Crested Gecko

Correlophus ciliatus

Crested Geckos or Eyelash Geckos are a species of arboreal geckos native to Southern New Caledonia and are named after the small projections on their heads or from the spikes on their eyes resembling eyelashes. In captivity Crested Geckos and live up to 20 years in captivity and reach a size of 7 to 10 inches when including the tail.

Temperament

Crested Geckos are quite docile however they are rather skittish and can bite when they feel threatended. Cresteds make wonderful pets when their boundries are respected and with time and care your gecko may let you handle them. In their enclosure they are fun to watch roam around and to try and find them when hiding in the morning.

Husbandry

  • Temperature

    74 - 78 degrees Fahrenheit for daytime temps.

    68 - 70 degrees Fahrenheit for nighttime temps

    Thanks to Crested Geckos' low heat requirements its not required to have a heating source if the room is around 70 - 74 degrees. Heated can be supplied if needed via a low wattage ceramic heater, be sure to use a controller to prevent over heating.

  • Humidity

    HIGH 60 - 70%

    Crested Geckos need high humidity to live comfortibly and to be able to shed without issues. Cresteds also need frequent misting to remain hydrated as they drink from water off of plants other than drinking from a water bowl.

  • Lighting

    5% UVB

    While UVB is not nescesarliy needed for Crested Geckos it doesn't hurt to supply them with some via a low wattage UVB bulb. The lights should stay on for 12 hours and off for 12 hours.

  • Enclosure

    Crested Geckos thrive in a arboreal setup all alone. The SMALLEST enclosure for an adult Gecko is a 18x18x24in tank. PVC or Glass works well with PVC being preferred. The enclosure should be filled with lots of climbing branches and ledges with lush foliage and hides with a screen top lid.

  • Handling

    These Geckos are rather skittish and mar prefer to not be handled often. Over handling may lead to the Gecko dropping its tail which will NOT grow back. Crested Geckos also have a tendency to bite if stressed, bites are fast and startling but NOT dangerous. Every Gecko has a different personality as some may be more open to handling than others.

Feeding your Frogs

Fruit and Insect Omnivores

Feeding Schedule

Crested Geckos thrive on a Fruits and Insects in captivity. The name should mainly consist of fruit mixed commonly referred to as 'Crested Gecko Diet'. This powder should be mixed with water and served to your Gecko every other day for juviniles and every 2-3 days for adults. Be sure to remove any uneated diet after 24 hours. Insects can be fed to Cresteds once or twice a week. Rememeber to monitor your Gecko's weight.

Supplement Schedule

Dumpies should be given three kinds of supplements in rotation:

Calcium

Calicum with Vitamin D

Crested Geckos have no need for need for multivitamins as their fruit mixed provide all the needed vitamins. However it is reccomended to feed Geckos insects dusted in Calcium once a week. Rotate between Calcium with and without Vitamin D.

Staple Feeders

Crested Geckos like Great staple feeders like Crickets and Dubia Roaches. For their insects.

For the powdered diet there are many flavors avaliable and some Geckos may be picky so be sure to experiment with flavors! It is also reccomended to use powders that also have insects in the ingredients as well.

Insects should NEVER be wild caught and bought from local reptile shows or stores in person or online. Gutload insects before feeding and make sure the insects are NOT larger than the space between the Gecko's eyes

Sources

All information has been gathered from the following:

Josh's Frogs

Reptifiles

Pangea Reptile

Zilla

Zen Habitats