Crested Gecko (Rhacodactylus Ciliatus) Care
Crested Geckos comes from the island nation called New Caledonia, which consists of a main island (Grand Terre) and the many smaller insular islands that surround it. Thought to be extinct for many years, the crested gecko was rediscovered in 1994 when several specimens were found by a group of researchers. Almost all crested geckos in captivity today descend from the specimens these researchers collected, mainly due to the limitations of exporting reptiles from the wild.
A perfect beginner gecko, cresteds do well in captivity as their care requirements are easy to follow. With great personalities and many morphs to choose from, it is no wonder that they have become a very popular pet around the world.
Housing:
There are several different ways to house a crested gecko. They can be kept in something as simple as a sterilite tub with papertowel flooring, or something as elaborate as the small ecosystem in a planted vivarium. However you choose to house them, make sure to give them enough space and places to hide.
The enclosure for a crested gecko must grow with them, a hatchling should never be put into an enclosure meant for an adult. This is to make sure that they can easily find their food and not go hungry. Hatchlings should start in a plastic shoebox storage container, with plenty of holes drilled in it for ventilation. Cover the floor of the container with a sheet or two of papertowels, and throw in a few vines and decorations for them to hide in. When the crested starts to look cramped in this container, it is time to upgrade to something bigger.
Adults do well in a 20 gallon tall tank, or an euqivalent sized plastic storage container. As an adult, they can be kept in a planted vivarium, with soil substrate and live plants. Vivariums are best suited in glass tanks and may need special lighting for the plants. If you choose to keep the crested in a plastic storage container, papertowel is best.
Multiple Geckos Together:
Multiple crested geckos can be housed together so long a certain guidelines are met. First off, two males should never be housed together. They can be quite territorial and will fight, which will end up wtih one of them dead. Keeping a male and female together will often bring stress and weight loss to both of them, as well as the posibility of eggs being laid. The best option for housing multiple cresteds together is in female only groups.
All cresteds housed together should be of similar size, and that are too small will get beaten up or eaten. As soon as you see injuries on any of them, seperate the injured crested and/or the attacker into her own enclosure. Be sure to create additional hiding places and leave extra food dishes through out the enclosure to help reduce the risk of fighting.
Cleaning:
If they are kept in a plastic storage bin, the papertowel should be replaced and poop wiped off once a week. Disinfect the decorations and tup with a reptile safe cleaner once a month, making sure to rinse everything thoroughly with plain water before placing the crested back in.
With vivariums, wipe the sides of the tank with a wet papertowel weekly, stiring the top layer of soil once a month or so. Remove any dead plant matter, pruning down any plants that have taken over.
Feeding:
The best thing to feed a crested gecko is the Repashy's Crested Gecko MRP (also known as Crested Gecko Diet or CGD) as it is simple to prepare, very nutritious and affordable. This diet has been specially made to fill the nutritional needs of a crested gecko, and comes in many different flavors for that picky eater. All you have to do is mix the powder with water at a 1:2 ratio and is the consistency of a thick milkshake. Feed the CGD to them in the evening, every 2-3 days, using a small shallow dish. 2 oz shallow cups and Wide, plastic bottle caps (such as the ones on vitamin water bottles) work really well.
Crickets and roaches can also be fed to crested geckos, though not neccesary. Dust the insects with calcium powder and vitamins, which can easily be done by placing insects and powder in a small container and shaking. Feed 2-5 crickets to the crested once a week, and watch them go nuts. Any insect left in the enclosure by the next morning should be removed, or there is a risk of the insect eating parts of the crested.
Babyfood was once a very common food to give these geckos, but this was when there was no better options and is not fulfilling their nutritional needs. Cresteds fed on babyfood have been known to grow slower, be less active and generally have poor health. Many have even become disfigured as their bodies were not getting the proper amounts of calicium to grow. Giving a crested babyfood its whole life is equivalent to eating nothing but potato chips, sure it tastes good but you're not going to feel very healthy. Babyfood is formulated for human babies not reptiles.
Humidity and Temperatures:
Humidity is very important to a crested gecko, and if not maintained properly, it could affect the cresteds growth rate. Being from a tropical environment, the relative humidity should be maintained at 60%. This can be accomplished by misting the enclosure every evening, and sometimes mornings as well if living in a dry area. Allow for some humidity drop and for the enclosure to dry throughout the day, as too much moisture can lead to mold growth. If mold does start to appear, reduce the amount of water you stray into the enclosure. Alternatively, you can spray just one side of the enclosure leaving the other side dry, switching sides each time.
Crested geckos rarely require special heating needs, and do best at 70-75 degrees Fahrenheit. In the winter, they can handle temperatures in the lower 60s, just don't expect them to eat as much as usual. In the summer, they can tolerate short periods of heat in the lower 80s but may not do too without drops in temperature. If the temperature gets to 85 or above, it can be potentially deadly and measures must be made to bring it down. The use of ice cubes, misting with cool water and air conditioning can help.
Lighting:
Crested geckos do not require any special lighting, as being a nocturnal creature they would get very little sunlight in the wild. If keeping them in a vivarium with live plants, special plant lighting may be needed.
To help make it easier to see their activity at night without disturbing them, red or blue LED decorative fish lighting is a perfect fit for this. Cresteds can not see these colors, so will put on quite a show, soing their normal nightly routines.