Experienced keepers and breeders may house female geckos together, but there is no benefit to the animal so we advise against cohabitation to avoid unnecessary stress. Crested geckos are solitary and should not be housed with other crested geckos unless they are being bred. Some individual animals may not do well in larger sized enclosures, though most tend to adjust well after a few weeks. Adult crested geckos should be kept in no smaller than a 12” x 12” x 18” enclosure, but ideally in a 20 gallon long tank flipped so it stands tall or an 18” x 18” x 24” terrarium. If they are not eating, you can temporarily put them in a smaller enclosure like a medium or large sized critter keeper or plastic shoebox sized tub so they can learn to find their food more adequately. Keep an eye out for defecation, if they are pooping regularly, that is a good sign they are eating. Observe your gecko and ensure they are eating their food in their enclosure. A ten gallon tank flipped so it stands tall, a 12” x 12” x 18” terrarium, or similarly sized tub is ideal for a young gecko (10+ grams) after quarantine. A medium critter keeper or 6 qt tub with added ventilation screen and holes are both ideal for hatchling crested geckos to increase the chance of them finding their food and growing at an optimal rate. Your gecko may take several days up to a week to become comfortable enough to eat once being put into a new enclosure, this is normal.īaby crested geckos can be very tiny and some may have more trouble than others finding their food. This ensures the gecko will have a greater chance of finding his food and starting to eat for you. A 6 quart tub (shoe box size) or a medium/large critter keeper are an ideal size for a quarantine for a baby/young crested gecko, larger tubs (such as a 27qt) for larger geckos. Since this setup is temporary, many keepers opt to use bin setups for quarantine and move the animal to their enclosure once they are sure they are healthy. Typically any ailments will arise in the first couple of weeks of having your new pet home, but some can take longer to present themselves. Ideally you will quarantine an animal in separate rooms/areas of your home for at least 30 days after bringing them home, 60 days is more ideal, and 90 days is optimal. Plastic plants, hide boxes, and water/food dishes are ideal as they are easy to clean, cheap, and can be disposed of after quarantine is over or thoroughly sanitized. Paper towels are a good substrate for a quarantine set up so you can quickly see any abnormalities in feces and urate. Upon bringing home any animal you should have a quarantine set up a basic setup that is easy to clean and sterilize that is kept away from current animals in the home to avoid bringing in potential disease. Wild specimens have also been observed to have a maroon colored spot on their side. In the wild, crested geckos are a yellowish brown color with little to no pattern and are rarely seen with their tails past juvenile age. They can be a solid color, or be heavily mottled, striped, or spotted. Unfortunately they can drop their tails if frightened or trapped and will become “frog butts” as they do not regenerate their tails luckily this does not seem to affect them in any way besides visually.Ĭrested geckos come in many different colors and patterns ranging from nearly white to nearly black, as well as many shades of creams and reds. They stay relatively small, reaching adult sizes of 7-9 inches including their tail, weighing in around 35-55 grams, and living 15-20 years in captivity. Crested geckos can be extremely docile and their care is fairly simple and straightforward, making them one of the best beginner lizards for new reptile owners. They are extremely common in the pet trade due to being extremely easy to keep and breed, yet despite their high numbers in captivity, they were thought to be completely extinct in the wild until they were rediscovered in 1994 following a tropical storm. Crested geckos (Correlophus ciliatus) are small arboreal lizards native to southern New Caledonia, a chain of islands east of Australia.
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