Crested gecko

[KJE]

I bought my husband a crested gecko today for his birthday. He fell in love with them at the last reptile show we went to. I have read everything I can get my hands on about their care, but I'm still nervous about it because I've never had a lizard before and this one is still so tiny. So, here are a few questions for those of you who know a lot about cresties.

1. This little one is about 3 inches from head to tip of tail. About how old would that make him?

2. At the moment I could only find Leopard gecko dust ICB to use for it's vitamins and calcium. I have read that they also need bee pollen and spirulina. Does anyone sell this separately, or should I order some Crested gecko diet from somewhere online?

3. If I have to have the CGD delivered, would the leopard gecko dust ICB be okay until it arrives here?

4. Is a container that's 11"x6"x8" okay for a 3" crestie?

5. I currently have a toilet paper roll(for a hide), a piece of cork bark propped up on one side, and a very shallow lid filled with water in the enclosure. Since it's such a little guy, I'm using paper towels as the substrate until he gets a little bigger. Is there anything I've forgotten?

6. I know all about feeding fruit baby food with vitamins/calcium mixed in as well as dusted insects. All of the fruit baby food I saw had vitamin C added. Is that okay or do I need to find some that doesn't have vit. C in it?

Here's a pic of the little guy. He's hiding out on the cork bark at the back of the enclosure.

 

[cacoseraph]

a good health food store should have that pollen and spirulina

i don't know a lizard from my bottom though, but i'm assuming if it is food grade it should be gecko grade.

no idea if it will be able to digest it etc... though

 

[Schlyne]

1. Judging from the picture, I'd say it's fairly young, probably younger than 6 months of age. Overall length isn't going to help very much.

2. CGD is not the same as Leo Dust. CGD is a complete supplemented diet, Leo dust is just calcium and vitamin powder. I wouldn't mess with getting the bee pollen and spirulina seperately, as getting the minute amounts needed would be near impossible. DO NOT leave dry CGD out for the gecko to lick, I have no idea who started doing that, but it has cropped on up forums before. The CGD should be mixed as per directions on the bottle.

3. Not unless you're feeding crickets and baby food on alternating days until it gets there with the proper vitamin/calcium supplements.

4. I think I'd prefer for it to be a bit wider, but that's just me. Not sure what to tell you on that.

5. I'd add some vines or a background (if the container is clear) for the little one to climb on/hide in.

6. I'd try to find some that didn't have vitamin C added.

Robbie Hamper's book is a an excellent resource if you're keeping crested geckos, btw.

 

[KJE]

Since I'm feeding crickets and baby food with leo dust, do I really need the CGD? I have read that a lot of people don't use the CGD since they are supplementing their other foods and their cresties are doing great. What do you think about this?

As our crestie grows, he/she will end up in either a 10 gallon or a 29 gallon tall that we have that's empty at the moment. If it ends up being female, we will probably get another one and put the two of them in the 29 gallon tall.

We got to see him catch a cricket last night. They are so cute!

 

[Psoulocybe]

i'm not using the CGD

I just make sure that I supplement accordingly

I've heard great things either way.

 

[Michael Jacobi]

Very nice choice! I produce hundreds of crested geckos each year and am a huge fan. They are excellent pets.

1. This little one is about 3 inches from head to tip of tail. About how old would that make him?

Crested geckos hatch at a total length of 2-2.5". If fed properly a 3-incher could be 4-8 weeks old, but a direct answer to your question would just be a guess.

2. At the moment I could only find Leopard gecko dust ICB to use for it's vitamins and calcium. I have read that they also need bee pollen and spirulina. Does anyone sell this separately, or should I order some Crested gecko diet from somewhere online?

If you are looking for a complete diet, or a supplemental diet that is nutritionally complete, I recommend using T-Rex Gargoyle Diet for the first six months and then switching to T-Rex Crested Gecko Diet (the former is higher in protein). Personally, I add Avico Gecko Gourmet to my "fruit goop", which contains many beneficial ingredients, including pollen and spirulina. If you use a combination of insects and "fruit goop" you should add a bit of chicken baby food for additional protein.

3. If I have to have the CGD delivered, would the leopard gecko dust ICB be okay until it arrives here?

Sure. It's a good supplement and will be fine. If you stick to traditional vitamin and mineral supplements in the future, I recommend Miner-All I or RepCal and RepCal Herptivite

4. Is a container that's 11"x6"x8" okay for a 3" crestie?

Yes - I prefer starting with a bit smaller container (small or medium Kritter Keeper] so that the gecko easily finds both live and prepared foods, but the larger keeper should be fine.

5. I currently have a toilet paper roll(for a hide), a piece of cork bark propped up on one side, and a very shallow lid filled with water in the enclosure. Since it's such a little guy, I'm using paper towels as the substrate until he gets a little bigger. Is there anything I've forgotten?

Sounds good. I would recommend adding a sprig of silk or plastic plant similar to Pothos, but it is not necessary. Crested geckos typically sleep in curled leaves. Stick with the paper towels - the easiest way to kill a young crested gecko is to house it on a substrate it can get in its mouth. They dive bomb crickets like a cat pouncing on a mouse and an artificial substrate such as paper towel, newspaper or high-quality indoor/outdoor carpeting will protect them from accidental ingestion. In addition to the water bowl, I recommend misting the cage every other day.

6. I know all about feeding fruit baby food with vitamins/calcium mixed in as well as dusted insects. All of the fruit baby food I saw had vitamin C added. Is that okay or do I need to find some that doesn't have vit. C in it?

Excessive vitamin C can interfere with calcium absorbtion, but with a proper varied diet the baby food will be fine. I tend to stick to peach, apricot, mango and papaya and add a little bit of chicken.

Remember to keep the gecko at moderate temperatures; they cannot tolerate the high temperatures many reptile pets require. Room temperature is often fine. You can download my crested gecko care sheet by clicking here.

Enjoy!

Michael

 

[Amurtigermaster]

if you have african millipedes you can put the cresteds in with them, cresties like live plants even better than plastic but if you don't have real plants have some type of elevated cave
ps the gecko is probably less than 3 months old because I had two just hatch 2 months ago and they are about that size

 

[KJE]

Michael - Thanks for the info and the link to your care sheet. I didn't realize you also bred cresties...that's awesome!

Amurtigermaster - I have 3 African millipedes, but I don't think I want to house our crestie with them. Our goal for our crestie is to give him/her a large, beautiful display enclosure.

For all those who suggested a vine/plant, I added a hanging vine that he seems to love.

Thanks to everyone for their comments and help....both are much appreciated!

 

[Michael Jacobi]

Michael - Thanks for the info and the link to your care sheet. I didn't realize you also bred cresties...that's awesome!

You're welcome. I breed cresteds and other "Rhacs", especially gargoyles, as well as Uroplatus (leaf-tail) and Phelsuma (day) geckos, although I am phasing out the latter two due to time constraints. I also breed dart frogs and for many, many years worked with boid and viperid snakes.

Enjoy the crestie! They're great to take out to show kids how they'll lick baby food off of your finger. It's no wonder people fall in love with them.

Cheers, Michael