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Crested Gecko Care

New Gecko Care:

When you first bring home your Crested Gecko, like most new pets, he will be stressed from the environmental changes.  Often they will eat very little during this stress period and should not be handled more than necessary until they are eating normal again. During the first 3 days that stress should be minimized by not handling your new pet except when necessary.  The stress can also cause physiological changes in their digestive tract these include diarrhea and parasites.  To help your new Gecko get there digestive microorganisms back in balance about two weeks after purchase, about the time your Gecko is well settled in and adjusted to its new surroundings and routine including handling, it can be beneficial to give a round of probiotics.  Also any time dewormers are used it is essential to give probiotics to help replenish beneficial microorganisms, there are several made specifically for reptiles including BenaBac.

Habitat:

Proper size terrarium, for size of gecko with the largest dimension being the height as Crested Geckos are arboreal (live in trees). 12x12x18 for babies, 18x18x24 or larger for adults.

Substrate:

Crested Geckos need a humid habitat, a soil or soil like substrate works best for this, Eco Earth and ReptiChip are a couple of the many options available which can either be used alone or in a combination. Avoid paper towels which can leach toxic levels of formaldehyde over time. Crested geckos can benefit from a properly set up bioactive habitat, much data is available about that online and there are several facebook pages dedicated to Reptile and Amphibian Bioactive Setups.

With a Bioactive habitat very little maintenance is needed as the Cleaner Crew consume the waste.  With a soil/soillike setup it should be spot cleaned daily and changed out at least once a week.

Heat:

A day basking/heat light, and proper size lamp, of proper wattage to make the basking area (one end about half way up) 86°F with the opposite end 72°F during the day. Avoid household lamps which can not handle the heat produced by reptile bulbs.   

Above tank heat source at night that produces little or no light and keeps the tank around 71°F. A ceramic bulb heater can be used since light is not required.  Avoid red lights.  Avoid under the tank heaters and heat rocks at all costs as they can produce potentially fatal burns and will not heat the upper areas of the habitat where the heat is needed most.

 

UVB:

A tropical 5 UVB light and fixture. Despite arguments to the contrary this is vital for calcium absorption which can not happen without UVB. This bulb slowly stops producing the correct spectrum of light so must be changed out ever 6-12 months even if it appears to be working fine.

Climbing area:

Fake or real branches and plants are needed to provide plenty of climbing areas, if more than one Gecko is housed in the same enclosure then these should be dense enough to provide plenty of hiding places. Avoid non reptile items that can leach toxic substances.

Water:

  • Water Bowl: All water should be dechlorinated. Crested geckos get most of their moisture by soaking it in through their skin and licking drops off of their surroundings. To meet their drinking needs they should have a shallow bowl of fresh water available for them to soak in at all times.  There has been instances that appeared to be drownings, true drownings generally involve either getting stuck in deep water (can't stand on the bottom with head out of water) that it is unable to get out of or something (like a cage mate standing on him) physically holding his head under water. However, an ill lizard is often a dehydrated lizard so will usually soak to rehydrate, often by the time a lizard shows illness they are too far along to make it, it is not at all uncommon for an ill lizard to die while trying to rehydrate leading to the appearance of having drowned. For this reason only a shallow open bowl that is easy to get out of without rims should be provided.  Additionally they should be misted 2-3 times a day for babies and at least once a day for adults to give them the opportunity to lap up droplets and to maintain humidity.

  • Humidity: Proper humidity is essential to prevent dehydration in Crested Geckos. A humidity of 60-80% should be maintained at all times with the humidity being allowed to drop all the way down to 60% between mistings.  The entire habitat should be misted, a misting system can be used with an on off cycle allowing the mentioned humidity drop at least once a day.

 

Calcium:

In addition to the vitamin D their bodies produce naturally from the UVB light they need a calcium supplement.  If your Crested Gecko refuses food dusted with a calcium powder I recommend a spray calcium. Calcium gluconate is the most absorbable form of calcium. Calcium should be applied no less than once a week and no more than every other day.  A shallow bowl of calcium powder should be provided for females, especially if they are egg laying. Follow directions on the package.


 

Food:

Crested Geckos need a varied diet that includes insects in addition to a well balanced prepared food mix to satisfy their fruit and other needs.  They should have a fresh bowl of high quality prepared mixed every day as well as insects.  Some fresh fruits can be offered occasionally.  All produce should be organic as most other produce contains toxic levels of pesticides that can not be entirely removed. This list is just a start, there are many great lists online that are more complete and often include nutritional data on each item.

  • Crickets: Although crickets are considered a low nutrient insect they are an affordable staple when gut loaded. Most suppliers gut load their crickets before selling them, check on their policy, even if they do it won't hurt to further gut load them for a day before giving them to your Gecko.  To gut load them put them in a cricket keeper or Tupperware approximately 1 gallon per 50 or larger and provide them with a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables that have not been sprayed with pesticides (organic) for a day or two before feeding. Babies should be offered small, or 1/2 inch, crickets, subadults can have medium, or 3/4 inch crickets and adults can be fed adult or large crickets.  Feeding crickets that are too big can cause choking or even death. If crickets that are too small are fed the Gecko will expend as much energy trying to catch them as they get from them. Feed as many as your lizard will eat in a day. Never leave crickets in overnight; even though healthy Geckos are generally not harmed by crickets, weak or sick ones run a higher risk and if the Gecko were to pass away overnight crickets will eat on the remains, it is simply better to avoid the possibility of bites by only feeding what crickets they will eat in a day.

  • Roaches: Dubian and other roach species are a nutritious insect option and should be fed regularly. They are easy to raise at home and generally don't have odor, but grow slowly.

  • Mealworms/superworms: sort of the crickets of the worm world these lower nutrient worms are an affordable addition but run a debatable risk of internal damage especially to already unhealthy animals or ones too young for the size offered. Do not feed to babies.  

  • Wax worms: a good supplemental worm but should be limited to no more than once a week do to high fat content.

  • Calci/Phoenix worms: a good nutritious worm, can be feed daily, an excellent addition to every Gecko's diet, small ones can be fed as early as 4 weeks old.

  • Fruit: Fruit can be given occasionally as a treat, they should be organic and well mashed or pureed. Acceptable fruit include apricot, blackberries, blueberries, cactus pear, cherries, figs, grapes, melons, mango, papaya, peaches, pears, pineapple, plums, strawberries, and watermelon.  Do not feed citrus fruit, banana or baby food.

  • Grains: grains should NEVER be fed under any circumstances, even corn or rice, as it can cause fatal intestinal inflammation and blockages.  Avoid premade foods with any grain or soy forms in the ingredients.

  • Commercial foods:  They should always be in their own bowl and should be provided fresh daily. There is a large selection of options but always check ingredients to avoid potentially harmful substances like grains, soy, preservatives and other chemicals,  always dispose of moist food within 24 hours, and always clean bowls daily that held moist food. One good option is Pangea Banana Apricot flavor, avoid the formulas that have rice or oats in them.  Use of any food containing grains will void the 14 day guarantee.

 

Basic care:

  • Handling: When you first bring home a new Crested Gecko, to minimize stress, it should not be handled any more than necessary for the first 3 days.  Crested Geckos should be scooped up gently and never grabbed. Until they are used to you and you are used to handling them you should hold them close to the ground so that if they jump they won't harm themselves.  A hand in front of them or petting them is usually enough to get them to stay where they are. Never grab a lizards tail. Your Crested Gecko should be handled daily, three periods of 15 minutes each is recommended if you want them to be easy to handle.

  • Housing: A Crested Gecko needs a terrarium that is taller than it is wide. Theoretically two equally sized females can be housed together in a large well planted terrarium; however, at first sign of stress including even a slight size difference they must be separated.  Males and male female pairs should not be housed together.  Some people chose to house one male with two females but this will result in about 2 eggs from each female per month and is extremely stressful on all inhabitants.

  • Soaps and chemicals: Never use anything in a lizard cage that has ever come in contact with any kind of soap or chemical in any way! Even a cup washed with water 20 times after having been washed with dish soap will still transfer potentially toxic soap residue to your lizards water. Never clean their water bowls, decor or terrarium with soap or any other chemical.  Hydrogen peroxide is a good non toxic disinfectant but should still be rinsed off well.

  • Daily maintenance: Every day spot clean your Gecko’s cage; Rinse the water bowl well and refill with fresh dechlorinated water. Rinse out any bowls that contained moist food or fresh produce and refill.  

  • Weekly maintenance: remove the Crested Gecko to a temporary holding area clean entire habitat top to bottom including all glass, decor, and bowls with Hydrogen Peroxide and rinse completely.  Completely change soil unless it is setup bioactive.  Reassemble refilling all bowls, return Gecko to habitat.

 

Illness:

In the wild a sick animal is a meal for the next predator that comes along, as a defense against this animals hide any signs of illness until they are so sick they can no longer hide it, for this reason you will often not see signs of illness until it's too late or nearly too late to save them. If you do see signs of illness take your Crested Gecko to a qualified reptile veterinarian immediately.  There are some common things easily mistaken for illnesses and there are specific illnesses to watch for as well as general signs of underlying health problems.

  • Brumation: A reptile's equivalent of hibernation. Can cause symptoms similar to illness including lethargic behavior, irritability and lack of appetite.  A Gecko should be at least 2 years old before attempting brumation and special care needs to be taken during this time.  Since the behavior is so similar to that of an ill Gecko first sign of this is a good time for your yearly vet check up at which time a stool sample should be analyzed to make sure your Crested Gecko is ready for brumation or what steps you can take to prevent it. Your vet can also go over what care is needed during brumation.

  • Shedding: Reptiles shed their skin as they grow, they will shed at varying frequencies depending on their growth rate, some will shed as often as once a week others as infrequently as once a year. Shedding can also cause decreased appetite, rubbing against furniture and a dulling appearance. Make sure to keep your Gecko well hydrated with extra soaks and misting during this time. It is normal for a Crested Gecko to eat its shed.

  • Dehydration: Geckos get most of their liquid from misting and humidity, if insufficient hydration is provided it can lead to symptoms such as sunken eyes, vigorous lapping at mist, wrinkled skin, decreased energy and decrease appetite. If such symptoms appear increasing humidity and misting is usually sufficient, occasionally soaking can also be used, but if not then it can be a sign of a health problem.

  • Impaction: An intestinal blockage. Constipation, lethargic behavior, lack of appetite and slow growth can be warning signs. A 15 minute soak in warm water can help minor obstructions but if symptoms continue more than 24 hours after the soak then veterinary care may be needed. This can be prevented by feeding a balanced diet of proper sized food and not using bedding that has added calcium which encourages soil eating.

  • Metabolic Bone Disease: This severe calcium deficiency is often due to not enough UVB, not changing out UVB bulbs often enough, giving foods that bind to calcium like banana or not providing a calcium supplement regularly.  Symptoms can include swollen joints, lumps in tail, lethargic behavior, spasms or jerky movement. This is a serious condition that requires veterinary treatment.

  • Mouth Rot: Mouth rot causes a yellowish/white substance to appear in and around the mouth of your Gecko. Sometimes your Gecko's mouth can be swollen or appear deformed and their teeth can be loose. Many Geckos who suffer from mouth rot have a decreased appetite and eventually death if not treated by a veterinarian.

  • Other signs of possible illness: These can be simple problems like out of season Brumation or very serious potentially fatal illnesses but should be addressed with a veterinarian visit; Constipation, diarrhea, sunken eyes, swollen eyes, puffy eyes, droopy eyes, lethargy, loss of appetite, continuing dehydration,  paralysis, twitches, tremors, signs of parasites, labored breathing, mucus around mouth or nostrils, any swelling, unusual aggressive behavior, unusually smelly feces, limping or any visible signs of injury.

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