Crested geckos are amazing lizards that are mostly easy to keep. But in order to become an even better crested gecko owner, you need to understand various crested gecko’s moods, behaviors and their meanings/reasons. In this post, we will talk about 11 various crested gecko behaviors and what they all mean and how fix some of the problems. This will help to understand your gecko better and and worry less in some situations that might be very normal.
Crested gecko behaviors that you might notice:
- Digging and burrowing in the substrate
- Being sluggish during the day
- Stressing
- Eating its skin after shedding, so you don’t notice them shed, as well as and losing appetite when shedding
- Biting
- Hiding
- Trying to escape
- Breeding behaviors and mating calls
- Dropping its tail
- Licking its eyeballs
- Making noises/sounds
Let’s talk about each of them in more detail.
Crested gecko is sluggish during the day
Crested geckos are crepuscular lizards – which means that they become active at dawn and dusk. This also means that your crested gecko will be mostly active during these times.
It should climb, walk on glass, eat and do many other activities. But during other times, and mostly through the day, your crested gecko will be either hiding and sleeping, or very sluggish.
Don’t be alarmed if your crested gecko is not climbing or moving around too much during the day – it is normal. This is especially true if you have vivarium lights and your crested gecko is hiding in leaves or hideouts and sleeping.
Crested geckos don’t like bright light and try to hide from it during the day. Don’t bother your crested gecko during these times – because that will cause it stress and inconvenience. But if your crested gecko hasn’t moved around much in a day or move, there can be something wrong.
Crested gecko eating its skin after shedding and poor appetite when shedding
All crested geckos eat their skin after shedding. There are few beliefs why they do it – some believe it’s an instinct not to leave any evidence of them being at specific spots in the wild so that predators can’t find them.
Some people also believe that crested geckos eat their shedding skin to get some nutrients from it – maybe that’s what geckos think as well. Crested geckos shed quite often – around 2 times a month for adults, and around each week for hatchlings and babies.
No matter the reason, crested geckos usually shed and eat their skin immediately – usually without you noticing. Some crested gecko are shy, and might hide to eat the skin. Skin that is about to shed becomes discolored and dull and crested gecko start tearing and eating it. 
Your crested gecko might also eat less when shedding – few days before and after shedding. It often takes around 2 days to finish shedding after its skin has become wrinkly and pale, so don’t interfere until then. If your crested gecko is not climbing during that time – it is normal.
Keep checking your crested gecko’s toes, tail and around the eye area to make sure there is no retained shed. Otherwise, it can stop the blood supply to these areas and cause necrosis, or organ death.
To help your crested gecko shed, you can increase humidity in the tank, rub the areas with a wet cotton bud or use a reptile shedding aid product like this.
Generally, crested geckos don’t need a bath, and misting can be enough. Crested geckos are not natural swimmers, but you can place it in a dish with some water. Put some tissues on the bottom so it doesn’t drown and watch it at all times. Bathing in lukewarm water can help with shedding or if your crested gecko is dirty.
Crested gecko biting you
Crested geckos have very small teeth and can bite, but they shouldn’t normally do it too often. Usually, their bites don’t break skin. But if it bites with more power, it can break your skin. Sometimes, crested geckos might become aggressive or generally bite you for some other reasons.
Well, there are few reasons for crested gecko biting:
- This often happens if you keep two or more males together – they will fight and bite each other. Your crested gecko is also likely to be mean to you in this case. While you can keep juvenile males together, make sure you don’t keep adults in the same cage.
- Surprisingly, the similar thing might happen if you keep males in separate tanks, but very close to each other. They might think that the other male is trying to approach the territory. This will lead to aggressiveness and your gecko might also bite you. If your crested gecko is not housed near another crested gecko, there is only one thing that you can do – start handling sessions. If nothing helps, you will need to wear gloves to handle your gecko.
- Sometimes, crested geckos might bite during the breeding season, but it shouldn’t be anything major. Breeding season last through March-October, peaking in summer.
- Young crested geckos or ones that have been with you for only few months might also bite you. The problem is, crested geckos need time and handling sessions to get used to new conditions and you.
- Try to create handling sessions 2-3 times a week when you handle your gecko for 5-10 minutes and maybe feed it some desert if it’s resisting – a such as piece of fruit (not bigger than a small cube) or a drop of honey. More frequent handling and hand feeding can improve this biting situation. But make sure not to over-handle, as it can also cause stress, and only handle in a warm room. A good idea is to handle your gecko before evening – this way your crestie will be less active and less likely to bite (but you have to be calm and gentle).
- Crested geckos might bite for self-defense. This can also mean that your gecko is either not used to you yet, and is stressed. But this can also happen when you are making sudden movements or squishing it while gecko is trying to escape.
- Always stay calm, and approach it slowly before handling. Make sure it can see you – come near its tank or make some sounds. If your crested gecko is biting you, don’t put it back in the vivarium straight after that, or it will always do it to avoid handling. An open mouth display and chomping can also indicate self-defense.
- Your crested gecko might think that your fingers are food – and bite by accident. So it might be a good idea to handle your gecko before feeding – and put it back in the tank after, if you are hand feeding.
- Your gecko might be unhappy when you are handling it. If nothing is working to tame it, there is a chance that its not as docile as others. Some cresties bite and even pee or defecate on hands when they don’t like handling.
- Crested geckos can even confuse your hand with a mate! A male crested gecko can be biting your hand quickly, but not too aggressively if it thinks that your hand is a mate. Your gecko might be even making squeaky noises, licking your hand and trying to mate with your hand. This can happen if you for example, have just handled other crested geckos or even insects and your gecko might be reacting to the smell.
Crested gecko digging and burying itself in the substrate
Is your crested gecko digging? Well, this might happen due to several reasons. The most common reason for your gecko to be digging the substrate is to lay eggs.
It is often females who dig the substrate to lay her eggs. If your crested gecko is a female and she is gravid, this is normal behavior and you should make all the arrangements for laying eggs. If she has been digging, check the spot for eggs (1-2 per laying).
Another reason why your crested gecko is burying itself in the substrate is too cool down in the hot tank. If your gecko is often changing spots, it might be trying to thermoregulate.
Make sure that the tank is not too hot (read this post on ideal temperatures and humidity to find out more). If it gets too hot in the tank, your crestie will stress and will try to bury in the substrate for cooling. You must regulate tank temperatures and provide your gecko with hides for thermoregulation.
Crested gecko stressed/happy
Many crested gecko owners ask, ‘how to tell if a crested gecko is happy’? The only way to tell if you crested gecko is happy is by watch its daily activities.
If your gecko is eating, pooping, climbing, hiding, showing breeding interest, being curious then it must be happy.
On the other hand, your crested gecko might be unhappy or stressed. No matter what some people might say, geckos find it very stressful to be outside their tank for longer than 25-30 minutes.
So any trips, car rides etc. do cause stress to your gecko. No feeding, wrong temperatures/humidity/lighting in the tank, internal parasites, handling too often will all cause stress.
Many stressed/scared crested geckos will flatten their bodies to the ground and try to look away – this way they are trying to hide from something or someone that is causing them stress.
What is more, don’t house adult males together. Sometimes, even hatchlings and babies might bully a gecko, causing it stress, which leads to underfeeding.
Male can also cause stress to female, when he’s constantly after her (it is better to separate them if he’s constantly following her, and it is better to have 2-5 females per one male).
Let your crested gecko get acclimated to its new surroundings after you have brought it home. Don’t handle it for the first 2 weeks (apart from cleaning), but approach its tank and try to hand feed it.
The best way to create a bond between a gecko and its owner is by offering food. But the first thing to do after buying your gecko is to have its stool tested for parasites and quarantining it no matter what for 3-5 months.
If you are unsure about any aspects of housing, you are welcome to read detailed care info on different topics, such as diet, buying accessories, choosing the substrate, choosing and buying a terrarium and so on.
Crested gecko trying to escape the tank 
Crested gecko love climbing and they might escape the tank. Most crested gecko will attempt to escape again if they succeed once and many are very great escape artists.
Some crested geckos try to escape during the breeding season, when they become active looking for their potential mate. Same can happen when you are opening its tank – cresties jump very well and can escape very easily.
Sometimes, your crested gecko might try hard to escape if it’s being bullied by other geckos in the same tank. This might be the case if you can notice any other signs of stress – such as eating less and jumping a lot when you open the tank and try to handle it.
Keep an eye on your crestie to find out if that’s the case. Generally, crested geckos love jumping and some are very active, so trying to escape its tank might be completely normal.
How to find your crested gecko if it has escaped
Many crested geckos love hiding in the tank, so make sure yours is not in the vivarium before starting your search. If you are sure your crested gecko has escaped, you need to find and bring it back.
But how to find your gecko? One of the ways is to place newspaper or bags on the floor in evening/at night and close the doors (if there is no chance it went to another room). Then, place some treats on the bag or newspaper, and come in the room with a flashlight at night.
Another way is to place ‘traps’ for your crested gecko. You can use something from the tank, which your crestie likes and which has familiar smell. You can place food in it to attract your crestie.
At the entrance, place a bag or something that will make a sound so that you know it’s there. The best time to do this is at night, when they become active. Use a flashlight and sit in the dark, waiting for your gecko to come to the trap.
If nothing works, just place plastic bags around the house and come out at night with a flashlight. There is a big chance you will hear or find your crested gecko.
Crested gecko licking its eyeballs
Crested geckos lick their eyeballs to moisten them. This is because crested geckos don’t have eyelids, and their lick their eyes to clean and moisten them. This is very normal.
Crested gecko making noise
Crested geckos make some noises, such as chirping and growling/barking, but it is not usual as well as not very loud. Chirping sound is usually a message that your gecko is uncomfortable or unhappy. You might hear him/her making this noise when handling.
Crested geckos also make lots of noise during the breeding season – they will be squeaking. A female crested gecko might bark when she wants a male to leave her alone (she can even think that you are a male that wants to mate with her).
If you have few crested geckos in the same tank, they are very likely to communicate at night. They make squeaking/chirping/whistling sounds to mark territory, tell each other to leave them alone etc.
Crested gecko breeding behavior
Male licking his hemipenis to help it retract after mating
Crested geckos that are about to mate will perform a mating call, make noises and mark the territory/attract mates. Males and sometimes females become feisty during the breeding season (warmer months between March-October) and can be seen searching for mates and being more active.
They can even bite your hand and make squeaky noises – this is a mating call. You might also notice crested geckos licking the surfaces to find out more information about any mates that might be nearby. Crested geckos have femoral pores (near the tail base) that produce pheromones – that will help any mates find them.
Just before they mate, male will bite on female’s neck skin. Male does it so that the female doesn’t escape or move during copulation. After mating, male’s hemipenis will be sticking out – but he will be licking it so it goes back within few hours.
Crested gecko dropping its tail
Crested geckos drop their tail quite easily and it is very common to see cresties without a tail. This is why you need to be calm and gentle, especially when handling crested geckos.
Any sudden moves or jumping might scare your crested gecko, especially when it’s new to your home. If your crested gecko is jumping and running, use both of your hands for handling and let it run on your hands. If it jumps, don’t run after it, but be calm and approach it slowly.
Few other reasons for crested geckos losing their tail is bullying and fighting with other cage mates. If you notice your geckos fighting or see any bite marks, separate them immediately. Fighting is very likely to result in a lost tail.