Crested Gecko
Crested geckos are originally from New Caledonia (a group of islands between Fiji and Australia).
Size
Both male and female crested geckos reach a moderate size of 5 to 8 inches in total length. Crested geckos sexually mature around 15 to 18 months of age, and at a weight of approximately 35 grams.
Life Span
The average life span of a crested gecko is 15 to 20 years.
Caging
- Baby – 20-quart plastic terrarium or in standard 10-gallon reptile tanks with a screen top.
- Juvenile – 12 x 12 x 18 tank with screen top.
- Adult – 18 x 18 x 24 tank with screen top.
Light and Temperature
Temperature range between 70 to 78 degrees Fahrenheit during the day with night time drops to the low 70s.
Certain times of the year may require a heat or cooling source to maintain these temperatures.
One way to provide heat is a low-wattage incandescent bulb or a ceramic heat. One side of the tank must remain unheated so they can choose a cooler area to self-regulate their body temperature.
We provide lighting for our geckos as follows: 12 hours on 12 hours off.
Substrate
We use a combination of substrates for our crested geckos depending on age.
- Baby – Paper Towels
- Juvenile and Adults – Cocc Fiber or 50/50 Mix of Reptichip and Zilla Jungle Mix.
For our adults and juveniles, we use Bio-Active set-ups. They are set-up with live plants, cork bark, and sticks for climbing. Some of the plants we use include small Ficus Benjamina, Dracaena, and Pothos.
Food
We feed our geckos a combination of Pangea Fruit Mix Complete diet and live insects. We offer Pangea Fruit Mix Complete diet 3 times per week and insects once. We typical feed crickets but roaches can be offer as well. Insects are dusted with vitamin supplement.
Water and Humidity
Water should always be available in a shallow water dish. We keep our humidity between 60% to 70% and have periods that peak up between 80-100%. Humidity levels can be maintained by misting the cage or with a cool humidifier. This make take trial and error to figure the right system for where you live. It is very important to allow the enclosure to dry to normal levels in between misting sessions.