Crested Gecko Care Sheet By Me and Lindseym16!

Crested Gecko Caresheet
Rhacodactylus ciliatus
Also known as: eyelash gecko, New Caledonia Crested Gecko, Guichenot's Giant Gecko

Background Information:
Crested geckos are native to southern North Caledonia. They were thought to be extinct, but were rediscovered in 1994, and is now very popular in the pet trade. They live around 10 years in their native homes, but can live much longer in captivity. Their size can range anywhere from 5 inches to 10 inches in length. They are arboreal and nocturnal, so they spend most of their time high up in trees and are most active at night.

Husbandry, Housing, and Decor:
Crested Geckos are one of the most recommended reptiles for beginners, as their day to day care is extremely easy.
Crested Geckos are arboreal, meaning they live in trees, so they prefer tall tanks rather than long ones. Many Crested Gecko keepers choose to keep their pets in either a glass tank or a large storage bin. Both glass tanks and storage bins are suitable for keeping a Crested Gecko in. The only downside I've found with storage bins are they are never completely
transparent, the plastic always has a glazed look. You must also drill holes in the sides or lid of the storage bin for air flow. There are also screen tanks, (like the ZooMed ReptiBreeze) that aren't completely suitable for Crested Gecko as they do not hold humidity well. My recommendation is either a glass tank or storage bin.

Crested geckos need to live in a minimum of a 18x18x18 sized tank. An 18x18x18 will comfortably house one gecko. You can always have bigger tanks, like a 18x18x24, but any higher than that is not recommended. If you want to keep your geckos in a tub, you need to convert it to be vertical. A regular sized storage container will do good for one gecko.

Crested Geckos should be housed alone for the most part. You can house females together but you need to have a cage of at least 18x18x24, which would comfortably house 3 females. If you house females together you need to be on the look out for bite marks, stress etc, etc. and have back up cages ready in case they don't get along. ALL MALES SHOULD BE HOUSED SEPARATE, NEVER HOUSE MALES TOGETHER. You can house a breeding trio of 1 male and 2 females in a cage, but the cage has to be big enough and have many hiding spots. You will also need to be on the look
out for bite marks and stress if you have a trio. If you do have a trio, expect breeding. If you do not want your geckos to breed then never house a female and male together. Always have more than one girl in a trio, never 2 males and 1 female.

The tank should include long branches and ledges for the Crested Gecko to climb and rest on, and lots of leaves to hide within. You need lots of hiding spots! Add many branches and things for them to climb on. Your cage should be 50-60% climbing and hiding spots and the other 40-50% free space. They need a minimum of 3 hides. 1 should be a
moist hide. You can add some live plants as well, like bamboo, if you like. Make sure their climbing branches are at at all levels of the tank.

When choosing substrate I always choose a substrate that I know will hold good humidity. When the Crested Gecko is a juvie I recommend using paper towel. Paper towel holds humidity relatively well, and is the safest option to prevent impaction. Once the Crested Gecko is an adult, I consider switching to coco fiber. I find coco fiber holds humidity the
best for me. I ensure the coco fiber is packed down to reduce the chance of impaction. I always get to know my Crested Gecko before switching to coco fiber. If my Crested Gecko is a "messy" hunter, I will stick with paper towel.

A huge reason Crested Geckos are recommended for beginner reptile hobbyists is because of their simple needs in the ways of heat, temperature and humidity. Crested Geckos generally do not need any artificial source for heat, if you keep your house at a comfortable temperature. The best conditions for Crested Geckos during the day is around 72-80* (optimal temperature is 78*) with a humidity level of 60%, and night time conditions of 65-70* temperature with humidity of 60-80%. To maintain this humidity I mist the tank in the morning and then again at night. This gives the tank a chance to dry out a bit throughout the day. DO NOT allow your tank to get over 85*, as it can be fatal to your Crested Gecko. If your house is on the cool side you can use a low wattage heat pad or heat light to bump the temperature up. Baby and juvie Crested Geckos should be kept on the warmer end of the spectrum as it aids in digestion and growth.

Examples of Crested Gecko Homes:
Hatchling Tub (kathstew's hatchling/juvie tub) :


Male Adult Tank (kathstew's male tank) :

Diet:
Crested Geckos are omnivores, meaning they eat meat and plants.

Commercially available are meal replacement powders (known as CGD) available for Crested Geckos (most common are Repashy's Crested Gecko Diet and Clarks Crested Gecko Diet). These powders contain everything a Crested Gecko needs to thrive. No added multivitamins are needed when using the meal replacement powders. You just mix the powder with water (recommended ratio is 1 part meal replacement to 2 parts water), to create a baby-food like substance and feed it to your Crested Gecko. A Crested Gecko can thrive on this meal replacement alone. Every other day change out the geckos CGD and replace it with new CGD.
Crested Geckos do enjoy hunting and eating live food though, so I recommend feeding it to them once or twice a week. Crested Geckos enjoy crickets and feeder roaches. Insects should be dusted will calcium and multivitamin powders. Worms like waxworms and phoenix worms can be used as an occasional treat.

Please note: Although Crested Geckos do enjoy baby food it is not recommended to feed it to them. Using baby food makes it difficult to gauge the amounts of vitamins and calcium your Crested Gecko is receiving. Too much or too little of these vitamins can be fatal to your Crested Gecko.

Kathryn - Feeding Schedule:
Day 1: CGD
Day 2: CGD
Day 3: Live feeders
Day 4:Fast
Repeat

Lindsey's Feeding Schedule: Crested Gecko Diet every day and crickets once every other week.

Sexing your Crested Gecko:
Sexing a Crested Gecko is just like sexing a Leopard Gecko. A male Crested Gecko will have a hemipenal bulge located just below the vent. The male develops this bulge between 5 to 9 months of age. By looking very closely, you can look for evidence of pore developement anterior to the vent, which is another sign that the Crested Gecko is male. A female will not have a hemipenal bulge, but may show signs of pores.



General Upkeep Costs:
Kathryn - Canadian Pricing:
I find the general upkeep costs of crested geckos extremely low. The most expensive part of owning a Crested Gecko is the purchase of the tank and the Crested Gecko itself. A tall tank (an 18x18x18) generally costs approximately $60.00 Canadian. By shopping around you may find one even cheaper, by looking in second hand
stores or cash converter stores. You can also convert a long tank into a
tall tank by turning it on its side and making glass doors. Depending on the age, and morph a Crested Gecko can cost anywhere from about $20.00 . I've found the best prices for Crested Geckos at Reptile Expos. I've found many Crested Gecko breeders offer deals when buying multiples, (such as 2 for $50.00).
Leaves and decorations I buy at places like the Dollar Store and craft shops. I can get a length of leaves at the dollar store for a dollar. The same length bought at the pet store costs me about $10.00. I bought a 6 foot long stick of bamboo at the craft store that cost me $10.00, that at a petstore would have cost me at least $20.00. By finding small
deals like these you can definitely lower your costs. I believe I spent about $20.00 on leaves and branches for my Crested Gecko tank. Substrate I buy in bulk, for about $12.00, and that lasts about 6 months.
A jar of Repashy's Crested Gecko Diet costs me about $20.00 and it lasts me a LONG time. One jar lasts me months.
Approx total: $132.00
After the start-up costs all I need to buy consistently is substrate and food. And I as I said, I rarely have to buy those, as it lasts so long. About $32.00 every six months. I think that's a great cost for a pet that can live approximately 15 years!

Lindsey - US Pricing
Crested geckos are fairly cheap. You need a tank (minimum of 18x18x18)
which can be anywhere from 80-100$. Decor (depending on how much you put
in) 20-40$. Substrate (coco fiber/eco earth) 8-10$. Your gecko: 20-100
Food: If you buy it a local store it is anywhere from 5-8 dollars and
lasts you about 2 months. If you buy it online it in bigger quanitites
such as 24 ounces etc it will last you about 6 months and is about *
dollars plus shipping (CGD).
Overall the only thing that you will need to keep up with is the substrate and food

Examples of my 18x18x24 cages. (LindseyM16)
My females cage.

My males cage.