Basic Care Guide
Introduction:
Crested Geckos (Correlophus ciliatus) are a vulnerable species of geckos being considered for protected status. They are native to tropical New Caledonia, Isle of Pines, surrounding islets, and Grande Terre.
Crested Geckos were first described in 1866, and later presumed extinct. They were only recently rediscovered in 1994.
In the wild, Crested Geckos are generally very plain animals of a yellow brown color. The pinning, other traits, and colours we see today, come from the hard work and vision of the breeders of these animals in captivity.
When bringing home your new gecko or any reptile for that matter into a home that already has other geckos and or reptiles, it is very important to quarantine them, best to keep them in a completely separate room for up to 3 months. Sometimes the stress of moving an animal can cause an illness, even in a perfectly healthy animal.
Temperatures:
Bringing home a new Crested gecko, it is important to let them acclimate to their new home and surroundings. We recommend a minimum of two weeks, during this time try not to handle your new gecko other then for cleaning the enclosure.
Crested geckos do well in our homes because they prefer to be kept at temperatures we find comfortable. If your home is kept between 21-26°c (72-80°f) the crested gecko does not need any extra heating or cooling. Hazardous temperatures that can impose a health risk are temperatures at or above 29.5 (85°f) as well as low temperatures at 18 (65°f)
Enclosure/Husbandry:
It is important to remember that crested geckos are primarily arboreal. Therefore, they prefer height over width. Popular glass enclosures made by popular companies like Exo Terra are perfect for them. PVC enclosures are also another great option that's rapidly growing in popularity.
Some sources site the minimum requirement for an adult crested gecko enclosure is the 12x12x18 (approximately 11 gallons), but I prefer the 18x18x24 (approximately 33 gallons).
Hatchlings prefer smaller spaces to feel safe and secure. I typically introduce them to larger enclosures in steps as they grow. So they move through at least three different sized before they reach adult size. I have found that moving them into a large enclosure suddenly can make them nervous, slow their eating, and their growth, so if you obtain a very young gecko, I recommend using a plastic bin until they grow out of it. When you move them into their larger, permanent enclosure, provide several feeding areas and lots of places for them to hide.
Crested geckos do well in bioactive vivariums with live plants, but they do just as well on paper towels with fake plants. No matter how you choose to keep them, there are certain things they must have in their homes.
• Sturdy things to climb on (Horizontal & Vertical)
• Lots of plants (real or fake), and hides to make them feel safe and secure.
• A small water and food bowl. (either on a ledge or on the floor)
Get creative. Plastic, fabric, or real plants can be used. I recommend soaking fabric and plastic flowers or leaves in order to remove the extra dye they tend to hold. Branches for climbing can be made out of any material that is safe and sturdy enough to support their weight. I personally prefer using cork rounds and flats to create a more natural environment, while it also gives them hidding places and enough space to perch on.
I recommend babies and young geckos be kept on paper towels. This allows you to monitor feces. This can be a great way to make sure your new baby is eating. It can be difficult to see that a small gecko has eaten from its bowl. Many new owners panic because of this. Just remember, if they are pooping, they are eating. I also like to keep a small cork round or flat in my Hatchling bins, I find that the rough surface helps prevent stuck shed that can be easily missed on those tiny toes, and also helps clean any stuck on food before it hardens.
Older geckos can also be kept on paper towel. When considering loose substrates, it is important to understand that there is a risk of impaction if your husbandry is not up to par. Geckos kept in naturalistic set ups tend to be kept on an ABG mix and leaf litter. Coco fiber is also an option. I do not recommend reptile bark or chips. There are people that use it successfully, but a chunk of that is not likely to pass through your gecko should they happen to swallow it.
Feeding/Diets:
I feed my crested geckos a variety of Repashy crested gecko diets as well as Pangea. If you purchase from The Gecko Loft, I suggest using the brand and flavours that we use in order to obtain the best feeding response, and wait at least two weeks before slowly introducing another brand or flavour. Both Repashy and Pangea can be purchased online from several dealers and pet stores. You can also add bee pollen to the mix from time to time. The geckos love it and it’s good for them.
Fresh food is offered every other day.
I offer live food twice a week. Babies tend to eat crickets well because their movement kicks in that prey drive. Juveniles and adults get crickets and dubia roaches.
Live food should be dusted with a high quality calcium powder with D-3 if no UVB light is provided or without D-3 if UVB is provided. I use Miner-All Indoor/Outdoor, this product can be purchased directly from their site (Sticky Tongue Farms) as well as some other dealers.
Some geckos will refuse live food if the breeder didn’t offer it when they were young, or when they get older they may begin to refuse it. It is possible for geckos to thrive without live food. However, babies and juveniles will take a long time to grow without that extra protein.
Humidity:
It is extremely important to get this bit right. If a gecko is kept in an environment that is too moist, they will have issues with shedding, and can develop respiratory and bacterial infections.
I mist my geckos enclosure in the evening and allow it to dry out during the day. Your misting schedule will be highly dependent upon where you live and the humidity levels within your home. It may not always be necessary to mist every day. Time of year can also change your misting schedule. You can add a hygrometer to your enclosure to monitor humidity if that makes you feel more comfortable. If you are monitoring humidity this way, take it up to 80-90% at night and let it fall down to 50% before misting again.
Lighting:
Crested Geckos need to be exposed to natural light cycles. Light coming in through windows is fine. If you do not have windows in the room you choose to keep your crested gecko, please provide artificial lighting to provide 8 to 12 hours of light during the day. Just make sure that if the light is on or very close to the enclosure, that it does not produce heat.
A low wattage UVB light can be provided, the Arcadia ProT5 ShadeDweller - Arboreal 2.4% is a great option for providing UVB light and does not produce heat.
Cohabitation:
The cohabitation of Crested Geckos is one of those topics that can be controversial among keepers. I highly recommend against keeping more than one gecko in an enclosure.
Two males should never be kept together as they are territorial. It is possible for females to live together peacefully. However, it is important to watch for signs that they are not getting along. Housing a male and a female together will result in many fertile eggs. I do not recommend this unless you have solid plans to breed high quality animals. I will not cover breeding here.