The Crested Gecko

Here is a care sheet about a very curios and beautiful gecko that is great for beginners to advanced; the Crested Gecko.

 

HABITAT:  Crested Geckos are native to New Caledonia's tropical regions so they need a tall tank for climbing space.  You can house two Crested Geckos together in a 20 gallon tall terrarium (no more than one male).  Unlike Leopard Geckos a screen lid is required, as Crested Geckos have toe pads allowing them to climb vertical surfaces.  Crested Geckos need lots of climbing sticks and lots of real or artificial plants.  Coconut fiber or bark are best substrate because they help maintain humidity (see below).  You will also need some type of hide.

HEATING, LIGHTING AND HUMIDITY:  Crested Geckos are nocturnal so they don't need any UV lighting.  The bottom of the tank should be cooler than the top, at about 75-80 degrees Fahrenheit.  The top half should stay at about 80-85 degrees Fahrenheit.  The temperature should drop to about 65-75 degrees Fahrenheit at night.  The  humidity level should be at 50-80%.  You should mist the tank once or twice a day.  The correct bedding will help keep the right humidity level.

FOOD AND WATER:  Crested Geckos are omnivores so they will eat crickets and soft or puree fruit.  NEVER feed them wild caught crickets as they may carry diseases that could harm or kill your gecko.  At  most pet stores that carry reptiles and reptile supplies, you can buy Crested Gecko food bags where you just add water to create the food for your gecko.  If you can't find the correct food, you can go to your local grocery store and buy banana, peach or any other fruit baby food.  Crested Geckos mostly drink little droplets of water off of plants, but you should always provide a water dish.

SEXING:  Crested Geckos are little less distinctive than Leopard Geckos but are still fairly easy to sex.  Males have a bulge and very small pores at the base of their tail, females do not.

 

Here are some pictures of Crested Geckos and an ideal tank setup.

 

 

 

 

 

FUN FACTS:  Crested Geckos don't regenerate their tails so once the tail is dropped the gecko is then known as a "Frog Butt".  Crested Geckos are also known as the "Eyelash Gecko" because of the eyelash like projections above their eyes.

 

 

NOTE:  Gargoyle Gecko care is the same as they are very close in common to the Crested Gecko, ecept they do better housed singlely.

 



 

 





The Leopard Gecko

   I going to start off with the Leopard Gecko. The Leopard Gecko is a slow and gentle gecko, great for beginners.

   HABITAT:  The Leopard Gecko is native to the rocky deserts of  Pakistan, India and Afghanistan, but that does not mean no vegetation.  A 20 gallon terrarium is best for a single adult or up to a trio, but no more than one male.  A screened lid is not needed if there are no tall sticks.  Sand or Reptile Carpet are best for bedding, which are both available at Petsmart and most small pet stores.  It is best to have two hides rather than one, one hide for each side of the terrarium in the different temperature zones (see Heating, below).
HEATING, LIGHTING AND HUMIDITY:  Since Leopard Geckos are nocturnal they don't need any UV lighting.  The setup I have for my Leopard Gecko is an inferred light bulb on the right side of the terrarium and a heating pad on the left.  The temperatures can get as low as 65 degrees Fahrenheit at night and should stay at about 90 degrees Fahrenheit during the day.  There should always be a warm side and a cool side.  The humidity level should stay somewhere between 40-60%.  Just having a water dish helps to keep it at the right humidity level.

FOOD AND WATER:  Leopard Geckos are insectivores, meaning they only eat insects.  Leopard Geckos are picky and sometimes won't eat certain things, but here's what's on their menu: crickets, meal worms and wax worms.  NEVER feed them wild caught insects as they may carry diseases which could harm or kill your gecko.  Always provide a good source of water.  A dehydrated gecko is not good.  Non-chlorinated water is healthier.  Note: fat tails are really good because it is an indication of a well fed Gecko.

SEXING:  It is fairly easy to tell male from female with no probes needed.  Males have a line of pores and a bulge by the base of their tail, females do not.

Here are some pictures of Leopard Geckos and setup illustration:

 

Here is a Juvenal Leopard Gecko

 

 

 

Here is an example of a very healthy jumbo Leopard Gecko by the fat tail. 

 



 

 

                                                          A. lamp                              

                                                          B. mesh screen (optional)

                                                          C. thermometer and hydrometer

                                                          D. artificial plants

                                                          E. moist hide

                                                          F. dishes for worms and water

                                                         G. reptile carpet or sand

                                                         H. heat pad

                                                          I. hide (at least one per gecko)

 

FUN FACTS:  Leopard Geckos store fat in their tail for food shortages.

Leopard Geckos unlike lots of geckos have eyelids.