The Basics:

The Crested Gecko’s distinctive appearance, calm demeanor and relatively hardy constitution have made it a popular pet.  This is a naturally healthy animal, but like all terrarium pets it requires attentive care from an informed owner and routine examinations by a veterinarian specializing in reptile care. The Crested Gecko’s skin is covered with fine scales that give it a silky feeling. As a result of selective breeding, Crested Geckos are found in a variety of colors, such as orange, red, tan and patterns like tiger stripe and spotted.  In nature, the Crested Gecko is a nocturnal animal. Crested Geckos can be sexed very easily after the age of 3-4 months; males have very large hemipenal bulges located at the base of the tail with preanal pores directly in front of the vent.

Enclosure:

A 20-gallon tank with a screen top is recommended for one adult, but larger is always better. Be sure that the tank is vertically oriented, since these geckos love to climb. They can climb straight up many flat vertical surfaces thanks to the special structure of their foot pads, which have an intricate network of millions of tiny foot hairs that allow them to bond with solid surfaces.  The top of a gecko’s enclosure must be very secure to prevent escapes, since they are such excellent climbers.  A male Crested Gecko can be housed with one or two females, but two males should never be housed together since they can fight.

Crested Geckos are a semi-arboreal lizard, which means that in nature they spend much of their time in trees. As pets they should be provided with numerous branches in their enclosure that are sturdy enough for climbing.  In addition to being sturdy, at least some of the branches should have broad leaves. Aside from affording the gecko with climbing opportunities, these branches will also be a welcome source of shelter and hiding places.  Since Crested Geckos are nocturnal, it is important to provide them with hiding places that they can retreat to during the day. Hide boxes, cork bark tubes or similar furnishings should be used to provide this nocturnal animal with a daytime hiding spot.

Substrate:

The substrate in a Crested Gecko’s enclosure should be damp, so it promotes humidity, but not soggy, since substrate that is too moist promotes disease.  Any substrate chosen must retain humidity, but it should also be easy to spot clean. Coconut fiber is recommended; paper towels can also be used. Patches of sphagnum moss can be used to create more humid spots. Always make sure the bark in any substrate is large enough not to be eaten by the lizard.

Temperature:

Despite the fact that they come from a tropical climate, Crested Gecko do best with relatively cooler (by reptile standards) enclosure temperatures. The temperature in the Crested Gecko’s enclosure should be room temperature - 72-80° Fahrenheit during the day and slightly cooler at night. Temperatures above 85° F and below 60° F will stress a Crested Gecko.

Lighting:

Unlike most reptiles, the nocturnal Crested Gecko does not require UVB lighting, but 1-2 hour exposure to UVB light daily may be helpful. However, the Crested Gecko does need a day-night light cycle.  This gecko should be exposed to 12-14 hours of light a day in the summer and 10 hours in the winter. (This can be provided by the natural lighting in a room.) However, if terrarium lighting is used, make sure the switch from summer to winter lighting takes place gradually in the terrarium, just as it would occur in nature. Nocturnal reptile bulbs can be used in the enclosure at night to view the gecko.

Note About Day/Night Light Cycles and Heating:

 All reptiles, including this pet, must have distinct day and night periods in their enclosure to maintain their biological rhythms. (See the lighting entry above for the specific length of this animal’s day/night cycle.) The day period must be light; and night must be dark. A timer should be used to set day/night periods. It is unlikely that this animal will require a heat source to maintain correct nighttime temperatures, but if it does, use heat mats or strips mounted below or on the side of the tank, infrared heat lamps, ceramic heat emitters, or a combination of these products. This will allow the enclosure to be heated while remaining dark. Follow directions carefully with all products. If ceramic heat emitters are used always choose fixtures with porcelain or ceramic sockets and to protect against fires do not place them by dry wood or flammable fabrics. Ceramic heat emitters must be kept out of the reach of children and all pets, including dogs and cats.

Humidity:

Crested Geckos require a relatively high humidity level of 70-80%. This can be maintained by regularly misting the enclosure with fresh chlorine-free water and by using moisture retaining substrates, as well as by keeping a shallow bowl of chlorine free water in the enclosure. Measure humidity levels with a hygrometer.

Feed this nocturnal animal commercial gecko food every other day at dusk. Remove uneaten food in the morning. Commercial gecko food serves as a good foundation for the gecko’s diet. Follow manufacturer’s directions and use common sense and your knowledge of the gecko to determine portion size. Our veterinary specialist recommends that a commercial gecko diet be the staple for this pet with gut loaded and supplement dusted crickets serving only as a supplement. (See “Feeding Tips” below for suggestions on how often to offer crickets.) When offered, crickets should be no longer than the gecko’s head is wide. Offer commercially raised crickets only, never wild caught insects, which can pose a health risk.

Be careful not to feed insects that are too large for a Crested Gecko. Juveniles should be fed small crickets. A cricket fed to a Crested Gecko should not be longer than the lizard's mouth is wide. Another rule of thumb is that a cricket should never be larger than the distance between the lizard's eyes, or the distance from its eyes to its nose. Hatchlings under one month should be fed 1/8” crickets three times a week 4-6 crickets per meal, juveniles should be fed slightly larger (1/4” crickets) three times a week 4-6 crickets per meal, and adults should be given 6-8 crickets about twice a week. Crickets should be offered to this pet on days when it is not fed the commercial gecko diet.

Feeding crickets a nutritious diet will pass on vital nutrients to your reptile. When reptiles eat these insects they are able to absorb the nutrients. This is why it is important to gut load crickets at least 48 hours before offering them to a reptile. Commercial cricket foods provide a convenient way to gut load crickets. (Always follow manufacturer’s directions.) Crickets should also be provided with water, preferably in the form of oranges or a commercial water gel product designed specifically to hydrate feeder insects. Putting a shallow dish of water in the cricket holding tank will result in insects drowning and promote the spread of bacteria.  You can also create your own gut-loading formula. Our vet recommends a mix of ground up dog food, cereal and fresh greens with oranges or a commercial gel for water. 

Supplements:

Dust insects with calcium supplement and vitamin supplements. As a rule, a growing juvenile's food should be dusted more often than an adult's. Follow product label directions when applying supplements, and avoid over-supplementing food. The following is a possible supplementing schedule for this reptile. Our veterinarian recommends dusting insects with a plain calcium supplement every time they are offered to the pet. (Avoid using a calcium supplement with added phosphorous, unless specifically directed by your veterinarian, since this can promote kidney disease.) Our veterinarian also recommends dusting insects with a D3 supplement once a week and a vitamin supplement two times a month. This is only one recommendation, consult your veterinarian for specific directions on supplementing your pet’s food, since there are many variables that go into determining the best supplementing regimen for a given animal.

You can check the Crested Gecko’s calcium levels by looking at the two white calcium sacs on the roof of its mouth. The sacs should appear full not deflated. A gecko can be coaxed to open its mouth by gently stroking the sides of its mouth or gently tapping its snout. However, this may not work with all geckos. Don’t force open the mouth of a gecko in obvious distress. Calcium sac checks should be done only occasionally. Check females more often than males.

All water given to this pet for drinking, as well as water used for misting, soaking or bathing must be 100% free of chlorine and heavy metals. (Not all home water filtration systems remove 100% of the chlorine and heavy metals from tap water, so check your system’s specifications before using it to filter water for your pet.) We recommend that you use unflavored bottled drinking water or bottled natural spring water and never untreated tap water. If tap water is used, you should treat it with a dechlorinating treatment. Do not use distilled water, which can cause severe medical problems, since it lacks minerals that are essential to important body functions.

Clean fresh chlorine-free water must always be available to a Crested Gecko.  A daily misting or two with chlorine-free water seems to be appreciated especially by hatchlings and juveniles. Crested Geckos like to drink droplets off leafs, but a shallow water dish should also be available at all times, and the chlorine-free water in it should be kept clean.