Introduction

 

Latin name: Correlophus ciliates. Thought to be extinct species was rediscovered in 1994 in New Caledonia. Crested geckos are an endangered species found in New Caledonia which holds its last wild population. New Caledonia is a group of islands located off the eastern coast of Australia. A few specimens were imported into the pet trade. They were mostly patternless green/brown animals that were well adapted to their environment. Through selective breeding, we have brought out low-frequency genotypes and phenotypes that would normally lower their fitness for survival. Currently, we have geckos that range from reds, oranges, yellows, to whites with patterns covering their entire body.  They are polyallelic (having more than one alleles per genetic locus) meaning there is an infinite amount of variations and combinations. Every crested gecko looks unique and no two geckos would ever look exactly the same. The amount of variety coupled with their ease of care, docile nature, and longevity (15-20+ years) led to their rapid success as a long-term reptile companion.

 

Crested geckos are an arboreal species meaning they prefer height over width when it comes to their enclosure. They are normally found in taller shrubs and trees where they like to climb and jump between branches and explore through the foliage. They are capable of climbing up a vertical surface and hang upside down on smooth surfaces. They have extensive microscopic skin folds on their toe pads that function like suction cups on the glass. One important fact to keep in mind when raising a crested gecko is they are nocturnal (crepuscular). They will be resting during the day and active at night, most active at dawn and dusk. 

 

Setup

 

Hatchlings less than 5-7 grams do best in a 6-quart shoebox container where they feel more secure and are able to locate their food source more easily. Proper ventilation is necessary and can be achieved by poking holes or making an opening container and hot gluing mesh over it. Paper towel substrate is best for hatchlings, as it makes it easier to clean and monitor bowel movements. If they're pooping, they are eating! Interior decoration is completely up to you but should contain essentials such as climbing accessories, fake/real foliage/plant, and hiding places. No special lighting or heat required.

 

Individuals 7-20 grams would do best in a 15-27 quart container. Geckos 20+ grams would do best in a 66 quart or larger glass/acrylic terrariums as their final setup. Males cannot be housed together. Females can be housed together, however, cohabitation comes with its risk and benefits.

 

Humidity

 

Their enclosure should be humid to mimic their wild habitat. To add humidity to the enclosure you would just need to spray the bin with water in the morning and/or night every day or every other day depending on your ambient house humidity. Humidity should be 70-99% at night when you spray and slowly dry throughout the night and day to about 40-50%. The enclosure should be somewhat dry in the morning. A good way to check is to touch the paper towel. You want the paper towel to still feel damp in the morning. If the paper towel is completely dry, you can either spray more at night, decrease the ventilation opening, or add more layers of paper towel to better hold in humidity. Usually, one heavy spray at night is enough and the morning sprays can be skipped. If you live in a very dry environment and have trouble maintaining a good humidity level, then morning spray is advised.

 

Temperature

 

Their temperature range is 68-79F with night and day fluctuations. They are best kept at 76-79F for optimal growth and normal behavior. They will tolerate low temperatures down to the 60s, but are extremely heat sensitive and will NOT tolerate temperatures above 82F+ for an extended period of time.

 

Food

 

Live food/insect is not required for this species. There is a commercially available meal replacement diet for them by Pangea or Repashy. There are many other brands, but Pangea and Repashy have been around for a long time and have been proven to work. I personally use Pangea Breeding formula as based 50% mix. I rotate the other 50% half with Pangea Insect, Pangea Watermelon, Big Fat Gecko Smoothie, and Black Panther Zoological. Crested geckos are frugivorous eating over ripen fruits in the wild. An eight-ounce bag cost about $20 USD would last one adult gecko for at least half a year. It comes in a powder form that you mix with water into a watery ketchup consistency. The mix can be left in the enclosure for 48 hours before replacing, so replace the old mix with a new mix every other day. Live food such as crickets and dubia roaches can be offered only once a week and must be dusted with calcium to balance out the high phosphorus content in insects. Do not catch random insects to feed as they can contain parasites and be harmful to your gecko. 

 

Checklist Summary

1.         Setup a proper enclosure with ventilation and decorations

2.         Get the food

3.         Get a gecko

4.         Make fresh mix every other day

5.         Spray every night

6.         Clean enclosure as needed

7.         Repeat steps 4-6 and you’re good to go, however, we reptile hobbyists often find ourselves repeating step 3…

  

© Gui’s Gecko, owner and breeder of crested geckos since 2015. Be advised that my methods may differ from other keepers and breeders.  Information/methods provided in this care sheet are based on my own personal research and experience keeping this species.