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Crested
Geckos (Rhacodactylus
ciliatus)
Crested geckos were thought
to be extinct for over one
hundred years, until they
were rediscovered in 1994.
These geckos are indigenous
to the islands of New
Caledonia, which is near
Australia. Crested geckos
are usually found on or near
the ground hiding in leaf
litter or near the base of
trees. Female crested
geckos are usually larger
than males and adult crested
can reach 8-10 inches in
total length. Breeding
crested geckos is fairly
easy and they can be housed
in small groups. Male
geckos are aggressive
towards other males and it
is best to keep one male
with several females. To
sex your adult gecko examine
the base of the tail, males
will have a noticeable
bulge. Crested geckos are
usually sexually mature
before they are one year
old. Healthy female geckos
will produce 1-2 eggs every
month and can produce up to
eighteen eggs in a year.
When properly incubated
crested gecko eggs hatch
within 85 days. Crested
geckos can drop their tails
and they are unable to
regenerate a new tail.
Crested geckos are nocturnal
and to fully enjoy them we
recommend a red light for
viewing at night. Red
lights do not disturb
nocturnal reptiles, just
make sure to follow the
temperature guidelines below
when using any supplemental
lighting.
Temperature and UV Lighting
Crested geckos thrive with
daytime temperatures ranging
between 65-82 degrees.
Temperatures can drop to the
mid 50’s at night. Crested
geckos are nocturnal species
and UVB lights are not
usually necessary for proper
health. However, it is
possible that wild geckos
are active in the early
morning and evening and are
exposed to some UVB light
from the sun. Our
recommendation is to use UVB
lights especially if live
plants are used to decorate
the cage. The UV light
needs to be on 12 hours
during the day and off at
night. Also it is very
important to change your UVB
light every 6-8 months,
after this time the light
stops producing adequate UVB.
Crested geckos do best with
humidity maintained between
50-70 percent and occasional
misting will work best.
Housing
Crested geckos should be
kept in at least a 10 gallon
or larger cage. Vertical
cages are an excellent
choice and you should
provide multiple hiding
spots. Cages can also be
set up with live plants for
a naturalistic appearance.
Bedding
Our recommendation for
bedding is bark, coconut
bark, or cypress mulch.
These types of beddings hold
moisture very well and
duplicate their natural
environment. It is possible
for a gecko to accidentally
ingest its bedding and cause
some type of impaction in
the intestines. We feel
that this type of impaction
is rare and we have never
personally encountered this
problem.
Calcium
Crested geckos also require
a calcium and vitamin
supplement for proper
health. This should be used
every day as babies and
reduced to 1-2 times a week
as adults. Calcium is sold
in a powder form and is
sprinkled on the crickets
and other insects. You
should apply a very light
coating to the food items,
being careful not to waste
any excess powder.
Food
Baby crested geckos should
be fed appropriate sized
crickets, mealworms,
waxworms and any non citrus
fruit baby foods. A mixed
diet of these food items,
five to seven times per
week, is ideal and will
ensure proper growth and
health.
Cleaning and Handling
The terrarium should be
cleaned as necessary. Any
fecal matter or left over
food should be cleaned out
several times a week. The
bedding should be completely
changed once a month. The
inside of the terrarium can
be cleaned out with an
appropriate reptile cage
cleaner. We recommend
Natural Chemistry’s Healthy
Habitat. Fresh clean water
should always be provided.
Crested geckos can be
handled on a daily basis,
just be careful not to drop
them. Always wash your
hands before and after
handling them.