What do crested geckos do

Care tips: Enclosure: Young Crested Geckos can be kept in a small gallon cage until they are about 5 inches. Large enclosures should actually be avoided for geckos less than 5 inches because the small gecko will have trouble finding their food.

A single adult can be housed in a 20 gallon terrarium, or in a screen cage 1 foot long X 1 foot deep X 2 feet high. Choose a cage that is tall so the gecko will have room to climb.

If you have more than one Crested Gecko, do not house males together because they will fight. Juveniles should be kept in groups of animals the same size because larger ones will usually bully the smaller ones. Substrate: You can use cypress mulch, aspen shavings, dampened sphagnum moss, potting soil with no chemicals or perlite, unbleached paper towels, and pelleted paper.

Baby crested geckos are best housed in large plastic terrariums or in standard inch gallon reptile tanks with a screen top. An adult crested gecko should be housed in a gallon tank with screen top.

Larger tanks will allow for better displays. In areas with moderate to high relative humidity, crested geckos will fare well in screen cages. These tanks have the advantage of being light and easy to clean.

You can keep one male and several female crested geckos together. Male crested geckos may fight, particularly when in the company of females, and should not be kept together.

Reptiles are ectotherms body temperature varies with environmental temperature , so it is important that you provide the proper temperature range for activity and feeding.

A thermometer is essential for accurate temperature measurements. Crested geckos like temperatures of 78 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit during the day.

It can drop to the low 70s at night. In most areas this temperature range will be reached during the warm months of the year without additional heat. In summer, place crested geckos in a cool room if the temperature exceeds 87 degrees. During the winter crested geckos will tolerate night drops into the 60s.

The easiest way to provide heat is a low-wattage incandescent bulb or a ceramic heat emitter in a reflector type fixture placed on the screen top over one side of the tank so that the temperature of basking areas branches reaches the desired range.

You must always keep one side of the tank unheated so that crested geckos can choose a cooler area to regulate their body temperature. However if it is runny or bloody for multiple days then seek medical advice. Provided they are hydrated and healthy, they should have no problem shedding their skin and are often found to be eating it. These are two islands near Australia that have warm tropical rainforests with thick vegetation. In the evening they rest in low canopies of trees that are as low as nine feet off the forest floor.

In the daytime they are a couple feet off the floor. Glass tanks work best for Crested Geckos because they like to climb smooth surfaces. Tanks that are four to six feet high with a capacity of gallons are ideal:. Hatchlings and juveniles can be housed in smaller gallon tanks, but they should be moved to larger tanks by the time they are one year of age.

Because Crested Geckos are nocturnal they naturally hide during the day. Their tank should have plenty of things and places to hide in such as vegetation, plants, branches, logs, leaves and egg cartons. You should try not to interrupt their circadian rhythms. Try and mimic the natural pattern of the sun.

You can use a UV light during the day if their tank is not placed close to natural lighting, however it is not necessary. This temperature should be easily achieved by keeping the entire room they are in warm. However, if this becomes difficult, a ceramic heater can be added. This species it now known for being picky with their substrate. You can either use soil or paper towels in their tank. Soil best mimics their natural environment and will also support live plants in the tank.

Cypress mulch or coconut fibers are an excellent alternatives to soil. Excess food should be removed from their tank weekly. The rest of the tank should be spot cleaned when necessary.

Ideally their tank should be deep cleaned every month with a full substrate change. Regular cleaning will help to keep your reptile healthy! If bacterial growth does occur remove your reptile from their tank, change all the substrate and deep clean the tank.

Crested Geckos hide in the lower brush during daytime to keep out of the way of sunlight and potential predators. In the evening they spend their time in the canopies of trees climbing from branch to branch hunting for insects and scavenging for fruit.

They are an arboreal reptile. When they are hunting and feel threatened, they may stand up on their hind legs and hiss. In extreme signs of fear, they will lose their tail!

They are known to communicate with tank mates by emitting a high pitched chirping sound — they also make this noise if they feel a predator is nearby. Males are aggressive towards one another, especially if there are fewer females around. Females show signs of aggression if they do not want to copulate with an advancing male. Crested geckos are commonly sold, mainly because they are so easy to care for and have such sunny dispositions compared to other lizards.

Even though they're widely available at pet stores, try to get your crested gecko from a reputable breeder. When picking out your gecko, make sure your gecko can climb well, has a straight spine, and no visible ribs or pelvic bones. It should appear lively and alert. Also, it should have bright eyes, as well as a clean nose and vent fecal opening. If you're interested in geckos, check out:. Crested Gecko Care. Chicago Exotics Animal Hospital. Actively scan device characteristics for identification.

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In This Article Expand. Behavior and Temperament. Housing the Crested Gecko. Food and Water. Health Problems.