long as a few simple guidelines are followed. I recommend having one male to two or more females. Multiple males are observed living together in nature but being in a much smaller enclosed area there could be aggression. One hide per gecko on the warm side is the bare minimum. Many commercially available reptile hides are available but a simple container with a notch cut out for the gecko to get into will do just fine.