Crested Gecko

How to Care for Your Crested Gecko

crested gecko care sheet
~ BackwaterReptiles

How do you care for a crested gecko?

Crested geckos are becoming more sought after in the herpetology world, although they are still not as popular as their common cousin, the leopard gecko. We feel that crested geckos make excellent pets, but since they do require a bit more specific care, we’re going to discuss how to care for your pet crested gecko in this article.

crested gecko care sheet
Crested geckos make excellent pets.

What exactly is a crested gecko?

Crested Geckos (Rhacodactylus ciliatus) are a species of fancy-looking gecko that originate from New Caledonia. They are arboreal and are known for their cute appearance. Not only do these lizards possess the standard gecko stickiness that people are so fond of, they have distinctive ridges that run the length of their back up to their eyes where they form spiky little eyelashes.

Herp hobbyists often call crested geckos Cresties and they reach about eight inches in total length. They are also commonly bred in captivity which means they can be purchased from specialty breeders in many morphs and color schemes.

Cresties also have fun personalities. They can be super sweet and cuddly or somewhat stubborn and even a tad aggressive. Overall, they do tend to socialize well with people and they make great display animals that also enjoy being handled.

Fun fact about crested geckos: they can live up to 20 years in captivity when cared for properly.

What kind of cage and lighting will my crested gecko need?

Because crested geckos are arboreal creatures, you will need a taller cage rather than a cage with horizontal space. We advise at least a 20 gallon enclosure for a single adult lizard. Cages with screen tops are usually preferred.

Most owners like to create a naturalistic environment for their crested gecko. You can achieve this with living or faux plants in the enclosure. If you have a green thumb, real plants are great, but faux plants work fine for the purposes of allowing your gecko a place to climb, hide and entertain itself. We also advise adding some element of cork or wood that enables the gecko to climb and camouflage as well. Just keep in mind that you don’t want the tank to contain too much furniture or decor.

During the daylight hours, cresties like the temperature to be between 78 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit. Nighttime temps can drop to the 70s range. You can achieve this by using a combination of heat and UV lamps and heating pads. We always advise investing in a good thermometer when owning any species of reptile. This will help you to monitor and maintain comfortable temps for your pet.

Always keep in mind when placing heating elements in your crested gecko’s enclosure that one side of the cage needs to remain cooler to allow your gecko to thermoregulate. You must create a warmer basking side and allow for the other area of the cage to be colder. Like any human, the gecko will choose to be warmer or cooler depending upon its needs.

It’s important to line your crested gecko’s cage with the proper kind of substrate. We typically use coconut husk and soil mixture as it makes it easier to maintain a good humidity level. Other good options are paper towels or reptile carpet if you don’t mind the minimalist, non-natural look.

One final element that is important to keeping your crestie healthy is moisture. Humidity levels should be no lower than 50 percent and ideally stay around 70 percent. This can be achieved through a humidifier, spritzing the cage regularly with water or through evaporation of moisture from the substrate. It’s all a matter of personal preference that depends largely upon how much time the owner wants to invest in monitoring the gecko’s cage.

handling a crested gecko
Crested geckos are usually calm and don’t mind being held.

What should I feed my pet crested gecko?

Did you know that crested geckos do not need to be fed live insects? Modern science has actually formulated a powdered food that you simply mix with water and put in a dish for your gecko. It’s almost as simple as feeding your cat or dog! These pre-made meals contain everything your crested gecko will need nutritionally to thrive, so they come highly recommended by many owners and breeders. They are also commonly sold in pet stores nowadays as they are such a convenient alternative to live insects.

If you happen to own a crested gecko that is not captive bred, it might be a bit tougher to get the gecko to eat food out of a dish. Not to worry! In this case, just feed your gecko a mixture of live insects such as crickets, mealworms, wax worms and roaches. You should also offer fruit as a treat. Not only is it good for the gecko’s diet, it’s very entertaining to watch them eat it.

Drinking water is something that your crested gecko should always have access to. Simply provide a shallow water dish for your gecko that is always clean and free of debris. Misting and allowing water to collect on leaves and fixtures is also acceptable in addition to a water dish.

What happens if my crested gecko loses its tail?

Like many species of lizard, crested geckos can drop their tail if its necessary. This is a defense mechanism and allows them to flee from predators unscathed.

Unlike many other species, the tail of a crested gecko will not grow back. Once a crested gecko loses its tail, it becomes known as a “frogbutt” and will simply have a stump on its rear-end for the rest of its life. We think they look rather cute this way, although we don’t advise purposefully making your gecko drop its tail since it can be a sign of stress on the animal.

If you are interested in learning what to do if your own pet crested gecko loses its tail, feel free to read our article discussing that very subject.

Once a crested gecko loses its tail, it is gone for life. The gecko is only affected cosmetically and now has the honor of being known as a “frogbutt” gecko.

Conclusion

Crested geckos are unique little lizards with a lot to offer potential owners. They are very adorable and have quirky personalities once you get to know them. We also like the fact that they exhibit a variety of patterns, colorations and morphs.

If you are interested in a pet crested gecko of your own, Backwater Reptiles has crested geckos for sale. We recommend getting a baby because it’s so much fun to watch them grow up.

What To Do If Your Crested Gecko Loses Its Tail

~ BackwaterReptiles

Crested geckos (Rhacodactylus ciliatus) are fun and interesting pet lizards that have gained in popularity within the reptile hobby in the last few years. These cute little geckos are also known as “Eyelash Geckos” due to the miniature spiked hair-like ridges that run from their eyes down to their tails.

They can be a variety of colors ranging from dark brown, orange, red, grey, and beige. They can have no markings at all or have speckles, stripes, or bar patterns adorning their skin.

crested gecko tail loss
This is a frogbutt crested gecko, which means it lost its tail. It has a stump where a tail would normally be.

Crested Gecko tail loss
Did you know that when a crested gecko loses its tail, it then becomes known as a “frogbutt” crested gecko within the reptile world? This is because once the gecko’s tail is gone, the truncated rear end of the lizard sort of resembles a frog’s posterior.

Tail loss among crested geckos is actually not uncommon and will not harm the animal. In fact, in the wild in New Caledonia, most adult crested geckos will actually drop their tails naturally. It’s more common to see wild Cresties without tails than with tails. And other than changing the gecko’s physical appearance, losing a tail does not change the gecko’s lifestyle or impair it in any way.

Will my crested gecko’s tail grow back?

Unlike many other lizards, including the Crested Gecko’s close cousin, the Gargoyle Gecko, a crested gecko’s tail will not grow back once it has been lost. In other words, a Frogbutt Crested Gecko will always be a frogbutt.

The cells surrounding the base of the Crestie’s tail are brittle, which means that when the Crestie is threatened by a predator or stressed, the tail can easily break off. The capillaries and blood vessels in the tail will close almost instantly once the tail has been lost, so there shouldn’t be much blood loss.

It is thought that the energy needed to re-grow the tail is better used by the crested gecko elsewhere. Regenerating a tail is very costly in terms of energy and resources needed, so it is assumed that crested geckos have simply learned to live without their tails.

frogbutt crested gecko
Frogbutt crested geckos are only affected cosmetically by the loss of their tail.

What causes a crested gecko to lose its tail?

The reason a crested gecko loses its tail can be complicated or simple.

Sometimes a crested gecko is a bit skittish by nature and can be predisposed to drop its tail due to its high-strung nature. With these types of geckos, a loud noise or sudden movement can be enough of a trigger to cause the gecko to drop its tail.

Cresties with more calm demeanors will usually only drop their tails in captivity if they feel threatened or scared. Because it’s a defense mechanism, try not to make your Crestie feel like you’re a potential predator. Move slowly and within your gecko’s line of vision to try to avoid any surprises.

What to do if your crested gecko drops its tail

First of all, don’t be alarmed if the tail wiggles autonomously. The dropped tail is meant to deter and distract predators, so it is natural for it to continue to move and twitch on its own.

If your gecko’s enclosure has gravel, sand, or other small particulate substrate, we recommend moving your gecko temporarily to a small, clean container with no substrate or paper towels liners. This will help ensure that no loose pieces of substrate accidentally cling to the wound and cause it not to heal or to become infected.

Although you might feel inclined to do so, it’s not necessary to put any kind of salve or ointment on the gecko’s stub. The only time this might become necessary is if you notice the stub looks infected. In that case, it is acceptable to put a little bit of antiseptic such as Neosporin on the wound.

If the stump ever begins to ooze, your gecko needs to see a vet. This is a rare occurrence, but once the tail has gotten that infected, veterinary care will be required for the gecko to survive.

frogbutt eyelash gecko
Crested geckos are also known as Eyelash Geckos due to the ridges of hair-like spikes down their backs and heads.

Conclusion

Frogbutt geckos are not uncommon in the wild or in the reptile hobby world. This “new look” only affects the gecko cosmetically and personally, we think frogbutts are just as cute as Cresties with a full tail.

If you think you’re ready to welcome a Crested Gecko of your own into your home, Backwater Reptiles does have frogbutt crested geckos available as well as crested geckos with intact tails.