Crested Gecko Caresheet:
History:
Correlophus ciliatus was believed to be extinct until the species was rediscovered in 1994 in Southern Province, New Caledonia after a tropical storm. Adults can reach a size of roughly 20-25cm.
Housing:
House your gecko in a glass, plastic or wooden vivarium. A single crested gecko can be kept in a 12"x12"x18" enclosure but the larger the vivarium the better. Multiple female crested geckos can be kept together but a larger vivarium will be necessary. Sexually mature male crested geckos must not be kept together as they become increasingly territorial.
Substrate:
At Kent Gecko we use paper towel as our preferred substrate in all of our crested gecko enclosures because it makes cleaning the tubs much easier, it is cheaper than other substrates and it is visible when soiled. You can also use an eco-earth substrate which helps keep the humidity at a reasonable level but there may be a risk of impaction if the substrate is too loose.
Heating:
Crested geckos can be kept at room temperature around 75F(23.8c) but additional heating to 80F(26.7c) is recommended. The vivarium should be tall enough create a heat gradient so that the crested gecko can thermoregulate themselves. To create this heat gradient we at Kent Gecko use heatmats that cover about one third of the vivarium floor space with a thermostat which is absolutely essential so that the heatmat doesn't overheat and that the ambient temperature of the vivarium is kept at a safe level for the crested geckos.
Humidity:
Mist the enclosure once or twice a day to maintain healthy humidity levels of above 50%. Ideally crested geckos should experience several hours of high humidity of 80-100%. The high humidity levels helps the crested gecko shed their skin but it is also necessary to allow the humidity levels to dry out between mistings to avoid bacterial infections.
Lighting:
Due to crested geckos being a nocturnal species no added UVB lighting is needed as long as their vivarium receives natural sunlight. You can buy various night bulbs for night time viewings of your crested gecko. You can use a low wattage bulb for day viewings of your crested gecko.
Decor:
Your crested gecko needs several hides, we use cardboard egg crates, so that they don't feel threatened and become stressed. They are an arboreal species which means that they like to climb so provide plenty of branches and fake plants. Also you will need a water dish, a food dish and a small dish containing calcium (we use bottle lids).
Food:
At Kent Gecko we feed our crested geckos Allen Repashy's Crested Gecko Meal Replacement Powder. You can feed crested geckos this exclusively but feeding calcium dusted crickets once or twice a week can be beneficial.
Water:
Fresh water should be available constantly for your crested gecko in a stable, shallow dish. Water should be boiled and left to stand overnight before use unless you use a reptile safe de-chlorinator before giving to the crested geckos.
Sexing:
Its easiest to determine the sex of crested geckos when they are older than 6 months. Males will develop a hemipenal bulge just below the vent which females do not.
Breeding:
Crested geckos should be at least 2 years old before being bred with a minimum weight of 40 grams being met. Breeding pairs can be kept together year round as the male doesn't need to be removed from the female after copulation. Female crested geckos will lay a clutch of two eggs every 30 to 45 days. There must be an egg laying box in the enclosure and should roughly be 8"x5"x5" filled to a depth of roughly 4" with damp sphagnum moss. Eggs should be removed from the nesting box and carefully placed in an airtight container on a bed of moist vermiculite and placed inside an incubator. Maintain the orientation of the egg by marking the top of the egg with a marker pen. The eggs can be incubated at room temperature or in a incubator set to 70-72F(21.1-22.2C).
Recommended Reading:
Correlophus ciliatus was believed to be extinct until the species was rediscovered in 1994 in Southern Province, New Caledonia after a tropical storm. Adults can reach a size of roughly 20-25cm.
Housing:
House your gecko in a glass, plastic or wooden vivarium. A single crested gecko can be kept in a 12"x12"x18" enclosure but the larger the vivarium the better. Multiple female crested geckos can be kept together but a larger vivarium will be necessary. Sexually mature male crested geckos must not be kept together as they become increasingly territorial.
Substrate:
At Kent Gecko we use paper towel as our preferred substrate in all of our crested gecko enclosures because it makes cleaning the tubs much easier, it is cheaper than other substrates and it is visible when soiled. You can also use an eco-earth substrate which helps keep the humidity at a reasonable level but there may be a risk of impaction if the substrate is too loose.
Heating:
Crested geckos can be kept at room temperature around 75F(23.8c) but additional heating to 80F(26.7c) is recommended. The vivarium should be tall enough create a heat gradient so that the crested gecko can thermoregulate themselves. To create this heat gradient we at Kent Gecko use heatmats that cover about one third of the vivarium floor space with a thermostat which is absolutely essential so that the heatmat doesn't overheat and that the ambient temperature of the vivarium is kept at a safe level for the crested geckos.
Humidity:
Mist the enclosure once or twice a day to maintain healthy humidity levels of above 50%. Ideally crested geckos should experience several hours of high humidity of 80-100%. The high humidity levels helps the crested gecko shed their skin but it is also necessary to allow the humidity levels to dry out between mistings to avoid bacterial infections.
Lighting:
Due to crested geckos being a nocturnal species no added UVB lighting is needed as long as their vivarium receives natural sunlight. You can buy various night bulbs for night time viewings of your crested gecko. You can use a low wattage bulb for day viewings of your crested gecko.
Decor:
Your crested gecko needs several hides, we use cardboard egg crates, so that they don't feel threatened and become stressed. They are an arboreal species which means that they like to climb so provide plenty of branches and fake plants. Also you will need a water dish, a food dish and a small dish containing calcium (we use bottle lids).
Food:
At Kent Gecko we feed our crested geckos Allen Repashy's Crested Gecko Meal Replacement Powder. You can feed crested geckos this exclusively but feeding calcium dusted crickets once or twice a week can be beneficial.
Water:
Fresh water should be available constantly for your crested gecko in a stable, shallow dish. Water should be boiled and left to stand overnight before use unless you use a reptile safe de-chlorinator before giving to the crested geckos.
Sexing:
Its easiest to determine the sex of crested geckos when they are older than 6 months. Males will develop a hemipenal bulge just below the vent which females do not.
Breeding:
Crested geckos should be at least 2 years old before being bred with a minimum weight of 40 grams being met. Breeding pairs can be kept together year round as the male doesn't need to be removed from the female after copulation. Female crested geckos will lay a clutch of two eggs every 30 to 45 days. There must be an egg laying box in the enclosure and should roughly be 8"x5"x5" filled to a depth of roughly 4" with damp sphagnum moss. Eggs should be removed from the nesting box and carefully placed in an airtight container on a bed of moist vermiculite and placed inside an incubator. Maintain the orientation of the egg by marking the top of the egg with a marker pen. The eggs can be incubated at room temperature or in a incubator set to 70-72F(21.1-22.2C).
Recommended Reading: