Anyone have crested geckos?

[starnaito]

I'm looking into getting one of these guys once I've thoroughly done my research. I've been finding some contradictions in care, so I'm hopeful those of you with cresteds experience can point me in the right direction.

The main contradiction I've run into is lighting/heating. Some sources say room temperature is best because they don't like it too hot. But "room temp" at my house can dip to the low 70s sometimes, though I try to maintain close to 75 for my tarantulas. Is this sufficient heat for a crested, or should I consider additional heating?

Is there anything I should know that wouldn't come up on a care sheet (or that is usually misinformation on care sheets)? Anyone websites or books that you'd recommend?

 

[NorthernFangs89]

I have kept crested geckos for years and I can say that the one thing most people do when keeping these geckos is that they over complicate there care.

Its okay if the temp drops in the low 70s at night but for the most part they should be kept at around 75-78 but can go as high as the low 80s(80-82)and with regards to lighting don't bother getting a lamp they won't come out and bask it dose't sound like you need a heat mat but if your worried you can stick a small heat mat to the back of the tank. And NEVER use a heat rock.

Feed every 2-3 days. A staple should be dusted crickets of appropriate size or gecko diet and will lick drops of honey as a treat. Don't feed them baby food and stay away from super worms. For the decor in the cage, you should put lots of foliage (live or fake doesn't matter) so they feel hidden and I recommend using cork roads or bamboo tubes or some other tube, crested geckos love to be in tubes. Humidity is really important if the humidity is to low, when the gecko sheds there can be stuck shed on the feet and left long enough the shed can cut the circulation of the tows off and they can fall off. Keep the humidity around 60-75% as long as your gecko is hydrated and is having complete sheds.

There should be 1-3in of substrate, the best substrates for crested geckos is any substrate that simulates the tropical jungle floor.
For the safty of the gecko keep them away from dogs and aspesially cats.

 

[Salmonsaladsandwich]

Cresties do perfectly fine at room temperature. The room where I keep mine dips into the 60's regularly and he remains active and eats at those temps.

 

[Jurdon]

Staple diet should be pangea/repashy crested gecko diet offered in a cup/dish daily. Can be kept in the enclosure for up to two days, it’s recommended that you replace it a new cup of CGD after this two-day period. Insects should be offered 1-2x weekly, dubias, crickets, and occasionally mealworms. Your temps are fine for a crestie, and I wish you luck with your little pal! Always nice having other herp keepers ‘round these parts

 

[starnaito]

Thank you all! I'm looking at some of these guys today, though not buying one quite yet. Good to know there are some experienced crested keepers here!

 

[CWilson1351]

Looks like most things were covered so I'll only add that early in the geckos life feeding Pangea every other day is what I was taught. Also, I personally prefer using paper towels as substrate. It makes clean up much easier.
Best of luck with your new gecko friend!

 

[AmberReptiles]

Cresteds are so fun! You'll have one and then suddenly 40. I had cresteds first and then got into tarantulas. Which I had one..and then suddenly 40 or so.

Actually I'm starting to see a pattern here.

People covered the basics but a quick (gross) tip- if you get a baby and it doesn't take any interest in eating "bugs" a very reliable way to get them to take to them is to snip whatever prey item you're feeding so that the "guts" ooze out. Rub it on their lips and I'd say 8 times out of 10, a baby that turned their nose up to feeding on prey immediately took to it. I now have several that get very excited when they see me come into the reptile room or actively come to me when I open their enclosures because they are ready for snacks.

 

[starnaito]

So I got my crestie this weekend. I'm letting him/her settle in before I do any handling, but I did hand-feed some Repashy. Here's a picture of the little guy. (Not the best, but I'm sure I'll have a chance to take some better ones once it settles in.)

Thanks for all the care tips!

 

[jaycied]

Everything was mostly covered but I just want to clarify a couple points.

Cresties can be kept in the 68-78 Fahrenheit range. I let my animal room drop to 68 at night and keep it no higher than 76 during the day. In the 80s cresties can start to have seizures and the heat can cause dehydration and brain damage.

Food should be primarily a crested gecko complete diet such as Pangea or Repashy. These are completely balanced diets that the geckos can live off of forever. You can occasionally add dusted bugs, but they should never be the main source of food. A crestie fed only bugs will be malnourished and deteriorate over time. Don't worry if they won't eat bugs either, they don't NEED them.

 

[Tim Benzedrine]

Looks a lot like mine. except mine has no tail.

I can't really offer much in the way of advice. Mine was a spur of the moment acquisition, it needed to be adopted and I had to step up to the plate before I was able to research, so I flew by the seat of my pants.
For example, I was unaware of their more temperate temperature needs. And I did see signs of seizures, or at least a shaky, wobbling gait (I did not recognize it for what it was a symptom of at the time) but I quickly removed the supplemental heat I had applied while I was beginning to research.

This will be a difficult hurdle for me, and I am scrambling to think of a semi-practical solution before hot weather kicks in, as mid 70's will be a challenge in this household. Shoot, the mid-80's would not be a piece of cake. Had I known of the temperature limits when I was asked if I wanted to take on the lizard, I would have declined. I'm pretty attached to it now, so I hope I don't have to surrender it. I'm considering trying a sort of cold-water drip system at one end of its enclosure to see if I can regulate it to acceptable levels. It will take some real tweaking to get the plan to work, if it will work at all. if not, I'll have to rehome it.

I feed it Pangea CGD and Zoo-Med CGD. The latter had a rather bad rep, but a breeder who had originally panned it revised his opinion after they reformulated it. I usually mix the two products, but I'm unsure if that is recommendable. I do offer three or four baby crickets as a sort of "dessert" every other feeding, as I figure that the insects are not inherently bad for them in moderation, they just don't have all of the nutrient the lizard needs as a staple diet. The gecko is growing and seems to have good body-tone, so there is that, I suppose.

I think I detect a bit of stuck shed on its feet I'll need to address that possibility the first chance I get.

 

[starnaito]

Looks a lot like mine. except mine has no tail.

I can't really offer much in the way of advice. Mine was a spur of the moment acquisition, it needed to be adopted and I had to step up to the plate before I was able to research, so I flew by the seat of my pants.
For example, I was unaware of their more temperate temperature needs. And I did see signs of seizures, or at least a shaky, wobbling gait (I did not recognize it for what it was a symptom of at the time) but I quickly removed the supplemental heat I had applied while I was beginning to research.

This will be a difficult hurdle for me, and I am scrambling to think of a semi-practical solution before hot weather kicks in, as mid 70's will be a challenge in this household. Shoot, the mid-80's would not be a piece of cake. Had I known of the temperature limits when I was asked if I wanted to take on the lizard, I would have declined. I'm pretty attached to it now, so I hope I don't have to surrender it. I'm considering trying a sort of cold-water drip system at one end of its enclosure to see if I can regulate it to acceptable levels. It will take some real tweaking to get the plan to work, if it will work at all. if not, I'll have to rehome it.

I feed it Pangea CGD and Zoo-Med CGD. The latter had a rather bad rep, but a breeder who had originally panned it revised his opinion after they reformulated it. I usually mix the two products, but I'm unsure if that is recommendable. I do offer three or four baby crickets as a sort of "dessert" every other feeding, as I figure that the insects are not inherently bad for them in moderation, they just don't have all of the nutrient the lizard needs as a staple diet. The gecko is growing and seems to have good body-tone, so there is that, I suppose.

I think I detect a bit of stuck shed on its feet I'll need to address that possibility the first chance I get.

View attachment 272677

I'm assuming you don't have air conditioning in the summer? Right now the temp is a bit difficult to manage where I am, since it's been fluctuating so much - 80 degrees one day and 35 the next!

Do you know when yours lost its tail? I'm worried mine is inevitably going to. I have some dogs in my house that can be loud barkers. But so far, the gecko seems pretty chill with the noise level. I put in lots of hiding options for it, so I hope it feels safe enough to keep the tail!

I'm going to try offering dusted crickets when I take mine out for cage cleaning. I don't want to go chasing untouched crickets around the enclosure. So far, he/she is loving the Repashy food, but I'll try out Pangea and rotate foods for variety.

 

[Tim Benzedrine]

Nope, no AC. And it's an old house with poor insulation. So, it can be an oven in the warm months and an icebox in the winter, speaking in reptile standards, standards, especially. Before I got this guy, the main concern has always been maintaining warm enough temps during the winter. I never had to worry about keeping anything that was intolerant of warm temperatures. It is a lot easier to keep reptiles who require warmth. there are products that can help with that issue.

I know exactly when it lost its tail. it's a long story, so I'll just provide a link where I detailed the occurrence in the thread I created. If you wish to read the whole account you can read the thread, the link I'm using is just to the post in which I reported the "accident".

Meet...aw crap, I don't know its name, another critter was dropped in my lap.

 

[starnaito]

Nope, no AC. And it's an old house with poor insulation. So, it can be an oven in the warm months and an icebox in the winter, speaking in reptile standards, standards, especially. Before I got this guy, the main concern has always been maintaining warm enough temps during the winter. I never had to worry about keeping anything that was intolerant of warm temperatures. It is a lot easier to keep reptiles who require warmth. there are products that can help with that issue.

I know exactly when it lost its tail. it's a long story, so I'll just provide a link where I detailed the occurrence in the thread I created. If you wish to read the whole account you can read the thread, the link I'm using is just to the post in which I reported the "accident".

Meet...aw crap, I don't know its name, another critter was dropped in my lap.

I'm stuck with poor insulation, too, as well as limited working outlets. I wouldn't be able to keep any reptiles with more intensive heat and lighting needs. I have a small collection though, so I've managed by taping windows and a small space heater in winter, and a window AC in summer. I should probably have a warm weather backup plan in case of power loss, so let me know if you find something that works!

Glad you managed to find your gecko again after he lost his tail!

 

[StampFan]

Nope, no AC. And it's an old house with poor insulation. So, it can be an oven in the warm months and an icebox in the winter, speaking in reptile standards, standards, especially. Before I got this guy, the main concern has always been maintaining warm enough temps during the winter. I never had to worry about keeping anything that was intolerant of warm temperatures. It is a lot easier to keep reptiles who require warmth. there are products that can help with that issue.

I know exactly when it lost its tail. it's a long story, so I'll just provide a link where I detailed the occurrence in the thread I created. If you wish to read the whole account you can read the thread, the link I'm using is just to the post in which I reported the "accident".

Meet...aw crap, I don't know its name, another critter was dropped in my lap.

In Grand Terre, Noumea, New Caledonia the high temperature this week is around 84 or 85F, so I continue to wonder if all of the hysteria around high temperatures in captivity is justified unless it is constant and for long periods of time. Although there appears to be some variation in temperature in their range at least from what I've researched, cooler in other areas like Isle of Pine.