Care Sheet
Crested Geckos (Rhacodactylus Ciliatus) were thought to be extinct, until re-discovered in 1994 on Southern Grand Terre, New Caledonia, and the Isle of Pines. Crested Geckos are semi-arboreal, but seek out hiding places near the ground at night. They have specialized toe pads that allow them to effortlessly move along vertical surfaces. They also have a prehensile tail and good jumping skills. They feed on both insects and fruits, but a MRP (Meal replacement powder) is available that gives them all necessary nutrients to thrive. They are easy to care for and are available in an array of colors and patterns. They can live 10-20 years and grow to an average of 8".
Crested Gecko's have the simplest housing and feed needs of any Gecko, but there are a few things you should know when you bring one home. The Gecko will be scared when first coming home with you, so it's best to not handle them for the first week as they get acclimated to the new sights, sounds, and smells. New borns under three months should be handled very little, if at all. As they become juveniles and adults they can be handled for as much as they tolerate, which will vary from individual to individual. Some can be handled for hours at a time, others may not tolerate handing as long or often.
Housing:
Adult will do well in a 66qt container or similar screen terrarium. Babies can be housed in the small Critter keeper containers. Crested prefer to spend the day hiding in hanging vegetation and at night they will go to the floor to eat and sleep. If the enclosure is in a room that gets below 70, a heat source may be needed (never use heat rocks for reptiles).
Substrate:
We only use and recommend paper as a substrate. It can be newspaper (a few weeks old to make sure the print is dry), brown paper (sold by the roll at home improvment stores), or paper towels.
Lighting/heating:
Since crested Geckos are nocturnal by nature, they require no special lighting. A normal day/nigh light cycle should be maintained.
Feeding:
We feed a Meal Replacment Powder (MRP) made by Repashy Superfoods every other day. We also offer baby food and crickets as well. The MRP is a nutritionally complete diet that Crested Geckos can thrive on. If feeding crickets, they should be smaller that the space between the Crested Geckos eyes.
Supplements:
Crested Geckos require an occasional Calcium supplement with crickets. The calcium supplement shoud contain d3. We dust the crickets twice a week.
Water:
We mist the enclosire once a day and a optional small water bowl is maintained on the bottom of the enclosure. The water bowl needs to be shallow enough that the Crested Gecko can not fall in and drown.We recommend you change/clean the water dish twice a week to avoid any bacteria buildup. We also recommend using Spring Water, as distilled lacks the needed nutrients and minerals. Tap water could contain chemicals that could be harmful. If you see any defecation in their water, change it out to avoid issues of drinking dirty water.
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