Cute but Unseen

Many keepers, including myself, were first attracted to crested geckos because they are beautiful and adorable. Unfortunately these cute little lizards are also only active at night. For many people, this means the geckos are largely unseen. Even if a keeper is active at night, crested geckos require periods of full darkness for them to live comfortably and have a normal circadian rhythm. Geckos can see pretty well in the dark, but their keepers cannot. One of the most common complaints I have seen from new keepers is that they rarely see their pet and are disappointed walking past a seemingly empty terrarium every day.

Not a Cuddler

As with all reptiles, crested geckos lack the more complex brain structures that cats, dogs, and even rodents posses. They also have specific environmental requirements that directly impact health. For these reasons, it is best for crested geckos to be largely left alone in their habitats. Long periods of handling or being outside of their habitats - especially during the day when crested geckos should be asleep - are very stressful to the animal. Some keepers over-handle their gecko expecting the animal to develop a bond or to need attention like a cat or dog. In reality, they simply don't have the brain for such concepts. Behaviorally, too much handling can stress a gecko to the point of lethargy, cause it to feel so insecure it stops eating, or to become neurotic and run wildly from human hands. Physically, too much time out of their habitat can lead to health issues related to unstable temperatures and humidity.

With all that being said, crested geckos can certainly be taken out and enjoyed as a pet. You just have to be considerate of what they are, and their limitations. Handling is best when restrained to 10-20 minute sessions in the evening, just as they become active around lights-out. Additionally, it is perfectly okay to not handle your gecko for days, weeks, or ever. As long as their home is maintained and the food bowl stays full, they will thrive with zero affectionate attention.

I have often seen new keepers who acquire a crested gecko as a substitution for a more labor intensive cat, dog, bunny, ferret, etc. If you are looking for a pet you can be physically affectionate with, crested geckos are not the choice for your family. If you are looking for a pet that you can hold and enjoy in brief interactions then leave alone for long periods of time, then a crested gecko is a great option. They are fairly low maintenance and require extremely little attention to keep happy and healthy.

Low Maintenance

Relatively speaking, once you have established a crested gecko's habitat the day to day care for these animals is simple and requires very little time. Their habitat needs to be misted regularly, but they only need to be fed every other to every three days. They need lights turned on and off, but this can be managed with a timer. The habitat its self will only need to be cleaned somewhere between once a week and once a month depending on what sort of substrate you use and exactly how messy your gecko is. Though the initial set up can be expensive for a crested gecko, there are no recurring expenses beyond food. They can be the ideal option for someone seeking a pet with less daily needs.*

Long lived

If cared for properly, crested geckos are a 15-25 year commitment. The average gecko will reach its full grown size at about 2 years of age. Some will reach adulthood in 1.5 years, some take a full 3. Each animal grows at a different rate.

Manageable in Size

The average adult crested gecko measures about 4-5 inches from nose to the base of the tail. They are comparable in size to a standard hamster, which makes them relatively easy to house, maneuver and handle.

Detachable Parts

Unlike most lizard species, if a crested gecko looses its tail, it does not grow back. A crested can loose its tail for many different reasons or for seemingly no reason at all. When the tail comes off, it can be a little traumatizing. The tail flails about wildly, in theory, to distract a would-be predator in the wild. The detached end of the tail will have little arms of muscle exposed that flex like a little starfish. There will be a small amount of blood and a hole on your gecko's but for a couple days. Thankfully, the opening will close up quickly with no specialized care required.

The good new is, most geckos kept individually in a low stress environment do not drop their tails. The most common cause of tail drop in babies is cohabitation and the bite of a tank-mate. Once they are adults, the most common cause is being startled by sudden, unexpected movement, being chased, or loud noises. I have found that once a gecko reaches adulthood with its tail, tail drop is far less likely to occur. That being said, sometimes geckos of all ages drop their tail for seemingly no reason at all!

Impact Resistant

Crested Geckos jump. A lot. Sometimes directly into your face. If you are not confident in handling frogs because of their sudden, jumpy, movements, you may not enjoy a crested gecko either. I have found that some new keepers are truly not prepared for this particular behavior. Such keepers were expecting a calm animal that crawls or climbs and loose their nerve when a crested gecko flings itself from their hands for the first time. This leads to the keeper either becoming less sure of themselves around the gecko (fearing it will jump on their face again), or to panic when the gecko leaps blindly into open air and smacks into the floor.

If you are not sure about having a face full of scrambling lizard, crested geckos might not be the animal for you. If you are more concerned about the gecko's health after a fall, fear not! As I mentioned before, crested geckos are an arboreal species. They are designed to take a fall and the drop from your hands to floor will likely not hurt them in any way. It is a very, VERY, common occurrence.

Fired Up vs. Fired Down

Crested geckos go through color changes throughout the day. When their colors are most vivid, they are considered "fired up." When the colors are most muted, or washed out, this is called "fired down." Though crested geckos are often bought for their fired up coloration, they are most often fired down. A common complaint or concern new keepers have is why their beautiful animal turned an ashen grey color shortly after being brought home. This phenomenon is completely normal and is not a sign of illness.

When and why a crested gecko fires up or down is not completely predicable. They do spend the majority of their time fired down. With that being said, you are most likely to catch your gecko fired up when they are warmed and freshly misted, when they have a full belly after a feeding night, when they sleep directly under a light, at twilight when they are becoming active, when they are more alert than usual (aroused or hunting bugs), or are slightly stressed (like they would be in a deli cup).

Bugs

Bugs are an important part of a crested gecko's diet. They are also, creepy-crawly, smelly, gross, and prone to escape. Not to mention that feeding them often involves handling them. If you are not prepared to keep and care for insects, you are not be prepared to keep and care for a crested gecko. Make sure bugs are something you can interact with confidently!

Personality and Behavior

Crested geckos exhibit personality and behavioral differences between individuals. Most fall on a scale of sweet and calm to excitable freak. Getting to know a crested gecko's traits and preferences is one of the highlights to keeping them as pets. Sometimes their personalities are not quite what a new keeper expects though. Here I have attempted to outline the different personality types you might encounter in a new pet.

Extra Sweet and Calm - Some crested geckos are exceptionally calm when being handled and rarely try to jump or crawl away. The are content to either sit peacefully on your hand, or casually explore by climbing up your arms or onto your head. They move slower and are less easily stressed.

Average Gecko - The vast majority of crested geckos are mostly calm, but will take the occasional flying leap to nowhere off of their keeper's hand. Jumping is a natural behavior and part of owning crested geckos. In the wild this behavior is how they would move from tree to tree and branch to branch. While out, the average gecko will walk from hand to hand, but with a bit more determination. If allowed to climb more freely on your person, they will try to seek the darkest, highest, place they can see; usually your hair. They also may try to run away if approached too quickly, if woken up during the day, or if lights are turned on suddenly and unexpectedly. Your average gecko will avoid human hands when being initially extracted from the tank.

Love Machine - Some male geckos can be very... male. They may jump at and attack the door of their enclosures when they see movement. They may bite hands like they would a female gecko they are getting into position. They may attempt to do other things with or on your hand that can be a little more traumatizing. This behavior is sometimes mistaken for aggression, but is just a desperate attempt at "love." Luckily, it is also a more uncommon personality.

Excitable Freak - Some geckos are just wild. When approached, they will run around their habitat like a maniac. While in hand, they will jump frequently and with abandon. Some such geckos can be tamed to a degree with time and patience. Some cannot.

Grumpy Gecker - Sometimes a crested gecko, male or female, just decides it hates the world. It may snap harmlessly at hands, or posture grandly with its mouth open wide and its tail wiggling in threat. Very occasionally you will find a grumpy gecko that is more aggressive towards hands. These rare cases will regularly attack their keepers, though their arsenal is rather meek. With a bite no worse than a pinch and soft, pudgy body, they pose little threat to a confident human. I know of only a few keepers who have reported a gecko this aggressive.