Hatchlings-
The hatchlings are reasonably hardy and
easy to care for, as long as a few specific requirements are met. They do
quite well on a diet of crickets
of an appropriate size (for
hatchlings, 1/8 inch crickets or
smaller). The right size food item
will be no longer than half the width
of the lizards own head. It is
important to supply vitamins and
minerals to your growing gecko.
This can be accomplished by “gut-loading”
crickets by feeding them such
items as orange slices, carrots,
salad greens, fish flake food, or
a commercially available cricket
food prior to giving them to your
lizard. Additionally, the crickets
can be dusted (coated in powder)
with a quality commercial
vitamin/mineral powder just before
providing them to your gecko to
eat. Hatchlings should be fed
every day to maintain a
healthy growth rate. It is a good
idea to vary the diet by offering other insect
prey such as mealworms, waxworms,
or butterworms. Remember to keep
the prey size appropriate and use
these worms sparingly, as they are
mostly fatty or chitinous. Several commercial diets are available for crested geckos and are a complete diet in a dry powdered form. These have been used with great success and are popular among those who dislike feeding live insect prey to their geckos. I
recommend supplying water by misting your gecko a couple of times a day.
Adults- The adults are
maintained in much the same way.
Using a larger prey item feedings
can be scaled back to about three
or four times a week. They don’t need
vitamin supplementation quite as
often either, so suppliment every
other to every third feeding. Adult geckos that are breeding will require more attention to detail regarding their dietary needs.
General-
The Crested gecko comes from the
forested regions of New Caldonia where it was suspected that they had gone extinct until their "re-discovery" in the early 1990's. As it turns out, they are just very good at hiding themselves away and were not all that uncommon when you knew where to look! They were an instant sensation in the herpetology world and are now bred commonly in captivity. They are
most active at dusk and dawn,
usually sleeping throughout most
of the daytime hours. A 10-gallon
tank will comfortably house an
adult gecko or even a pair of
geckos, but an upright tank with dimensions of 30"x12"x12" or so works better. I recommend a plastic shoe
or sweater box, or a "Kritter Keeper" for the hatchlings
or juveniles only because it makes
it easier for them to capture prey
in the smaller area. Paper towels
or newspaper make cleaning quick
and easy and eliminates the
possibility of ingesting any sand
or gravel that may impede
digestion and kill the gecko. The
adults can be kept in a similar manner if you so choose or a planted terrarium can be made to suit the needs of this gecko. Provide geckos
with an area where they can hide,
such as a rock shelter,
hide-box, or cork tube. Keep a heat pad on one end
of the tank to keep a warm location in the mid 80's to low 90's. Lighting is largely a matter
of personal choice since the
geckos don’t seem to care, just
be sure your geckos always have
access to shelter from the light
and heat if they so choose.
Other Helpful Info:
̃
Always buy a healthy captive
bred animal and learn as much as
you can from the source that you
are buying it from, such as age,
sex, what is it eating, etc.
̃
Find a local veterinarian who is
knowledgeable about reptiles before
any problems arise!
̃
Buy a good book about Crested
Geckos or at least a book with a
decent section about these
animals and keep it on hand for
reference. This care sheet
contains only initial
information to get you started
and is by no means complete.
̃
Enjoy your crested gecko! These
are fantastic and rewarding
pets.
