Crested Gecko

Overview

Crested geckos are one of the easiest lizards to keep well, mostly because they are happy at temperatures many homes already have ¹³. They are arboreal, active at night, and can jump surprisingly far between branches ¹². Expect fifteen to twenty years with good care ², and some go beyond twenty ¹.

The two things people get wrong are heat (too much) and the tail (it does not grow back) ²³.

Natural history

Crested geckos come from New Caledonia, in the southwest Pacific ¹⁴. The species was thought to be extinct until it was rediscovered on the Île des Pins in the 1990s ²⁴. Since then it has become one of the most popular pet lizards in the world and is bred in the tens of thousands ⁴.

Adhesive toe pads let them climb glass and smooth leaves, and they use their tongues to clean their lidless eyes ¹². Many wild adults have lost their tails ³.

Enclosure

• Go tall. Height matters more than floor space ¹². An adult needs at least 24–30 inches of height on a 13 × 13 inch footprint, which is about a 20-gallon tall tank ¹.
• Ventilation. A screen top for airflow and to prevent escape ¹².
• Furnishings. Plenty of branches and live or artificial plants, with a hide on both the warm and cool sides, and a humid hide ¹.
• Company. Never keep two males together; they fight ¹². A male can live with females in a large enclosure, but they will breed ².
• Placement. Keep the enclosure away from windows; window heat can be deadly ³.

Temperature & lighting

Most homes need little or no added heat. If you do add heat, use a thermostat and check temperatures with a digital probe or infrared thermometer ¹.

Crested geckos have been raised for years without UVB, but current veterinary advice supports a low-level UVB tube (a "5.0" bulb) for 10 to 12 hours a day ¹². UVB helps them make vitamin D3 and use calcium, which protects against metabolic bone disease ¹². At night, keep it dark ².

Humidity

Keep humidity at 50 to 70%, ideally 60 to 70% ¹. Mist once or twice a day, preferably in the evening when the gecko wakes up, and let the enclosure dry out partway between mistings ¹. A digital hygrometer and a humid hide make this easy ¹.

Substrate

Because crested geckos spend most of their time off the ground, the risk of swallowing substrate is lower than in ground-dwelling lizards ¹. Coconut fiber, peat moss or a soil and organic mix all work for a naturalistic setup. Avoid coconut husk chips for geckos under a year old ¹.

Diet & supplementation

Crested geckos are omnivores ¹².

• Complete powdered diet. Commercial crested gecko diets are mixed with water and offered a few times a week ¹³. These are balanced and do not need extra supplements ³.
• Insects. Offer gut-loaded crickets or roaches as a supplement, no larger than the space between the gecko's eyes ¹³. Chicago Exotics feeds adults powder twice a week and insects twice a week ³.
• Supplements. If insects make up much of the diet, dust them with phosphorus-free calcium 3–4 times a week and a multivitamin once a week ¹³.
• Do not leave crickets loose in the enclosure, especially with hatchlings; they can injure the gecko ³.

Handling & temperament

Crested geckos can be handled gently once settled in ². Handle them low, over a soft surface, because they jump ². Never hold or restrain a crested gecko by the tail. They drop it easily, and unlike many lizards the tail will not grow back ²³. Keep handling short while the gecko is shedding ².

Wash your hands after handling the gecko or its habitat. Reptiles can carry Salmonella, and young children, older adults and people with weakened immunity are at greater risk ²⁵.

Health

Common issues

• Metabolic bone disease from too little calcium or vitamin D3, often seen as a kinked spine, soft jaw or weak legs ¹²³.
• Heat stress when the enclosure climbs past the mid-80s °F ³.
• Shedding problems when humidity is too low ¹.
• Tail loss from rough handling ²³.

When to see a vet

Call an exotic-animal vet if your gecko stops eating for more than a week, has stuck shed that will not come off after soaking, breathes noisily or has mucus in its mouth ⁶. Open-mouth breathing, limp or oddly angled limbs, large open wounds or an unresponsive animal are emergencies ⁶.

Breeding overview

Crested geckos breed readily in captivity, which is why the hobby supports such large captive-bred numbers ⁴. If you keep a male with females, they will breed ². Do not pair males together ¹². A gravid female that strains, goes weak or has a prolapse needs a vet ⁶.

Legal & ethics

Pet crested geckos are captive bred, and the hobby population now far outnumbers what was known in the wild when the species was rediscovered ⁴. Buy from a breeder who can tell you the hatch date and parents, and check your state and city rules before you buy or breed.

Sources

1. Crested Gecko Care · Tree of Life Exotic Pet Medical Center
2. Crested Gecko Care Sheet · PetMD
3. Crested Gecko Care · Chicago Exotics Animal Hospital
4. Correlophus ciliatus · The Reptile Database
5. Salmonella, Feeder Rodents, and Pet Reptiles and Amphibians · U.S. Food and Drug Administration
6. When Should My Reptile See a Veterinarian? · Tree of Life Exotic Pet Medical Center

Last reviewed 2026-10-24 by Novel Fauna. This guide is general husbandry information, not veterinary advice. When an animal is sick, see a veterinarian experienced with exotic animals.

Revision history

1. 2026-10-24 Library: 50 cited care guides, /library/[slug] route, coming-soon cards, SLUGS.txt synced to species.guide_slug 228ce54
2. 2026-10-24 WIP: library guides (lizards) 478b100

Evidence grades: Novel Fauna editorial: source classification, not yet expert-reviewed, 2026-10-25. What the grades mean.

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