Barking gecko, Underwoodisaurus milii

Do Barking geckos make good pets?

Barking geckos are adorable little terrestrial geckos from Australia. They are nocturnally active and require a warm, dry environment which is relatively easy to achieve in captivity, making them a great choice for beginners. Milii geckos can, however, be quite skittish and defensive, particularly when they are young, but they can tame down easily with enough time spent with them, so this should not push potential keepers away from this beautiful species.

We do not recommend keeping more than one Barking gecko in the same enclosure, as even if aggression does not occur, competition surely will, with one individual usually being outcompeted and becoming stressed or even ill. At Swell Reptiles all of our Milii geckos are captive bred in the UK, producing minimal environmental impact and providing peace of mind to potential keepers.

If you are looking for an alternative to the Barking gecko, we recommend looking into Leopard geckos by reading our Leopard gecko care guide. 

What size enclosure does my Milii gecko need?

We recommend a minimum adult enclosure size of 90 x 60 x 60cm (3 x 2 x 2ft) for Barking geckos. This can either be a wooden vivarium such as the VivExotic Viva+ Terrestrial Vivarium Medium, or a glass terrarium for example the Exo Terra Glass Terrarium 90x45x45cm. Wooden vivariums do tend to work better for this species as they hold the heat better, but glass or PVC enclosures can still work with the correct equipment.

What temperature should a Barking gecko be kept at?

The ideal basking temperature for a Milii gecko is 32°C (89°F), with a cool end temperature around 22°C (71°F) to allow them to properly regulate their own body temperature. This should be done using either a basking lamp or ceramic heater installed into the ceiling of the vivarium. All heating equipment must be hooked up to a compatible thermostat to ensure their safety, so this would be a dimming thermostat for a basking lamp, or a pulse thermostat for a ceramic heater.

Do Milii geckos need UVB?

Despite being nocturnal animals, Barking geckos can still benefit significantly from the presence of a low-level UVB within the UVI range of 1-2, which allows them to metabolise vitamin D3 and assimilate calcium from their diet. Therefore, at Swell Reptiles, we recommend the use of adequate UVB for all Milii geckos and it is a requirement for adopting one of these adorable geckos from us.

The percentage of UV required will depend on the distance between the light fixture and your geckos highest basking point. If this will be be between 25-40cm (10-15”), an Arcadia ShadeDweller ProT5 Kit will work well, or if this will be between 40-45cm (15-18”), an Arcadia ProT5 Kit - Forest 6% would be a better choice.

How do I decorate a Barking gecko’s vivarium?

We recommend using a natural sand-based substrate for Milii geckos to simulate their natural environment, this can be something like ProRep Leo Life or Arcadia EarthMix Arid for bioactive set-ups. The risk of impaction from such substrates is minimal when all of your other husbandry requirements are as they should be - if your gecko is actively eating substrate, there is something wrong somewhere.

The most important and functional pieces of decor are your hiding caves, of which there should be at least two and a shallow water dish to provide hydration. On top of this, you should be providing plenty of cover and enrichment in the form of cork bark, branches, rocks and foliage either from real or artificial plants.

What do Milii geckos eat?

Barking geckos are insectivores, so should be fed a varied diet of livefoods such as crickets, locusts, cockroaches and calci worms. All livefood should be supplemented according to a schedule to ensure all of the required nutrients are provided. For this we recommend offering a calcium-rich multivitamin on every feed, such as Arcadia EarthPro-A, a calcium plus magnesium supplement on every fourth feed, such as Arcadia CalciumPro Mg and finally, a vitamin D3 supplement on every eighth feed such as Arcadia EarthPro RevitaliseD3.

How do I buy a Barking gecko?

If you would like to purchase one of our UK captive bred Barking geckos, this will need to be collected from our store. Please come in and speak to us, we will ask some quick questions and also to see a few images of a suitable set-up ready for the gecko to go into. We reserve the right to refuse adoption to anyone we feel is unprepared to adopt.

For more detailed husbandry information, please refer to our dedicated Milii Gecko Care Sheet.