Let’s start this post by saying that both leopard and crested geckos make amazing beginner pets. Some people are confident that either crested or leopard gecko is better, but that is not true. Everything will depend on which type of a gecko is right for YOU.
While crested geckos are similar to leopard geckos, there are many differences between them. In this post, you can learn if a leopard or crested geckos suits you better, and what are pros and cons of owning each type of the lizard. This will also help you to make an informed decision when getting a gecko.
There are many differences between leopard and crested geckos, including:
- Weight and size
- Lifespan
- Food and general diet
- Required terrarium size
- Activity time – active during the day or at night?
- Living conditions – humidity, temperatures and light
- Personality and handling – which is friendlier and is more tolerant of handling?
- Appearance
- Which one is cheaper to keep?
- Some pros and cons.
- Health
- Daily activities
- Breeding difficulty
So, let’s discuss each difference in more detail:
Weight and size – crested gecko vs. leopard gecko
Crested gecko – crested geckos are not big lizards, and are pretty small. Hatchling crested geckos are 3-4 inches, and mature adults – 7-9 inches. Adult crested geckos weigh approximately 55-65 grams.
Leopard gecko – leopard geckos are also rather small. Hatchling leopard geckos are around 3-3.5 inches long, and mature adults – 7-10 inches. Adult leopard geckos weigh around 45-100 grams (males will be heavier).
Verdict: leopard geckos are almost the same size as crested geckos, on average. Leopard geckos have bigger and heavier tails that store fat, though.
Lifespan – crested gecko vs. leopard gecko
Crested gecko – crested geckos live for around 10-15 years.
Leopard gecko – leopard geckos live for around 10-20 years, but can be as little as 6-7 years, depending on sex and general care.
Verdict: lifespan of both lizards is similar.
Food and diet – crested gecko vs. leopard gecko
Crested gecko – omnivores that can eat both fruits, nectar, pollen and insects (especially roaches and crickets). 
Crested geckos don’t eat vegetables, though. They can also eat smaller lizards, and even rodents (not necessary). Insect feed highly recommended at least 1-2 times a week.
But some owners skip feeding bugs and choose to offer complete diet (powder that you mix with water). Feeding fruits not recommended as they are often unbalanced.
Leopard gecko – insectivores that can eat only insects, and rarely mice. Leopard geckos can enjoy a wide variety of live insect food, such as crickets, roaches, worms (waxworms, silkworms, hornworms, mealworms). Live insects highly preferred.
Verdict: crested gecko feeding with complete powder diet is much easier than dealing with live insects. Cresties still need insects and they are highly recommended. But if you are fully against live insects, you might skip offering them.
Required terrarium size – crested gecko vs. leopard gecko
Crested gecko – can live in a minimum 10 gallon vivarium, but 20-30 gallons (such as this Exo Terra’s small tall 33 gallon terrarium like this) per crested gecko is highly recommend for incorporating climbing spots.
Crested gecko need vertical tanks for climbing. The terrarium for an adult crested gecko can be as big as you want, depending on your finances.
Leopard gecko – can live in a minimum 10 gallon vivarium, but 20 gallons is recommended for creating a stimulating habitat. Leopard geckos require wide, but short tanks, such as this Exo Terra small wide 25 gallon terrarium like this. Terrarium can be even as big as 30 gallons for an adult leopard gecko.
Verdict: both leopard and crested geckos require similarly sized tanks. Leopard geckos stay on the ground and don’t climb much, while cresties need vertical tanks for climbing.
Activity time – crested gecko vs. leopard gecko
Crested gecko – crepuscular, meaning they get active during twilight, dawn and night.
Leopard gecko – crepuscular, meaning they get active during twilight, dawn and night.
Verdict: both are crepuscular.
Living conditions – humidity, temperatures and light – crested gecko vs. leopard gecko
Crested gecko – crested geckos don’t require special UVB lighting (but can still provide low UVB lamps) if you provide optimal temperatures. Optimal temperatures can be maintained with either keeping stable room temperatures, or using low heat fluorescent or full-spectrum light.
Crested geckos require high humidity in the tank – around 65-85%, so they require tank misting once or twice a day. If your house is very dry, you can automate misting with a reptile fogger. Optimal temperatures are 71-79 F (21.6-26.1 degrees Celsius) degrees in the hot spot, during the day.
Leopard gecko – leopard geckos also don’t require special UVB lighting (but can still provide low UVB lamps), if proving optimal temperatures. You can maintain temperatures using bulbs and an under tank heat mat like this connected to a thermostat.
Leopard geckos require low humidity levels in the tank – around 25-40%, but you must provide a shedding box with high humidity levels for shedding.
Optimal temperatures are 83-90 degrees Fahrenheit (28-32.2 Celsius) in the hot spot, during the day. You must heat the tank for your leopard gecko to digest food.
Verdict: Leopard geckos need higher temperatures, but crested geckos need higher humidity in the tank. Both don’t require special UVB bulbs, but you can use low UVB bulbs for extra vitamin D3 production or if you have live plants in the tank. Nigh time temperature drops are also needed for both lizards.
Personality and handling – crested gecko vs. leopard gecko
Crested gecko – crested geckos are quite tolerant of handling. But they also are more likely to drop the tail when handling. But crested geckos are often very calm and docile, and will let you handle them. However, crested geckos can jump well and can escape when handling.
Leopard gecko – They are docile, calm and are tolerant of handling.
Verdict: both crested and leopard geckos are calm and docile. Both are tolerant of handling and bite very rarely. You need to be careful with crested geckos as they can jump or drop the tail more easily. But each gecko is different.
Appearance – crested gecko vs. leopard gecko
Crested gecko – crested geckos look more like dragons from fairy tales. They also have eyelashes, but no eyelids so they clean their eyes by licking them. Crested geckos have beautiful crests and small spikes (not sharp) on the body. Their toes are thick and sticky for climbing walls.
Leopard gecko – leopard geckos have smaller heads, but dotted body and thick tails. They have beautiful eyes with eyelids.
Verdict: both are very beautiful lizards, and looks are a matter of preference only. Leopard geckos are currently slightly more popular among breeders, but there are many leopard and crested gecko morphs. Some leopard gecko morphs even have red or snake eyes.
Which one is cheaper to keep? Crested gecko vs. leopard gecko
Crested gecko – it can be cheaper to keep crested geckos because you will mostly need to feed them a meal powder mixed with water. Live insects preferred, but only 1-2 times a week. You will also not need to heat the tank with optimal room temperatures. One bag of complete diet, for example Pangea like this, will last for around 6 months.
Leopard gecko – they need live feed and tank heating (often bulbs and an under tank heater). But feeder insects won’t be too expensive and leopards won’t need many to make a meal.
Verdict: Leopard geckos will be slightly more expensive to keep, but it is very similar. And talking about the price to buy them, both leopard and crested geckos are cheap and easy to find – both can be bought for under 100$.
Some pros and cons of crested gecko vs. leopard gecko
- Crested geckos are more likely to drop the tail, and they don’t grow them back. Leopard geckos are less likely to drop the tail, but they do grow it back (but it will be smaller and look differently). Crested geckos without a tail can still live a normal life, though.
- It can be easier to feed crested geckos with complete meal powder from Repashy or Pangea, for example. This means less hassle for buying, handling and gut-loading feeder insects few times a week that leopard geckos need. If you can’t keep or handle live insects, leopard gecko should not be your choice.
- Crested geckos need misting, while leopard geckos don’t.
- Leopard geckos are very neat reptiles and they often poop in one designated area. Crested geckos, however, can poop anywhere and make the terrarium glass dirty. But good news is, that if you have a bioactive setup for your gecko, it can make poop cleaning easier (read about this here), but you will still need to wipe the glass regularly.
Health – crested geckos vs. leopard gecko
Crested gecko – hardy lizards that are less likely to have internal parasites. Crested geckos can however, develop a floppy tail (but with proper setup this can be avoided).
Leopard gecko – hardy, but more prone to internal parasites, such as Crypto.
Verdict: similar, but leopard geckos more prone to internal parasites. Again, can be avoided with good care.
Daily activities – crested geckos vs. leopard gecko
Crested gecko – crested geckos spend most of the day hiding from the light in the trees and foliage. They also love climbing on trees, accessories and glass.
Leopard gecko – leopard geckos, unlike crested geckos, don’t have sticky pads to climb. This is why they spend most of their days on the ground, climbing only short structures.
Verdict: crested geckos love climbing, and leopard geckos mostly stay on the ground.
Breeding difficulty – crested geckos vs. leopard gecko
Crested gecko – crested geckos are rather easy to breed, often starting from the age of 18-24 months. Female crested geckos lay 6-7 clutches per year through March to October, often consisting of 1-2 eggs each.
Leopard gecko – leopard geckos are also easy to breed, starting from the age of 10-12 months. Female leopard geckos lay around 4-10 clutches per year, consisting of 1-2 eggs each.
Verdict: both leopard and crested geckos are quite easy to breed, and produce similar number of clutches per year. Leopard geckos can start breeding earlier.
To sum it up, both leopard and crested geckos make amazing docile pets. If you are a complete beginner, keeping crested geckos might be easier for you – as you can feed them only powdered diet, and you can skip heating the terrarium or providing lighting.
Leopard geckos need live food that you must gut-load and supplement. You will also need to heat the tank.
Thank you for reading this article! If you have found it interesting and useful, share it with your friends and make sure to read more on leopard gecko care and crested gecko care to learn more about these amazing reptiles.