Your New Crested Gecko - What You Will Need

I'm planning on doing a few posts today on getting a new crested gecko!
Seeing as my crested geckos are breeding, lots of family and friends are planning on having one/some of the babies. I think it's important that people know everything about crested geckos before they get them. They aren't exactly your average pet, and vets and pet stores don't tend to specialize in them.

Here's my first of a series of posts on new crested geckos. This post is about everything you will need before you go ahead and buy your crestie.

Vivariums

The most important thing you will need before you get your new gecko is his home! You can find vivariums in reptile stores and most likely any pet store that sells reptiles. Look around in different stores near you before you go ahead and buy one; you may find that some are cheaper than others. You might even want to look online, but I would recommend  buying a vivarium first-hand.

Crested geckos require a 'tall' vivarium, and the smallest you should consider getting should measure 12" by 12" by 18" (approx 12 US gallons). This should comfortably home one adult crested gecko, at the most two.

If you're planning on having 2 or 3 crested geckos, you might want to consider getting an 18" by 18" by 24". This is the size vivarium I currently own for Rocco and Savannah, my own crested geckos. It is approximately the size of my bedside table/chest of drawers, although slightly smaller, and they have far much more personal space in this sized enclosure than the 12" by 12" by 18".

Exo Terra is probably your best bet for a vivarium: their enclosures are safe, well-ventilated, beautiful and very trustworthy.

www.exo-terra.com

Exo Terra 'tall' vivariums; left: 12" by 12" by 18", right: 18" by 18" by 24"

Another reliable vivarium source is Komodo. Exo Terra is probably the better option: the vivariums have backings that create a natural environment, they are very well ventilated and are a much more largely used company. I feel that Exo Terra make far more attractive enclosures than Komodo, but others may disagree!

www.exotic-pets.co.uk

The above images are examples of Komodo vivariums you can find (not tall).

If you're considering getting a vivarium, you might want to go look at the different variety yourself and consider which you prefer. Some stores even sell wooden vivariums, although these don't tend to come in the 'tall' option and they are less popular for crested geckos. They tend to suit leopard geckos more. However, you may find that the wooden styled vivarium fits in better with your room.

www.animalinstinct.co.uk

An example of a tall wooden vivarium (less recommended).

I think wooden vivariums are beautiful, I really do, although I feel they are far less practical for cresties. If you are looking for beauty in your vivarium, I recommend you do as I have done and find a beautiful backing, a heat light and some pretty plants or flowers to decorate the inside. The light makes a whole lot of difference to the vivarium's appearance.

Inside Your Vivarium

Inside your vivarium you need to make it as natural as possible for your crestie(s).

Below is a list of everything I have inside my own vivarium:

• One large Exo Terra hanging plant (Ficus, silk)
• One small Exo Terra hanging plant (Abuliton, silk)
• One large Exo Terra jungle vine
• Two ground plants (one large-leaved alike scindapsus, one philodendron)
• Two forest branches (one small, one large)
• One piece of cork bark
• One Buddha vivarium background
• One medium Exo Terra water dish
• Coconut fibre substrate
• One Exo Terra dial thermometer
• One Exo Terra dial hygrometer

This amount of items isn't necessary, but crested geckos do spend a lot of their time hiding. It is necessary to provide your gecko(s) with the amount of equipment they may need to hide sufficiently.

www.vivariumguide.com

The above image is an example of efficient hiding apparatus for your crested gecko.

Something also important for your crested gecko's enclosure is climbing equipment.
Those of you with crested geckos will know they get most of their exercise from climbing. With the help of the lamallae on their feet and tail tip, crested geckos spend most of their time vertically. They get most of their exercise from climbing, excluding when hunting, and even climb to the top of the vivarium so to climb on the wire mesh!
It's not necessary to include lots of climbing equipment as crested geckos can climb glass and most other surfaces, but it's probably a good idea to insert some obstacles so your gecko has some interesting routes and gets some decent exercise!
Jungle vines are the best kind of climbing apparatus, as they can be wrapped around other decor and bent, twisted and turned into any shape or route.

www.flickriver.com

Essential Internal Equipment:

• Thermometer (dial or digital)
• Hygrometer (dial or digital)
• Water dish

These are the only 3 essentials for your vivarium. Obviously, it is essential that your crested gecko has climbing and hiding apparatus inside the enclosure, but what you choose is up to you and how much you want to kit it out. The above 3 in my opinion are absolute essentials to ensure your gecko has a healthy living environment.

(To find out more about temperature and humidity in a crested gecko's vivarium, you can read my previous post at the following address: How To Keep Your Crested Gecko Healthy)

Other Necessities

There are other necessities that you will require before purchasing your crested gecko.

One of the most important requirements in this category is a form of temperature maintenance. This should be in the form of a heat mat or heat lamp.

Often you won't need to use your heat mat/lamp, and your crested gecko will be fine at room temperature. However, often at night times or in the winter, the general temperature can drop and leave the enclosure at low temperatures. Although it is important the temperature doesn't rise above 80F/26C, it's also important it doesn't drop below 50F/10C. Reptile specialists will inform you on which bulb or mat is suitable for your crested gecko.

www.ebay.co.uk

www.thescmas.com

As well as maintaining the temperature in your vivarium, it is just as important to maintain the humidity. This tends to be more difficult, and the natural humidity of your environment and the heat source you are using will affect how often you will need to top up the humidity.

It's easy to maintain once you know how quickly the humidity begins to drop in your environment. You simply need to purchase a 'mister bottle', which is a bottled pump that sprays a fine layer of water into the vivarium. Once you've done this a few times, you will establish how often you need to do so and how much you need to spray. Usually a heavy spray is required of an evening, and a light spray of a morning. It's easy enough once you've got the hang of it.

www.ebay.co.uk

Komodo water spray misting bottle!

The last thing you will need as an addition to your purchases is calcium and multivitamins. If you decide to feed your crested gecko on Crested Gecko Diet this is something you won't need to worry about, as all your gecko's requirements are already added to the mix. You will however need to buy these if you're considering feeding your gecko on live food, or fruit for a treat. You can purchase these in all reptile stores and most average pet stores, and more details on how to use these can be found in the link above in the 'Essential Internal Equipment' section.

I hope you enjoyed today's section, and I promise to post tomorrow or Wednesday with the next 'Your New Crested Gecko Segment': Buying Your Gecko.

Thank you for reading and for helping to make my blog a success. It means the world to me.

Regards,

Elly. x

Tigerlily's Rescue

Those of you that have read my posts will know that I've never been a fan of leopard geckos. It's mostly because I'm biased; I have two beautiful crested geckos, and in my opinion, no reptile can be any more beautiful than them. However, my eyes were truly opened today when I visited my local pet store.

I took Savannah earlier this evening to Pets at Home to double check her gender. We were 90% sure that she was female, but we thought it would probably be best to get her looked at by a professional. Thankfully she is female, and everything was fine. We saw the man at Pets at Home we usually see, one of the reptile specialists, and since we've had Rocco and Savannah we've gotten to know him quite well. Satisfied with his conclusion, I strolled off with Savannah to take a look at their collection of crested geckos.
When I returned, I seemed to interrupt some conversation between the reptile specialist and my mother. I just returned as he began a terrible story about a woman who mistreated her leopard geckos.

A woman had entered the store a few days earlier with her three leopard geckos. She didn't want them anymore. They were all in a terrible condition: their eyes had been glued shut and they were blinded, two of them were sick and could not eat, and they had all had significant troubles with shedding and so their feet were crippled and their skin was pale. They concluded that this was most likely due to the conditions they were put into: they had been given no moist/wet hide for shedding, they had been given the wrong bulbs and therefore were constantly squinting, and due to the fact they could not shed the overgrown skin had glued their squinted eyes shut. She had not sufficiently fed the geckos, and so two of them had taken to eating the sand in the enclosure and had become very sick.
Sadly, they hadn't been able to save two of the geckos, but the beautiful female Tigerlily was saved. The man explained that he knew we were caring and loving owners for our two cresties, and that he was hoping to find somebody like us to take on the leopard gecko and provide a suitable environment for her.

I was eager, and so was my mother, and we were heartbroken due to the story. We asked if we could see her, and he collected her from the back room. I was nervous, as I'd never held a leopard gecko before. I'd never really found them attractive creatures: their tails were fat and their bodies were bulky, they weren't soft like a crested gecko and one barely looked different from the other; but as the man handed me this poorly treated gecko, I instantly fell in love.
Her skin was pale and her feet were severely impaired due to the tangled shed. You couldn't even see her eyes, and they explained how they were sure she was blinded. They were working with the vets to nurse her back to health, and hope that in a couple of weeks she will have shed. They're hoping her feet will be back to normal due to this, her skin will be its natural bright yellow with large black spots, and once she's shed she will open her eyes. They're not certain, but even if this is not the case, I truly don't care.

She could not see me as I held her in my hands. Most people would have looked at her with her mangled feet, glued eyes and pale skin and called her hideous or pathetic; but as she sat calmly in my hands, licking me to get a sense of me and truly getting close to my body, my heart went out to her. She was beautiful. I needed her, and she needed me. I had to nurse her.

So that was it.
Tomorrow, I'm going down to visit her again. I'm going to ask about housing, and whether he thinks it is suitable I can house her in my spare, tall vivarium. If not, I'm planning to get an RUB (Really Useful Box) approx. 48 liters to house her in.
I'm so excited, and I've completely changed my mind about leopards after his experience.
I will make sure pictures are taken tomorrow. Her condition will probably sadden you, and although you may not find her as beautiful as me, please respect her and what she has been through.

I named her Tigerlily after my following interaction with an adorable kitten in the store. She was very vocal and she was beautiful, and they had named her Tigerlily. I thought this was a gorgeous name, and was perfect for the leopard gecko. 'Leopard' reflected the 'Tiger' part of her title, and 'Lily' had several reasons. Lilies are memorial/funeral flowers, and so she is named in memory of her brothers. It's also generally a very pretty, feminine name, and I believe it reflects the beauty that I see in her.

I'm looking forward to showing you Tigerlily tomorrow.
Be open-minded in life, and things may surprise you.
Elly. x

02/11/2013

I told you I'd be updating this post two days ago, and I'm sorry, but we didn't actually manage to see Tigerlily until yesterday evening.

When we got there, she was halfway through shedding. We could see her beautiful, natural yellow and pattern underneath. The 'pure leopard gecko', the man said. Her feet were still mangled, her eyes still shut and her mouth looked a little injured. He said, however, that she had been opening and blinking her eyes, which is very good news. He also said that her feet probably won't be of brilliant use to her in the future, as she has lost multiple toes and they will still be pretty crippled. Not to worry though, because she moves about brilliantly and seems to get around without any pain. She has been eating much, much better, and she's starting to gain more shape to her tail. This means that there is more fat and energy in her body, as the tail is where this is stored.

I'm so happy that she is getting better, and I'm hoping for her sake that her sight will return so that she can hunt again and not have to continue being hand-fed. I love watching Rocco and Savannah pounce at their prey!

I'm not sure whether my Dad is keen on having Lily in the house. I already have 2 crested geckos, and once they've mated I will soon have more. I know that she will be quite a responsibility because of her condition, but I feel like Lily needs me.

If Lily does not go to me, she will go to my boyfriend Jack, who I know you have all heard of. He's rather fond of reptiles, and he came with me to meet Lily yesterday. He loved her, although like me has never been fond of leopard geckos. I know that he will make a brilliant home for her and treat her kindly and lovingly if I cannot do this myself.

Below is one of the pictures of Tigerlily from yesterday evening.

It was difficult, with the man standing right there and waiting for us to finish, for us to get a really good picture off my phone, especially with her wriggling around. We managed to get a few, and enough for you to truly understand her condition.

I hope you think she is as beautiful as I do.

If anybody has any ideas for middle names (we have 'Savannah Sahara' and 'Rocco Woody') then please get in touch and let me know! Comment below.

She's so beautiful, and I'm very proud of her for doing so well in that short amount of time from when I had last met her.

Thank you for reading about Tigerlily's story.

I would really like to express that, if you plan to get a gecko, reptile or any pet for that matter, you know that you will be a loving and devoted owner. You have an animal's life in your hands the moment you take on a pet, and to hold a creation of God in your hands and care for it is surely the most rewarding thing in the world. Please, if you do take on a pet that is dependent of your care, care for it. Be there for it. If you can't provide everything you need for it, you should not be taking it on.

Make sure you know everything there is to know before you take on any animal, so you can provide the best possible life and give them everything that they will need for their health to be the best it possibly can.

Elly. x

Picture Blog Post

Annnnnnnnd, as I promised, an entire blog post dedicated to pictures of Rocco and Savannah!
Wow, you guys have missed out on a lot...
I hope you enjoy these!

 A picture I snapped of them sleeping side-by-side a while ago... Rocco often sleeps upside-down like this! So funny.

 Just showing you their tails!

 This has to be my all-time favourite picture. Ever. It was my screensaver for weeks.

One day I caught some pictures of Savannah licking her lips and her eyes, and I got this one of her 'smiling'.

 Just a picture of  her licking her chops!

 Showing you how she wraps her little feet around my thumb. I love how small she is... Or was! She's grown so much :-(

 Rocco almost always sleeps on the big leaf at the front of the vivarium. He curls up his body and just chills out in the open.

 Here's a picture of him climbing the vivarium wall. He does this every night, and then climbs the wire mesh. His sticky paws against the mesh causes a ripping sound, and it keeps me awake most nights. Anyone else relate to this?

 A very cute little girl curled up on one of the poppers.

 And again! Bless her.

 Rocco was also very cute, and was holding his tail as if it were a branch.

Look at those male parts, too!

 We were cleaning out the vivarium and put Rocco and Savannah in the baby/egg box. They were not happy.

 They stared me out and made me feel guilty.

 I was rather amused to find Savannah perching on the thermometer one day.

The thermometer is right at the top of the glass with no climbing apparatus near it, and the wall was wet at the time... I'm not really sure how she got there! Must have jumped!

 Rocco and Savannah are finally starting to discover the 'pond' in the vivarium! Here's a picture of Rocco drinking from the bowl (and Savannah looking very pretty!).

 And another! Proud of my boo.

 Here's just a picture of them in the newly-arranged vivarium.

It looks so pretty.

 Rocco on his leaf

 Savannah copying him!

 Savannah very cutely clung on to the end of the jungle vine. She looks terrified for her life.

 And here's my handsome boy on the prowl!

 Here's Rocco all fired up the day after shedding.

He looks SO bright and orange on his back! He's absolutely beautiful.

 And again!

You can kind of see his bulge here, too. I meant to take a picture of it... It's gotten huge recently! I'm proud of my big boy!

 And again.

 And again, prowling towards Mama.

He seems to have this permanent little shiny spot on his head. It's kind of cute and makes him look messy - I've tried many times to wash it off but it seems to just stay.

 The handsome chappy licking his eyeball! Cute or gross, whatever tickles your fancy.

 A nice close-up of his handsome face. He's such a gorgeous boy.

 And again with the eye-licking!

 Savannah all fired-up! You can see that she still stays a lovely golden colour down her back, with fewer dalmation spots than Rocco.

 Her sides go a grey/brown colour, but in some lights they can look almost blue. She's not the golden girly she used to be!

 Here's my little trooper climbing the glass. She looks like a starfish!

 And again. You can see how much she's grown here.

 From the side.

 One of my favourite things about Savannah is her 'leopard belly'. It's really distinctive and different to Rocco's, and I love how the grey-blue spots contrast the bright yellow belly.

 Another one of her beautiful belly.

 A close-up of Rocco licking his eye! I love how it cups around the eyeball. So clever!

 These were taken just yesterday, when I found Rocco sleeping on his leaf.

 He's so big and heavy that his body actually weighed down the leaf - he's almost falling off! Half his body isn't even on! He can't be comfortable, surely!?

 A closer up picture showing his body half off the leaf. Haha, so funny!

I'm afraid that's about it for the pictures at the moment (the good ones, anyway!). I know you all enjoy seeing the pictures of them.

Rocco has become extremely sexually mature recently, and Savannah is almost there. They're coming up a year old now, and we all know that Rocco grows at a very fast rate, but Savannah has had a large growth spurt or two recently! She's almost the same size as Rocco now. I don't know where my little baby has gone!

We're about 90% sure she is female, and I am slightly wary about the small chance of her being male. Now that they're becoming sexually mature, I don't want them to fight if she is.

However, we're pretty sure of her gender, and we are expecting babies soon if she's female. Soon being months most likely, but that's soon enough for me!
I'd love to have another female at some point, maybe for Christmas or my birthday, but my parents don't seem too keen. Hey ho. I have these 2 and I love them endlessly.

I hope you enjoyed the pictures.

Elly. x

I'm back!

Hey everybody! I'm back!

I'm so so so so so sooooo sorry about suddenly disappearing without any warning.
I'm officially back for good, and I'm planning to be blogging regularly from now on... I promise!

I've been away for a while for many reasons.
I ended up in hospital a little while ago, as you all know, and I was quite poorly. They decided they were going to do some basic operations just to see what was going on. Due to that I was recovering for a while, I had a wedding which I was asked to play piano at, and on top of all this I had college work. Not only am I doing 5 A levels, but I'm sick and doing 5 A levels. Due to hospital and doctor visits and having to take time off because of pain etc, I'm behind everybody else... This means even more work is given to me at an impossible rate and I am often going out of my mind!

This entire post is dedicated to my apology due to my sudden disappearance.
However, I'd like to thank all of you for keeping the views rolling in. Obviously, I have been away so there aren't as many new posts for people to feed off of, but I really feel like people are enjoying what I have to say.

Later on today, I'm going to be posting a whole post with pictures of Rocco and Savannah I feel you've missed whilst I've been away!
Do forgive me if I put up pictures you  have seen before in previous posts, but honestly guys I'm so tired. I'm sick with a viral infection and I have work overflowing my brain and oozing out of my ears.... You have to allow me to make a few mistakes!

I have missed the blogging world, and writing this is genuinely putting a smile on my face already.
I'm so glad I'm back and that I've finally gotten round to posting.
You will have a picture post coming your way this afternoon, and I have a couple of advisory posts in mind that will be heading your way this week!!

I hope you're all doing well.

Elly. x

An Update in Bulk!

Good day everybody, and welcome back!

I'm going to be posting a lot at the moment, as I've unfortunately come down with the chicken pox (we think!). We're not sure yet, but we're heading to the doctors tonight. If I have it, I will be off from college for the next 2 weeks with not a lot to do. So, you lucky fans will be getting triple the number of posts! Hooray!

Before I start, I'd like to apologise for not posting a lot about Rocco and Savannah recently. I'm going to try to do this at least once a fortnight so you can know how they're coming along. The reason behind it is that I've been getting a whole lot more views from the advisory posts. People seem to like these, and it helps my blog to seem professional rather than personal.

I do, however, have a lot to tell you! So in stead of getting little snippets throughout the week, you're going to get news in BULK.

My first piece of news is that I believe Rocco and Savannah may have mated last night.

I've had suspicions about them mating for a few weeks now, due to a lack of crests down Savannah's back. We thought maybe this was just the way her crests had formed, as she's still growing and they may not have fully developed yet.

However, last night I swear they got down and jiggy with it! I heard a little squeaking, shuffling around and bumping during the night, and woke up this morning to find them sleeping together.

I know I said that Rocco and Savannah usually sleep together, but this is not so much the case anymore. Now they're in the bigger vivarium and they've got all that space, they tend to spend less time together and more time exploring. When they had a smaller enclosure, they were basically forced into cuddling!

Here's a quick picture I took of the happy couple (Rocco left, Savannah right) sharing a branch a moment ago. I usually wouldn't allow Rocco to sleep upside-down, but I don't want to disturb them. They look so cozy and cute snuggled up together...

I really hope she becomes gravid! I'm eager for eggs!

Some other news is that the pair of them have been eating impeccably well.

Those of you who followed my previous posts that mainly updated on Rocco and Savannah will know that the pair of them are fussy eaters. Rocco won't eat a lot of foods and won't hunt, and Savannah only eats the wriggliest of live-foods or CGD!

I've been encouraging them to consume mealworms for the past few weeks and it is all they've been eating. I've got Savannah to do a lot of hunting, and Rocco a little bit, and they've munched down at least 3 worms every 2 days. I'm very proud of them, particularly Rocco.

Savannah has also gotten so big!

She's becoming a lot darker with age and she's still not the most sociable of crested geckos, but boy is she growing. I've not caught her shedding yet, although I've had suspicions of her shedding multiple times now.

I'm impressed how such a little thing could have grown so much in such a short time!

Here's a picture of the 'golden girl', clinging onto Mama!

(Sorry for the messy room in the background, haha! I was having a sick day!)

I mentioned in a previous post that we had a little trouble with Rocco and calcium.

I noticed that his tail was slightly crooked and I couldn't get him to open his mouth, so I couldn't check his calcium sacs. I was immediately worried he might be suffering from calcium deficiency, because at the time I was basically starving him until he would eat the live food I offered them.

So, to resolve the issue, I mixed a load of calcium with the water on his favourite 'drinking leaf'. He lapped it all up, and so did Savannah, and in a few days of doing so his beautiful tail was repaired! I don't know if this was coincidental or it was purely down to the extra calcium, but at least I know he was getting what he needed.

I would recommend this method for anybody who has doubts.

Last but not least, I am planning some time soon to have a massive photo shoot!

I've advertised a little bit through the people I know to find a photographer who can help me take some natural pictures of Rocco and Savannah to use in the blog. I'm hoping to catch them eating, drinking, licking their eyes, jumping, climbing - all the natural things they do on a daily basis to use as images on my blog.

When I write posts, it's annoying to have to link the images to their original source, and I feel like I'm cheating to use other people's pictures! It would be good to have a set of my own to use in my advice posts. So this will be occurring soon!

That's pretty much the last of my news at the moment. Other than that, you should know that Rocco and Savannah are doing very well.

I miss them a lot when I'm at college (sad, I know!) so it will be good to spend time with them now I'm home for a while.

I hope you enjoyed the quick update.

I will be posting tomorrow, or perhaps even later today, with an advice post if you're interested.

Enjoy the rest of your day.

Elly. x

Your Most Commonly Asked Questions Answered

There are some questions that I hear people ask constantly, whereas others are asked less often.

Here are the answers to the most commonly asked questions. If you have any other questions just add them to the comments below, and I will respond as quickly as possible! If your question is suitably relevant, interesting and worthy of the post I might even think about adding it to the entry. ;-) if you're lucky!

I hope that this post gives you the answers you've been searching for!

Why can't my crested gecko stick to the glass?

I had the same issue with Rocco recently.

The main reason for this is due to shed stuck to the bottom of a crested gecko's feet. Sometimes if a crestie has difficulty shedding, or any reptile, bits of shed can remain stuck to the body. This could be due to a lack of humidity, or if the reptile can't find any rough object to help with the shedding. It isn't usually an issue, and only large pieces of shed stuck to the body (which should be reasonably noticable!) should cause any major issues such as growth limitation.

www.digplanet.com

Crested geckos have 'sticky pads' on the bottoms of their feet called lamellae. These are hair-like structures that help your gecko to cling to smooth surfaces thus climb. If shed becomes stuck on the bottom of the feet, your gecko might have difficulty sticking to smooth surfaces. If you find that he has this problem, you can easily cure it by bathing him. It's pretty easy: just place your gecko in shallow, lukewarm water for a few seconds or so. This should rid of the shed. If the shed still doesn't come off, you can try removing it gently with a cotton ear bud.

If you find your gecko doesn't have shed stuck on his feet, then it is most likely due to too low humidity in the vivarium. This can be cured by purchasing a dial hygrometer to measure the humidity in the enclosure, and spraying more heavily and more frequently.

Why doesn't my crested gecko want to eat?

This is probably one of the most commonly asked questions I hear.

Crested geckos may not want to eat for many reasons and may often be put off their food. Some are more serious than others, and some are more temporary than others!

The main reason for a loss in appetite in cresties is stress. This is usually down to moving enclosures, being introduced to new people, being introduced to new geckos etc etc. The causes of the stress should be pretty obvious to you. It will almost definitely happen when you get a new gecko. The stress of travelling, being in a small enclosure during travelling, being introduced to a new home and to a new owner should stress your gecko out completely for a few days. You should not expect him to eat at this time.

Crested geckos may also be reluctant to eat if introduced to a new food. I often have this trouble with Rocco and Savannah, and they almost go into a 'sulking' mode for the first few feeds with the new food. After they've realised that the food is tasty and that they are being fed this food from now on, you shouldn't have any trouble.

www.aqualandpetplus.com

Your crested gecko might also not want to eat if they don't like their food. Rocco doesn't actually like Crested Gecko Diet, and he's very fussy about what he eats. Other than fruit, he is completely motivated by movement and won't eat something unless it's super wriggly! This could be the main issue for your crested gecko, too. You should try to find a food that is either really flavoursome, or moves around a lot! It will be good exercise for your gecko too.

Why doesn't my new crested gecko want to be handled?

When you first get your crested gecko, don't expect it to want to be held all the time. If it's a store-bred gecko, it's likely that it was rarely handled and is not used to human contact.

If your crestie is young, it is more likely he will be jumpy and flighty when handling. To avoid this, you should allow your crested gecko to get used to you before handling properly. Put your hand in the vivarium and allow him to get to know your smell. After a while he should climb onto your hand. If you continue doing this routine, handling inside the vivarium for a week or two, you should be okay to handle outside the vivarium. Just be careful with where you go if your crested gecko is still jumpy! You don't want to lose him.

You must also remember that a crested gecko isn't naturally man-handled in the wild. Especially at first, this is an unnatural and stressful experience for him! Don't expect him to settle right away.

www.reptileexpert.org

Even when you do handle your crested geckos properly, you mustn't over-handle them. Reptiles don't really enjoy handling overall, but they will tolerate it. This is the general rule, although there are cases where reptiles do appear to enjoy handling, and other cases where they will not tolerate it!

Why doesn't my crested gecko drink from the water bowl?

As the majority of you Crestie owners will know, crested geckos spend most of their time vertical. They hide away behind leaves in branches and plants and stick to the side of the vivarium. It's rare to actually see your crested gecko epromg the vivarium floor.

Because of this, unless desperate for food and/or water, you shouldn't often see your gecko drinking or eatin from a bowl on the vivaro floor. They may do so at night when you are asleep - crested geckos tend to be quite shy about eating in your presence.

www.redbubble.com

You will more likely see your gecko drink from falling water droplets. When you spray your vivarium of an evening, you should notice him fake a drink from the water droplets on the glass or branches. If you don't see this then don't worry! Your gecko won't die of thirst. A humid vivarium prevents dehydration.

Why is my crested gecko pale?

In humans, being pale is a sign of poor health. It is quite the opposite in crested geckos!

Crested geckos become pale just before they shed their skin. Shedding is a sign of good health! It means your Crestie is growing well. Crested geckos shed when their bodies require room to grow. Their skin is not elastic like ours and does not grow with them.

www.flickriver.com

If your crested gecko resembles the white/pale end of the gecko above, you do not need to panic! He/she is just due a shed and should shed that evening. They will be back to their bright and vibrant selves in the morning!

Why does my crested gecko not move in the day?

This answer is pretty obvious, and the question tends to make me chuckle! However, for those who don't know much about the crested gecko, you should probat know that they are nocturnal. In less scientific terms, they sleep during the day!

www.flickriver.com

It is not abnormal to find that your gecko is in the same place in the evening that you saw her in the morning. She's fine. She's not dead, ill or 'lazy'! She's simply sleeping, and you should try not to distin her until evening. She's probably comfortable!

Why is my crested gecko's tail twitching?

A crested gecko 'wagging its tail' is not a sign of pleasure like a dog. It doesn't mean your Crestie is happy; in fact, it is quite the opposite.

Your crested gecko wagging his tail is a sign of stress, and if you should see this happen you should b k AY immediately! It could be an indication of tail-dropping.

www.thegeckospot.net

For those of you who don't know, a crested gecko drops its tail in stressful situations. It does NOT grow back. This is not harmful or less an advantage to a crested gecko, but you do not want to risk infection or to put your gecko through such stressful and sinful situations. Us, their tails are beautifn

Why is my crested gecko opening his mouth?

You have to be careful not to mistake the opening of the mouth for licking of the eyes or face. Crested geckos regularly lick their eyes to provide moisture, due to the fact they have no eyelids. Occasionally it can appear that your crestie is opening his mouth up, although really he is just licking his eyes.

However, if you do observe that your crested gecko is opening his mouth and is not licking his eyes, you should try to avoid handling him immediately, or stop whatever you're doing that could be stressing him out. The opening of the mouth is a sign of stress, which could in turn lead to lack of appetite, aggression towards the owner (although this is rare) and most commonly, as previously mentioned, tail-dropping!

www.pangeareptile.com

The above image is a pretty inaccurate representation of a crested gecko opening his mouth, because it is a pretty extreme case of this! The likelihood is that this crestie was acting aggressively at the time or was encouraged to open his mouth (possibly in the event of checking the calcium sacs).

Your crested gecko doesn't have to open his mouth this wide, or for long, to show signs of stress. You should always keep an eye out for it if possible.

Why is my crested gecko cold?

Crested geckos are reptiles, and therefore they are cold-blooded. This means that their body temperature varies with their surroundings. Humans and other mammals are warm-blooded, and no matter the temperature of our surroundings we generally stay around 37 Celsius. A crested gecko's body will not respond to a temperature change, and the body temperature of a cold-blooded animal will increase or decrease as does the temperature of the surroundings.

coolcosmos.ipac.caltech.edu

Generally your crested gecko should feel a little bit cool. Cold is not really a healthy sign and might signify that your vivarium is too cool for your gecko. Otherwise, cool is good! Our body temperature is around 37 Celsius, and an ideal temperature for a vivarium is 21. Your gecko should be roughly the same temperature as the inside of the vivarium, so feeling slightly colder than yourself is probably a good sign.

Can I feed my crested gecko baby food?

This question continuously comes up, and it raises so much controversy and debate. People get so angry and heated over this topic of conversation, and really there is no true answer! I think it's mainly down to matter of opinion, but I can guarantee you, without a shadow of a doubt, that the occasional feed of baby food is not harmful.

You should never, I must admit, feed baby food or any form of fruit puree as your crested gecko's staple food. Feeding once a week/fortnight alongside a nutritious staple food such as gut-loaded/dusted crickets and/or Crested Gecko Diet is fine. In the wild, cresties come across and feed on fruit. It has a sweet taste that they enjoy, and is generally more attractive than the taste of CGD or live food! You will even find that Crested Gecko Diet is mixed with fruit flavour to attract crested geckos.

There are many issues raised with baby food. Does it really have any nutritional value whatsoever? The truth is, not really, although it may have some. It contains vitamins and minerals and natural sugars, which are always a good thing, but not much more than that. Mixing the fruit with multivitamin supplements and/or Calci Dust could raise the nutritional value of the fruit.

You should really think about baby food like cake. Cake is delicious, but to feed on it everyday wouldn't be good for you. However, every now and then along with a healthy and balanced basic diet will not harm you, and at most will make you feel happy and motivated.

So, to answer the question, yes you can feed your crested gecko on baby food. No it won't kill him, so long as you don't feed it to him everyday!

Why is my crested gecko sleeping upside-down?

This is a question I can't really answer.

Why your crestie is sleeping upside-down I don't really know, but I find my own cresites, particularly Rocco, doing it sometimes. I think it's just a comfortable position for them, and they happened to settle down this way. It doesn't necessarily mean anything.

However, it is important that you try not to let your crested gecko sleep upside-down. There's something called Floppy Tail Syndrome that I've mentioned in a previous post, commonly known as FTS. This is when the crested gecko's tail falls across the body for a long period of time, causing the tail to permanently fall backwards or in a sideways position across the body of the gecko.

www.jbscresties.com

Floppy Tail Syndrome is not necessarily harmful or painful for your gecko. It's not a health risk and you shouldn't worry that he is in pain or suffering from his choice of sleeping positions! It's purely cosmetic, although is something that should be avoided if possible. No one wants a wonky limb, so why let your gecko get a wonky tail!
If you do happen to find your crested gecko sleeping upside-down, simply scoop him up and place him horizontally or upright.

Why is my crested gecko licking his eyes?

This is something I actually explained fully in an above answer, but this is something some people are grossed out by or are interested in.

Crested geckos don't have any eyelids. As humans we have a blinking reflex that allows our eyelids to close, providing moisture to our eyes. The eyes secrete lubricants and tears through the tear duct that moistens the conjunctiva and the cornea (the outer layers of the eye). Blinking stops the eye from drying out and helps to protect it from irritants.

As crested geckos don't have eyelids, they're unable to blink. In stead of blinking, to help keep the eyes moistened and free from dirt and irritants, they will reach their long tongue around their mouth until it reaches their eyes. They will usually take about 3 licks around the facial area before reaching their eyes.

www.talkphotography.co.uk

If the whole eye-licking experience creeps you out, it's probably best that you don't purchase a crested gecko. It's something they do pretty often, almost as often as... Well, blinking!

Can I keep more than one crested gecko together?

Yes, sometimes.

The answer to this depends on the gender of the geckos you're planning to keep and the size of the vivarium you have to offer. It also really depends on the temperament of your original gecko, if you already have one.

Two females are always okay to keep together. There should never really be any fighting between two females, as there is no need to express any dominance. So long as you try to avoid competition in the enclosure, e.g. there is enough food and space, then you shouldn't have any issues and they should appreciate the same-species company.

www.freewebs.com

Two males can never really be kept together. There have been few successful cases of this where all competition has been avoided and the males have gotten along okay, but you should really try to avoid this mix if you can, unless accidental due to incorrect sexing. Males will try to assert dominance and will fight - until the death. One will end up dead, if not seriously injured, if kept together for a long period of time.

A male and a female can be kept together, so long as you're prepared for breeding. You can keep a male with up to approximately 4 females. You shouldn't find the females fighting over the male, as it is usually the male that initiates copulation. You should never keep more than one male together with females, as they will definitely fight over the female(s) that they wish to mate with. Only be prepared to keep opposite genders together if you can provide an enclosure for the male at the end of the meeting season, and an enclosure for the hatchlings until they are ready to be sold. You should also have somewhere safe where you can incubate the eggs.

Why is my crested gecko changing colour?

Crested geckos change colour according to their stress levels, the amount of light, the time of day and humidity. You will find that if the room is bright, they are more stressed/active than usual and/or they are in a humid environment/the surface of their scales is wet, they should be 'fired up'.

'Fired up' is the term used to describe the more vibrant morph of your crested gecko. They should have 2 main colour schemes: fired up and fired down. One should be a more vibrant shade of the other.

If you see your crested gecko is a different colour, don't worry! He hasn't spontaneously reproduced overnight, and you didn't accidentally purchase a chameleon!

www.reptilesthatdontsuck.com

This is quite an extreme case of firing up, and the colour shouldn't usually change as much as in the image above! However, it should give you an idea of the difference between fired up and down.

Can I keep my crested gecko in my pocket?

I've known various people that have done this, claiming they enjoy to be close and that it makes them feel safe in the dark, tight spaces.

Well, the answer to this question is simply no. You should never put your crested gecko, or any pet for that matter, in your pocket. You should never really have your crested gecko out for more than 15 minutes as you want to encourage natural behaviour and don't want to cause unnecessary stress. You should also not risk suffocation, tail-loss, high stress levels or harming your gecko in any way. Your gecko probably does not like to be kept in your pocket at all, so please don't.

Can I let my crested gecko roam free in my house?

I've also known various people that have done this, and I would truly recommend against it. I don't think you could go to any reptile specialist and find that they'd recommend it.

Your crested gecko will struggle to hunt for food; he won't like the open spaces and unnatural environment; they will probably become aggressive and unfriendly; there are many health hazards such as electrocution, crawling into small spaces, suffocation and being squished; you might accidentally hurt your crested gecko and you will probably never see him to check on his health! There is also a huge risk of escaping, and it is unlikely that your crested gecko would be able to survive the outside world for more than a couple of days. Please people, whatever you do, keep your crested gecko in a vivarium! He will live a much happier, healthier life.

For the moment, this is the end of my question-answer session!
If you have any queries/questions, comments, ideas or advice, please feel free to comment in the section below. Alternatively, you can contact me through the following address:
elly_crook@icloud.com
This is the email address I will be primarily using from now on, although I will be checking my other email addresses regularly if you'd prefer to use those/have those stored.

Thank you very much for reading and I hope that my answers and my advice could help you today with any questions that you might have!
Elly. x