The gargoyle gecko (Rhacodactylus auriculatus) is an arboreal lizard endemic to southern New Caledonia, where it inhabits scrub forests, maquis shrublands, and other wooded habitats on Grande Terre and ultramafic substrates. R. auriculatus are primarily nocturnal and make extensive use of low to mid-level vegetation, favoring shrubs, saplings, and small-diameter branches rather than the high canopy. These microhabitats provide optimal shelter, foraging opportunities, and structural complexity essential to their behavior and movement patterns (Snyder, 2007; Snyder et al., 2010). Ecological research also reveals that gargoyle geckos have an unusually broad omnivorous diet, consuming a wide taxonomic range of arthropods, other small lizards, and plant materials such as flowers and tree sap, placing them as both predators and contributors to plant–animal ecological interactions in New Caledonian forests (Snyder et al., 2010). They are solitary creatures and should never be cohabitated as they can be extremely aggressive with one another. Their striking colors and patterns as well as their signature horns make them a popular New Caledonian species in captivity.