Care Sheet for Geckos: CrestedAverage Rating Given To This Care Sheet Is 5.00 (1=lowest, 5=highest) Last Updated: 12/14/2007 |
Main Category: | Lizards |
Sub Category: | Geckos: Crested |
Care Sheet Submitted By: | S. |
Years Experience: | 10 to 15 Years |
Species: | Rhacodactylus Cilatus |
Other Species or Phases this Care Sheet May Cover: | Each of the Rhacodactylus family have very similer care requirements. |
Sexing and Characteristics: | At about 6-8 months of age or better yet 12-15 grams most cresteds geckos can be correctly sexed.
I prefer to use a x30 jewelers loupe for this but people can use just there eyes.
A male when full developed will have a budge below the vent area that can become (over time) very large. This is the simplest way to know If you have a male. Though females can have small budges. If you want to check the sex of the gecko before this develops look just above the vent area. About were a belly button would be on a human. There maybe a row of pours. Pours look like scales with a small hole or indent in the middle of them. If you have a row or chevron (a sort of "v" shape) of these you have a male.
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Mostly Active During: | Night |
Substrate and Water Needs: | It is best to use a Substrate or Bedding that can not get "scooped up" while the gecko is hunting. Crested geckos tend to be poor hunters. If ingested most beddings can block the digestive tract causing an impaction. This if not treated can lead to the death of the animal in question. I use paper towels or reptile-carpet. One of my tanks in set up with a marbled linoleum. It looks nicer than paper towels and can be wiped down with a wet cloth for easy clean up.
Planting a natural tank is always a nice idea since live plants can help the humidity in the tank. For this use a natural black earth with a top layer of Coco fiber. make sure it is packed down well and you should have little problems with impaction.
A clean water dish should always be provided though it is a rare sight to see a crested drink from one. For drinking water Crested geckos like drinking water drops or dew that settles on plants. In a tank environment this can be recreated by "misting" the tank 2-3 times a day with a water bottle filled with dechlorinated water.
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Lighting and UVB: | This is a topic of some debate when it comes to nocturnal reptiles/animals. Some say it is needed even if the reptile hides from the sun. Others say no. I do use a uva/uvb light on my females tanks since they are breeders and tend to need to be able to process calcium in higher amounts. I use a low out put UV light such as the 2.0 or a 5.0 repti-glow bulb. Any higher and the geckos can be harmed. Make sure you leave a spaces in the tank that are still high up that the gecko can escape from the light if they wish. I try and put the light only in half the tank leaving the other in shadow, but this can be difficult for smaller tanks.
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Temperatures and Humidity: | Crested geckos temperatures are simple to maintain. Room temps are ideal. 72-80f is best. They can drop as low as 60f for short 1-2 hour stints in winter. They should never get above 82f. Any temperatures above or below 60f or 80f for long periods can severely stress and sometimes even kill a crested gecko.
As listed above the entire tank should be misted 2-3 times a day for drinking water but this is also to maintain a higher humidity. Cresteds geckos need a 70-80% humidity to help them shed and to keep them hydrated. A misting in the morning and a heavy misting about sunset works out well. If your humidity drops below 60% its a good idea to give a light misting.
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Heating and Equipment: | As stated above they need little in the way of heating but during the winter a normal low watt house bulb can be used to keep the temps up. Sometimes a normal blue or red bulb needs to be used to keep the night temps. up as well. You don’t want a bulb going at night that will make them think it is day time. Make sure the bulb dues not get very hot. Any bulb used should not be inside the tank or placed on the screen. Since they have the ability to climb on glass and across any surface nothing that can get hot and burn there skin should ever be placed inside or on the tank.
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Caging Provided: | For one adult gecko a minimum of a 20 gallon tall or a 20 gallon long turned on its side (to give it more height). Add 10 gallons for each gecko added to the tank to a max of 6 geckos in a 70 gallon tank.
They are arboreal and will not use ground space as much as height. I like to give my geckos at least 24’’ height, more the better!
Geckos under 6-9 months old or under 12 grams can be housed in a 10 gallon on its side.
Geckos under 6 months should be housed in something that they can not fall more then 12". Also they should be able to find there food easily. Sometimes it is best to place 2 food bowls in baby tanks, one at each end to make sure they can find it.
Make sure you FULL they tank with tones of thing to climb on and make sure you keep it full near the top not on the bottom and the middle! Sticks, fake vines, plants what ever you think looks nice and is safe for the tank. Make sure anything that is placed in the tank is secure and will no fall on top of any gecko if they decide to jump onto it. It should be hard to find your gecko during the day! This makes them feel happy and secure.
Remember!!! Adult males may not be housed with other males. They WILL fight and hurt each other at some point. Just because they were house together at the pet store DUES NOT mean they will not fight. Its just a matter of time. If you house a male with females they will breed. The male will need to be taken away from the female for a few months (best during the winter) or her could over breed her, this could end up harming her given time.
If you have one or more crested geckos and you get a new one never house in the same tank until after a quarantine period in a separate tank and room. If possible get a an exam from a good reptile vet. On that includes a fecal test. This way you can treat for any parasites that the gecko in question my be caring and you can address any health issues that may be there before you introducing the new gecko to the others possibly infecting them.
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Diet: | Omnivorous |
Description of Diet: | Crested gecko diet (CGD) made as the package states. Or a trusted (no sugar added) gecko smoothie mix. These can be found by looking around on the internet. Use caution when using these and your best judgment.
Crickets 3-5 every few days or 2-3 times a week, this is not as important for adults as it is for juveniles. Juveniles need more protean than adults and crested geckos raised on CDG alone tend to be smaller than ones offered crickets.
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Supplements, Nutrition and Usage: | With a CGD and Cricket diet~
Dust crickets with no d3 added calcium at each cricket feeding. You can choose to use with d3 when no UV light is provided or only once a week. I mix a small amount of d3 in to a no d3 base so my geckos get a little extra D3 but not enough to harm. ( I mix in a salt shaker for simple dusting)
Also you may use a reptile multi vitamin in small amounts and only occasionally. I do this about 2-3 times a month myself.
CGD only Diet~
You may add no D3 calcium to the CGD in small amounts. You CAN do as I do (above) and add a little D3 to the no D3 mix. No other vitamins are needed according to the CGD.
Smoothie Mix Diet~
Each of these are different the good ones state how much and what to use in the mix. Generaly do as above with the "Cricket and CGD diet" for the crickets. Any other vitamins should be stated in the smoothie recipe.
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Maintenance: | Clean the tank once every month with a good reptile tank cleaner or a 10% bleach to water mix. Make sure to rinse very well and to clean all tank accessories well.
Each day mist down tank with dechlorinated water. Offer fresh CGD every other day and crickets a few times a week with required vitamins.
If at any time you feel you gecko is sick remove them if they are housed with any others and call a reptile vet.
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Some Words on this Species: | Crested Geckos are fun and interesting reptiles with simple care requirements. They can be in my opinion on of the best pets out there as long as all, of there few requirements, are meet.
Happy Herping!
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