HOUSING

One or two adult Crested geckos can be set up in an enclosure as small as a 20 gallon (30" x 12" x 13"H) but a larger enclosure of 30 to 40 gallons (36" x 18" x 13"H) would allow for additional room and a better design. A secured screen top is a must since Cresteds can climb glass - in fact, they often hang out on the sides of their enclosure. Crested like to have logs, plants (faux or live), rocks and/or vines for hiding and basking.  we'll be happy to set you up with the correct cage, heating, lighting and accessories for your new pet.

You may house several similar size female Crested geckos together but males are territorial and typically will fight. One male and several females can generally be housed together but we recommend this for more seasoned reptile enthusiasts as there are multiple issues that can arise causing stress, shortened lifespan, etc.

Remember that even multiple females will compete for food so make sure any smaller geckos are

receiving their share of the food, heat, etc. You might consider separating any vastly smaller or larger

animals.

 

SUBSTRATE

Substrate choices can include Eco Earth (ie. coconut fiber), Zoo Med Forest Floor (ie. Cyprus mulch),

peat moss and sphagnum moss (We find that most people do a mix of these beddings).

 

HEATING

As with all reptiles, Crested Geckos need a thermal gradient consisting of a warm side (78 Deg. F) and a cool side (68 Deg. F). The best way to heat your gecko enclosure is with a low wattage ceramic heat emitter. The ceramic heat emitter should be located on one side while the other side should not have any heat source. It is a good idea to control the ceramic emitter with a thermostat but make sure to purchase a quality thermometer to keep track of your warm and cool sides. Thermometers and thermostats are available in our heating supply section.

 

LIGHTING

Crested geckos are generally not active during the day and do not need a light or UV bulb. They often remain in a dark hiding place during the day so adding lights to a Crested Gecko cage is not advisable since it can stress them out and actually cause health issues.

 

SHELTER

Crested geckos do not need a specific hiding place per se but they do need decor items that they can climb such as bendable vines, cork bark, driftwood or bamboo tubes. Please note that we have a large selection of decor items in our natural decor section in our habitat Furnishings department. There are a lot of commercial choices available for climbing items but if you choose to make some of your own please make sure that it is sturdy enough that there is no potential for collapsing and crushing your gecko.

 

SHEDDING

Like all reptiles and amphibians, Cresteds shed their entire skin all at once. Babies shed more often than adults because as babies they outgrow their skin faster. It is not unusual to see Cresteds eat their entire skin during the process of shedding since it contains valuable nutritional components. Gecko can normally pull their shed off easily but sometimes they have issues if they do not have the proper humidity while shedding. You need to check your gecko after it has shed to make sure it was able to peel all the skin off, especially from their toes. If not removed promptly from the toe it can become cut off from its blood supply and in time the toe can die and actually fall off. While it is not usually critical to the geckos health, your gecko was equipped with all its toes for a reason and this is easily preventable with your care.

Providing a moist bedding will enable your gecko to have a high humidity location when it is shedding. Using moistened sphagnum moss or Zoo Med Forest Floor Bedding works well and both of these items are available in our bedding section. If your gecko has retained skin after shedding you can place the gecko in a small plastic container lined with warm, wet paper towels. With the top of the container on, let the gecko sit for approximately 30 minutes. The high humidity in the container should loosen the skin enough to allow you to remove it easily with a pair of tweezers. If the skin has not loosened enough reheat the paper towels with warm water and provide another 30 minute session. NEVER use hot water as this can burn your geckos sensitive skin.

 

WATER

Crested Geckos should have a water bowl in their cage but their cage should be misted twice a day as they will happily lick water off leaves, branches, etc. As for a water bowl, place the water dish on the cool side of the cage so that it does not evaporate quickly and make sure that your bowl is deep and big enough that your gecko can get into it but not so deep that it can potentially drown.

 

FOOD

Crested geckos are hardy eaters and eat a variety of fruits, nectars and insects. Fruit is readily accepted as well as correctly sized insects (ie. approx. 3/4" the width of the gecko's head). Their instect diet typically consists of crickets, grasshoppers, silkworms and occasionally waxworms. A crested gecko's jaw is not particularly strong so hard-bodied live food like mealworms may not be the ideal food. Sweet pulp fruits such as apricot, peach, mango, nectarine, passionfruit, apricot, pear are great food items and can be served as a puree or finely chopped.

We recommend that you feed only as many crickets or mealworms as your gecko can eat in 10 to 15 minutes. It is important to select the proper prey size and the general rule for selecting the proper size of crickets is the cricket should be no longer than the length of the gecko's head. For baby geckos this usually means 3/8" or smaller crickets and for juvenile geckos 1/2" crickets and adult geckos can handle 3/4" crickets. Please note that Big Apple carries all of the food items geckos need in our live feeders section.

 

VITAMINS

It is important to feed high quality food to your prey items, called "gut loading". The food that is in the prey item's belly is the food that your reptile will be eating. In addition to this you need to coat your crickets and mealworms with vitamin and calcium powders before feeding them to your reptile. We carry a full line of quality insect food and reptile vitamins and calcium in our Food section.

 

CAGE MAINTENANCE

Crested Geckos require minimal maintenance but cleaning of feces and urine areas should be taken care of 3 to 4 times a week. The bedding should be completely thrown out and the entire cage (including all accessories) should be washed with Quat Plus (available in our cleaning section) or a mild detergent at least once every four to five months. If using paper towels, change all paper towels at least once a week.
 

HIBERNATION

Hibernation while being natural for Crested Geckos in the wild is not necessary for pet geckos. We believe you should heat your Geckos throughout the winter so that they continue to eat, drink and be active. A general reduction in feeding behavior is normal during winter months due to temperature fluctuations in your house. As long as they keep fairly consistent weight it is generally not an issue and normal feeding typically resume in the spring.