Hey peeps, Was a boring day for me, But was a hyper day for my Harlequin Crestie Perrie, Seriously he was active all day long! climbing on every last leaf in there, Thought i'd start a Crested Gecko caresheet!.
Crested Gecko Description:
Crested Geckos are brightly coloured geckos, They are Orange, Tangerine, Blonde, split to yellow, They are native to Grand Terre Islands, Northern New Zealand, New Caledonia and only a few surrounding tropical island (Isle of Pine) They are equatorial animals live in humid rainforests of New Caledonia and some other tropical islands, they are found in the first conopy of the rainforests in small trees, bushes and shrubs, They were thought of being extinct, but were sooner Rediscovered in 1994, As they have become the most popular geckos kept at pets, alot were imported to Europe and Northern America (Canada and USA) as pets, and that had made them available as popular pets, They were imported due to them easy to care of, tame, and beautiful, Though in captivity they are available in many different colourful morphs and markings, their native original morph was Orange split to Tangerine with dark markings.
Crested Geckos in Captivity and Why they make great Pets:
Crested Geckos are now available in alot of countries as pets, they are beautiful to watch, tame and great for all family members.
Tons are now found in Pet Stores and Private Breeders here in the UK, So its not a difficult thing to get one if you want one!
Crested Geckos are often tame and not scared or frightened of humans, they do not bite, I DO recommend them as starters, They like to jump and like to be handled (not all day), They wouldn't try to escape, Rarely some will especially Wild Caught, Luckly here in the UK, They do not allow any Wild Caught pets, so your ok of buying them from anywhere.
Crested Geckos Housing and Setup:
Crested Geckos are tropical equatorial animals, live in the first conopy bushes and shrubs of New Caledonian Rainforests, They would better require a tall habitat than a wide habitat, The best specific brand terrarium i would recommend is Exo Terra, Their products are high quality, sturdy and the best i know, For 1 crested gecko i would recommend a 45 x 45 x 60 Exoterra for one adult to live happly for life, Though the bigger the better, For a pair, i would recommend a 60 x 45 x 60 Exoterra.
Babies and juveniles?: Babies and Juvenile Cresties are better kept in small Rubs/Tubs, You would not want to house them in large enclosures that would make them stressed.
Decorations, Plants Whatever is inside the habitat (Setup):
Tropical Rainforests setup, Alot of vines, branches, plants (live plants are ok to be used but i wouldn't recommend it), Hides, etc, you can add what ever you like from natural looking products, to make a nice looking rainforest habitat for your crestie(s).
The more plants you use the better, that would make the crestie(s) feel secure and wouldn't cause any stress as they love to hide in side hanging plants and bushes, Waterbowl isn't necessary, as they drink for water dripping so your crestie wouldn't benefit from a water bowl/dish, Food dish can be added as they are carnivorous and herbivorous.. Check out Feeding.
Substrate:
For adults, the best are tropical substrates which keep the humidity high, e.g Eco Earth, fir chips, coco fiber, coco chippings, But for babies and juveniles there could be a risk of the crestie ingesting which may cause harm, so for babies and juveniles the best is paper towels, kitchen roll, or newspaper as they also keep humidity high.
Feeding and Diet Recommends:
Crested Geckos are carnivorous and herbivorous, That means they eat insects and plants which are mostly tropical fruits, In captivity they require a diet of dusted live foods, and fruit diet, They can eat baby fruit food but i wouldn't recommend it as it doesn't contain the right nutritions for them, The best fruit diet for cresties for e.g GCD Repashy, which contain their favourite fruits: bananas, peaches, nectarines, apricots, papaya, mangoes, pears.
Feed in the evening: juveniles and babies should be fed daily but adults do not need to be fed every day (3 times a week is recommended by many keepers).
Heating and Heat sources:
Daytime temp is 72-80 F (22-26.5 C) should be provided, with a drop at night time to 65-75 F (18-24 C).
This can be provided in a warm temperature room, Thought cold rooms can be provided by heat mats, Must require a heat temperature controller (thermostat) that is important for monitoring and controlling the right temperature for them, Day time light required, Zoomed Reptisun 5.0 or Exoterra sunglow rainforest lighting.
temperatures over 85f and this can be fatal and dangerous to them.
Humidity and Humidity sources:
Humidity is important for crested geckos as these are humid rainforest animals, The humidity for Crested Geckos should rest between 60% - 90%.
This can be easly controlled by spraying every day, leafs and substrate, Do not spray your crested gecko as this would stress them out, Electric humidity sources could be used e.g Foggers, Rain dripping systems etc, But it is not necessary for them, spraying bottles are enough and do a good job, Do NOT use empty toilet or kitchen cleaners spraying bottles, Buy a specific new spraying bottes that are found in most pet stores and also available in Home centres e.g IKEA or HomeBase, and are inexpensive.
Crested Gecko lost it's tail?:
Don't panic, This is a defence mechanism used gecko to get away from predators when scared or threatened, this does not effect the gecko nor hurts it, and usually heals quickly (remember to keep an eye on the wound). Crested geckos are one of a kind in that the tail will not grow back once dropped. Please be careful handling you Crested gecko, do not handle them from their tails, and be gentle with them.
Crested Geckos with no tails are called Frogs, or Frogbums, They're still cute! ;).
Hope his helps, Thanks for your support.
Crested Gecko Basic caresheet,
Do not count on these informations, Research!
Blesses~Abadi~
Crested Gecko Caresheet.
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