Crested geckos are one of the most popular lizard pets. And this is all for a reason – crested geckos make amazing pets. Crested geckos are good pet lizards for both beginners and advanced keepers. They have a lot to offer – their amazing personalities and looks will not fail to amaze you! In this post, we will talk about 16 interesting crested gecko facts and discuss their characteristics, if they make good pets and much more.
What are crested geckos and where do they live in the wild?
Crested geckos are also scientifically called Correlophus ciliatus. These amazing geckos are not large in size and have an interesting appearance – unusual skin scales and large eyes with eye lashes.
Crested geckos are naturally found on the islands of New Caledonia – with the main island of Grand Terre. These islands are located near Australia and Fiji. Many small islands near Grande Terre (such as Isle of Pines) are inhabited by crested geckos.
Do crested geckos climb trees? And can crested geckos climb at all?
Yes, crested geckos are arboreal, meaning that they like climbing trees and shrubs in their natural environment. And yes, crested geckos can climb, unlike leopard geckos that don’t have adhesive toe pads.
Crested geckos have sticky pads on their toes (with small hairs called lamellae) which allows them to climb smooth surfaces, including glass. Cresties spend their lives in the forests, up in the trees and shrubs.
Is crested gecko’s tail sticky as well?
Yes, the tip of a crested gecko’s tail also has lamellae. Crested gecko’s tail is prehensile and helps it hold on to various objects, such as branches and vines.
Do crested geckos have eyelids?
No, crested geckos, unlike leopard geckos, don’t have eyelids. That is why crested geckos lick their eyeballs to clean them! But you are probably asking ‘how do crested geckos sleep then?’ Well, when sleeping, their eyes are slightly covered with the upper rims (the part with ‘eyelashes’).
Can crested geckos jump?
Yes, crested geckos can jump very well. When jumping, they extend their back and front legs, moving forward in the air. Crested geckos spend most of their lives in the trees, climbing and jumping around. But they also love hiding and resting from bright light during the day.
Why crested geckos are also called ‘eyelash’ geckos?
Crested geckos have small scales above their eyes, which look like eyelashes.
How big are crested geckos at hatching and how big do crested geckos get?
Crested geckos don’t get very big – they are medium sized lizards. A crested gecko at hatching will be about 3-4 inches long. Full grown adult crested geckos reach about 7-9 inches in total length (head to tail), with males sometimes longer by 1-2 inches. Adult gecko size without a tail (snout-to-vent length) will be around 4 inches.
Most crested gecko hatchlings weigh about 2 grams at hatching, reach sexual maturity when reaching 25-35 grams. Males can start reproducing earlier than females, but breeders usually wait for both to be around the same size for breeding. Adult crested geckos weigh around 55-65 grams.
What is the lifespan of a crested gecko?
You can expect your crested gecko to live for about 10-15 years with good care. With exceptional care, your crested gecko can live for up to 20 years!
Are crested geckos venomous? And do crested gecko’s bites hurt?
No, crested geckos are harmless and are not venomous. Crested geckos have small teeth, and they are very unlikely to bite you. But if your crested gecko bites you, it will hurt just a little if not at all and it is unlikely to break your skin.
Do crested geckos have claws/nails?
Yes, crested geckos have small claws that helps them cling to different surfaces, such as branches and vines. Crested gecko’s nails should not be sharp to cause you much discomfort. If crested gecko’s nails become very long and sharp, add some climbing decorations to wear down the nails, and trim or file the edges of the claws.
Are crested geckos diurnal, nocturnal or crepuscular?
Crested geckos are crepuscular, which means that they become active at dawn and dusk. During the day, crested geckos spend their time in their trees, being mostly inactive and hiding.
They come out at dawn and dusk for activities such as hunting and eating. Crested geckos have big eyes and a good vision – note how their pupils are so thin during the day and enlarge at night. Crested geckos can also see colors.
What do crested geckos eat?
Crested geckos are omnivores and can eat both insects and fruits (including nectar and pollen of flowers). In the wild, they are opportunistic eaters, which means that they will eat anything that they can find and/or kill.
These include berries, soft fruits, insects (snails, crickets, spiders etc.) small lizards, rodents and even birds! They will eat anything that they can overpower and kill (even other smaller crested geckos).
In captivity, you can feed them pureed baby foods, insects, and rarely, pinkie mice.
Can you keep crested geckos together? And can you keep crested geckos with other lizard species?
Yes, you can keep few females together, or 1 male and 2-3 females together. But it is better not to keep females and a male together all the time, but only for breeding introductions. Males can be very active during the breeding seasons and greatly stress out the females in the tank.
Never keep males together because they will fight for the territory. Also, never keep adult and baby crested geckos together because they can get cannibalistic and eat them.
You can keep few hatchlings together, but make sure they all eat and drink. Bullying among hatchlings and babies is very common, and a smaller or weaker hatchling can skip meals because of other stronger geckos.
Keeping your crested gecko with a lizard of another species is not recommended. This is because they need to have similar setups, temperature and humidity ranges. What is more, there is a big chance or rivalry and competition. If you have a large tank that can fit two or more lizards, split the tank in two and setup both sides differently for each lizard.
To split a terrarium, you can place a large plexiglass in the middle of the tank, and cover it with some cloth so that lizards can not see each other. Many lizards don’t understand the glass barrier and will think that the other lizard is in the same habitat. There are different products, mostly for aquaria, such as this divider with suction cups.
Are crested geckos vocal?
Yes, some crested geckos can chirp when it is slightly uncomfortable. These chirping noises are often high pitched and fast. You shouldn’t worry about occasional chirping – they can also make these sound when stimulated or during a breeding season. But if your crested geckos is making a ‘barking’ noise, then it is most probably uncomfortable or stressed.
Do crested geckos make good pets?
Yes, crested geckos make amazing lizard pets. Crested geckos are not too large and don’t require large setups. They are also hardy, and can eat both insects and plant foods. Moreover, you can leave them for few days without food if you need to travel or work.
What is more, they are adorable and have very unusual looks – large eyes with a thin pupil, crested skin and sticky toes! Crested geckos can live a long life with proper care and make amazing display pets. They are not aggressive, not venomous and often very calm and docile.
How often can I handle my crested gecko? And are crested geckos friendly?
Crested geckos are docile and are often fine with handling. But handling crested geckos for more than 10 minutes at a time is not recommended, because they are avid jumpers and can quickly jump from your hand and hide around the house if you are not restraining it. But if you know how to restrain it, handling for 15-20 minutes should be more than enough.
Handling time can also be a good time for checking your crested gecko for any abnormalities. Crested geckos are better suited to being display pets, rather than ones for handling or playing.
They are not very sturdy and their tail can easily break if you pull it by mistake. Always supervise inexperienced handlers and children when they are handling a crested gecko.
While leopard geckos are friendly and not too hard to handle, you need to remember that they are not fans of handling. A crested gecko will allow you to handle it, but there is often no bond between a gecko and the owner.
They often associate you with food, so you must be happy with occasional interactions, viewing and caring for your lizard. Crested geckos are not mean, so you must be happy with owning a lizard like this – they look like fairy tale characters!
Thank you for reading this article! Make sure to read our other articles on crested gecko care. You will find crested gecko care sheets on our dedicated crested gecko care page.