Care and Feeding of Crested Geckos 

Crested Geckos are easy pets to own and house.  They require little maintenance and are not too picky about their surroundings.  Despite relative ease of care, steps must be taken to select a proper diet and an appropriate enclosure to ensure a long and happy life for your Crested Gecko.

Housing  

Housing a Crestie can be very basic or quite elaborate.  The basic necessities of a gecko include an enclosure, food, water and some hiding spaces.  Crested Geckos are arboreal (tree dwelling) and prefer to be in high places.  Upright enclosures are available on the market that provide the height Crested Geckos love.  These vertical environments are accessible through the front of the enclosure making them convenient and easy to clean.  Another, more economical option is a standard aquarium set up which can be found almost anywhere.  The key to housing your Crested Gecko in a standard aquarium is to purchase a tight-fitting lid.  Cresteds are very adept at squeezing through small holes. 

The substrate should be a natural material for the bottom of the aquarium such as moss, compressed coconut or reptile carpet.  Avoid dirt from outside that may contain chemicals, bugs, and even harmful microbes.  Live plants provide great hiding places for the geckos and can be planted directly in the substrate. 

Shallow bowls can be used for a water dish.  The water dish provides extra humidity to your gecko's home as well as a place to soak.  Since most crested geckos do not actually drink out of a water dish, it is important to mist the gecko enclosure with water one or two times per day.  The geckos will then lick water droplets from the surrounding walls and plants.  Several of our gecko homes have small fountains that provide water and a fun place for the geckos to rest.  Although they look great, thoroughly inspect the fountain prior to purchase to ensure that the gecko can not get stuck inside and end up hurt or worse. 

The ambient temperature in your Crested Gecko enclosure should be maintained between 72 and 80 degrees.  Using a glass or plexiglass aquarium hood helps to keep an ideal temperature (between 72 and 80 degrees) and maintain a high humidity level which is good for the plants and great for the geckos.  Since the geckos maintain their body temperature through the ambient air temperatures, a heat source is not required nor suggested.

Nutritional Needs

In the past, literature suggested that baby food by itself was an ideal diet for the crested gecko.   This is not the case.  Baby food by itself contains very little nutritional value and requires the addition of a supplement.  New foods have been developed to meet the nutritional needs of the gecko that are very easy to use and do not have to be mixed with baby food. The foods come in a powder form and are mixed with water.  CrestedGeckosAndSupplies proudly carries the complete line of Repashy Superfoods for Crested Geckos and we feed our cresteds the Repashy diet as well.  The food should be offered 2-3 times per week in the evening and taken up the following day to prevent spoilage.

Another favorite of crested geckos is insects.  Not only do insects provide a valuable protein source but provide the normally sedative gecko with some exercise.  Our Cresteds love crickets!  Crickets can be offered once or twice a week.  Do not leave too many crickets in the gecko enclosure because the crickets can stress the gecko and even nibble on it.  Also, cresteds should only be fed crickets that are smaller than the space between their eyes to prevent choking.  Dust the crickets with a calcium powder just prior to feeding to provide optimal benefit from the supplement.  Other insects such as mealworms and wax worms are also possibilities.

Calcium is an important component in caring for crested geckos.  In the wild, animals are exposed to natural sunlight which helps to metabolize calcium.  Captive cresteds need the calcium supplement to prevent Metabolic Bone Disease and is critical for breeding females.

Lighting

Like all reptiles, lighting is very important to the overall health of your Crested Gecko.  In the wild, geckos use sunlight to help absorb calcium in their food sources.  However, in captivity, most Crested Geckos are kept indoors keeping the geckos away from natural sunlight.  To overcome this, your Crested Gecko will need to be provided with an artificial light source that re-creates the production of UV-B sunlight.  These lights are readily available at your local pet store.  We recommend using a high-quality artificial light source instead of keeping geckos near windows for natural sunlight.  Direct sunlight makes maintaining a steady temperature in the habitat difficult.  Additionally, windows are sources of drafts which also will impact the temperature of your gecko habitat.

Tails

Crested Geckos can lose their tails when frightened or threatened.  Generally, the loss of the tail has no ill effect on the gecko except for aesthetics.  Tail-less geckos still lead completely happy and healthy lives including reproducing.  If your Crested Gecko drops its tail, keep it in a quiet, safe place where it can relax and recover.  Continue feeding it as usual, but keep it away from further stresses until the tail nub has healed.

Handling

Crested Geckos are very friendly reptiles.  They enjoy being handled.  For its safety, when handling your gecko, be sure to keep other animals away from it and that doors and windows are closed to prevent escaping.  Keep in mind that the Crested Gecko is a very capable jumper.  Handle them in areas where they will not be subject to a long fall if they happen to jump from your hands.  To prevent the spread of bacteria between your geckos and yourself, always wash your hands after handling each gecko.

If you maintain these basic necessities for your Crested Gecko, they should provide you with years of companionship and enjoyment.