Crested Gecko Care Sheet
Crested Geckos, known as Correlophus ciliatus, are native from New Caledonia. Crested Geckos are semi-arboreal, spending most of their time in small trees and they seek out hiding places near the ground to sleep during the day because they live during the night.
Size and Weight
Adult Crested geckos measure about 20–25cm so 40% for the tail. They are rather light about 30 to 45g.
Housing and Habitats
Crested Geckos live in Terrarium that can be made of glass, wood, PVC and must have a wide enough ventilation. The terrarium size depends on the number of individuals. If you only own one, a 45x45x60 cm terrarium fit perfectly. If you own a couple the size has to be at least 60x45x80 cm. Keep in mind they are semi-arboreal, so you need enough height for them to walk around. In order to reproduce the biotope in which this gecko lives, you must use some decorative elements such as artificial or natural plants and branches fixed firmly in order to avoid any accident. Use large leaf plants that will offer good stability. To reproduce their natural habitat, you can use cork or bark slabs to cover some walls of your terrarium. It is important to add some hiding places to prevent stress effects like large leaves, coconuts and do not forget to add some hiding places on the ground as well (especially for pregnant females). If you want to create a nautral terrarium with natural plants a drain is necessary to prevent water from stagnating in the bottom of the terrarium.
Substrates
There are many subsrates you can use such as soil without fertilizers or toxic materials, clay + sand, coconut fibres and more. I personally use coconut fibres for the natural plants.
Heating and Humidity
This gecko can be kept at very reasonable temperatures. During the day, they need a hot spot at about 25° Celsius and a cold point with about 22° Celsius. The night the room temperature is enough (19–20° Celsius). The ideal way to get this gradient is to use a ceramic or infrared lamp. However, it is possible to get these temperatures without adding a heating source, the lighting system also gives off heat. It requires a humidity level of 70–80%. It can be obtained by spraying the terrarium at least 2 to 3 times a day. Do not forget to spray the terrarium when the lights switch off because it is the time they are becoming active. You can also use natural plants that retain humidity better than artificial ones.
Diet and Feeding
Crested geckos can be fed a number of different ways like the the powdered crested gecko diet by Allan Repashy. These diets have been formulated to contain all of the essential fats, proteins, minerals, and vitamins needed. Crested geckos can be maintained on this diet alone however for optimum condition and health it is recommended to feed with dusted and gut loaded insects once or twice per week. The best insects to feed are either crickets or feeder roaches. The insects that you offer your geckos should be no larger than the distance from the gecko’s nose to its eye. All feeder insects should be dusted with a good calcium and vitamin D3 powder. Crested geckos typically drink water droplets from the sides of their enclosure and from any plants or cage accessories. This is one of the reasons it is important to mist daily.
Crested Geckos Breeding (not available yet)
Sexual dimorphism
