Crested Gecko Guide

Scientific Name:

Rhacodactylus Ciliatus

Name Origin:

Rhacodactylus: Rhakos, meaning "spine" and Dactylus meaning "finger".

Ciliatus: Cilia means "fringe" or "eyelash" and refers to the crest of skin over the animal's eyes that resembles an eyelash.

Other Names:

New Caledonian Crested Gecko

Eyelash Gecko

Guichenot's Giant Gecko

Origin:

New Caledonia

Physical description:

Crested Geckos have a wedge shaped head and a crest that runs from each eye to the tail.

Their toes have small claws which aid in climbing surfaces to which their toes cannot cling.

Crested Gecko have no eyelids; a transparent scale, or spectacle, keeps its eyes moist and it uses its tongue to clear away debris.

Life Span:

15-20 years with proper care

Social Structure:

Crested Gecko is doing perfectly fine on its own.

Males can not be housed together, they will fight with each other, but do well with one or two females.

Females may be housed together.

Terrarium:

A couple of young Crested Geckos can be housed together in a 12x12x18 Terrarium.

An adult pair should be housed in an 18x18x18 or 18x18x24 terrarium.

The bigger terrarium will provide the gecko some space to leap and more room for plants that will create a natural environment.

Heating:

The Optimal conditions for a Crested Gecko:

Daytime temperature of 78 degrees with 60% -70% humidity.

Nighttime temperature of 65-70 degrees with 60-80% humidity.

Daily misting with warm water will provide the right humidity and temperature in the terrarium.

These geckos don’t require any heating lamps or heating pads, they doing very well in room temperature.

Food

Repashy Crested Gecko Diet

Pangea Gecko Diet

Crickets

Substrate:

Paper towels

Water:

Fresh water must be available all the time. A water dish should be shallow and stable.

Supplements:

Vitamin and Calcium supplements are mandatory to ensure Crested Gecko health.

Dust crickets before feeding in a calcium powder and put a dish with the calcium powder into the terrarium.

Reproduction

Female laying two eggs every 4-5 weeks during breeding season.

The eggs can be kept in room temperature and hatch 60–90 days after they are laid.

Handling Your New Gecko:

The change in environments can be stressful for geckos, so the best thing to do is to give your new gecko some time.

Don't hold the gecko for a couple of days and leave it alone to reduce stress, so the gecko can get used to her new habitat.

Never pick up your Crested Gecko by the tail. Crested Gecko can lose the tail to escape and will not grow it back.