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

How to Keep Your Crested Gecko Healthy

The most important thing in any pet is maintaining their health. If you have a healthy gecko, then he/she is more likely to be happier, more active and live a longer, fulfilled life.

A crested gecko's health is easy to maintain when you know what you're doing. So long as you know what things to consider and the signs of poor health, you're well on your way to a smiling gecko!

From thereptilereport.com

Hygiene

A healthy person has good hygiene. They bathe and shower, wash their hands to rid of germs, clean the house; if you're unclean, you're more likely to get sick.

The same applies for a crested gecko. Although they may not be able to wash their hands and take a morning shower, it is important that their surroundings are hygienic as not to cause disease.

You should spot-clean your vivarium frequently. Spot cleaning is important to rid of any excrements and fecal matter in the terrarium, as this can be harmful to both your crestie and yourself. A crested gecko's feces can spread salmonella if there is a lack of hygiene.

About once every one or two months, you will need to perform an entire vivarium clean-out. This will involve removing equipment from the vivarium and cleaning everything, including the glass, the floor, the back wall, the equipment in the vivarium and changing any substrate. Effective cleaning starts with the removal of excrements with a warm, damp cloth, followed by spraying with reptile-friendly disinfectant.

Nutrients

Just as people need a varied diet to be healthy, a crested gecko needs a balance of various vitamins and minerals, particularly calcium. What you feed your gecko can seriously influence their health, their growth and how active they are.

The main thing your crested gecko requires is calcium. If you feed him on live food, you'll need to make sure you purchase some Calci-Dust. This can simply be sprinkled on the insect of choice before feeding.

To check that your crested gecko has high enough calcium levels, you can check the white sacs on the roofs of their mouths. These are called their 'calcium sacs'.

www.pangeareptile.com

A crested gecko with calcium deficiency could be identified by their tail.

Healthy crested geckos should have strong, straight tails. However, a crested gecko with a lack of calcium could have a squiggly tail like a snake.

www.reptileobsession.blogspot.com

You should also purchase a multi-vitamin supplement for your cresties, to ensure they're getting everything that they need. This can be particularly beneficial to their health, growth and strength.

If you feed your gecko on Crested Gecko Diet, you won't need to worry about these supplements. CGD comes with everything your crested gecko needs already mixed in.

A natural, healthy environment

Temperature, humidity, natural surroundings and ventilation are important environmental factors to a gecko's health.

Any crested gecko owner should know that the temperature in the vivarium should not exceed 80F/26C, or drop below 50F/10C. Anything above or below this temperature range can cause a crested gecko to become stressed, leading to many health issues such as a lack of appetite and motivation/exercise. This can be avoided by purchasing an Exo Terra thermometer for the inside of your vivarium.

The humidity levels in your vivarium can also affect your gecko's health. It is not a huge issue, but should be kept above 50%. Your vivarium should be misted heavily nightly and possibly lightly at morning, but humidity should be higher at night time when your crested gecko is active. If your female is gravid(pregnant) or you believe your crested gecko is due a shed, you should try and keep the humidity levels higher. A lack of humidity can cause dehydration and difficulties in shedding and/or laying.

Ventilation is a very important factor, too. Not only does this create a more natural feel for your gecko, but with a fairly warm temperature and high humidity inside your vivarium, it is basically a breeding ground for bacteria and other microorganisms. Ventilation can help rid of this problem.

To make sure your crested gecko lives naturally, you should surround him with things you may find in the wild: natural soils, plants, leaves, vines and branches are the best things. You should make sure they feel comfortable in their surroundings and are acting as natural as possible. Allow them to hunt if you can, although some cresties may be difficult about this.

Know what to look for

You should know the signs of poor health, so you can act if anything is wrong.

I've already spoken about calcium deficiency, and how checking the shape of the tail and your gecko's calcium sacs can help you to identify a lack of calcium.

Sometimes if your crested gecko isn't sticking to the glass properly, this could indicate shed stuck to your crestie's feet. This can be an issue for your gecko, and you can help remove this shed by bathing them. You may need to use a cotton ear bud to help this further.

A healthy crested gecko foot; www.design-newyork.com

If this is not the case, it could be that humidity levels in your vivarium are too low. You might want to think about raising the humidity if your gecko cannot stick to the glass.

A crested gecko may also get 'floppy tail syndrome', commonly known as FTS, if sleeping upside-down. This is when the tail unnaturally droops over the body. To avoid this, if you do see your gecko sleeping upside-down you should place him onto a horizontal surface.

www.geckosintails.com

Lack of appetite and motivation may also indicate an issue. If your gecko does not eat for a few days later than he should have, or has appeared lethargic and out of sorts, you should contact a reptile professional and/or a vet immediately.

If you have any questions or queries about your crested gecko's health, please do leave a comment below, or contact me personally at one of the following addresses:

roccothegecko@gmail.com

elly_crook@icloud.com

Thank you for reading.

Elly. x

Caring for new Crested Geckos

Are you planning on getting a new crested gecko, but you don't know where to start?
It is difficult to know what you need or what will be best for your crestie. So many websites and care sheets offer different advice, but there seems to be no conclusion.
I've been through the new crested gecko experience twice now, and once very recently. I decided it would be a good idea to put aside any first-timer worries and help you to come to some conclusion on what is best for your gecko.
There are really only a few ways that you could go wrong with a new crested gecko, and the rest of it is just down to opinion. If you've done your research, spoken to specialists and you know what you're doing, you just have to ignore those who intervene.

Sorting out everything you need for your crested gecko can be done in 3 simple steps.

Step One - Housing

The first thing that you'll need for your new crested gecko is a vivarium.

You will need to decide on the size of your vivarium, which could depend on many things. If you are housing more than one gecko together, you will want to get a larger vivarium to give them more space.

My vivarium is a 12" by 12" by 18", and can house up to 3 adult geckos. I would have liked to have gotten something a little larger than this, but as a student I frankly don't have the money to do so. Try to get a reasonably large vivarium if you can, to create a natural and comfortable environment for your gecko(s).

(If you're lucky enough, your vivarium could come with an offer. My vivarium came with accessories free!)

There are different vivarium styles; you will have to go for a 'tall' vivarium. This means that the height of the vivarium is longer than the width and the depth. Crested geckos love to climb and spend a lot of their time vertical. They shouldn't spend a lot of the time on the ground.

Make sure that you know how to operate the vivarium doors and locks (the man or woman in the store will show/tell you how to do this!), and then you're ready to make your choice on accessories.

Step Two - Accessorising

Now you have chosen your perfect vivarium, it's time to start accessorising it!

This is usually more fun for the girls, and I know I was concerned about the way the vivarium looked and making everything perfect a little more than what was best for Rocco. You have to try to make sure you think about what is best for your gecko, and then you can play around with how it looks.

At the time of purchasing Rocco and his vivarium, I got:

• 2 pieces of cork bark
• One Exo-Terra fake plant
• One drinking bowl

... And that was it!

At the time it didn't feel like enough but my parents insisted it was all I needed, especially due to the cost of everything so far. I had spent over £100 on everything.

Once I'd had Rocco for a week or so, I started to have problems. There wasn't really anywhere for Rocco to hide himself, and eventually he felt so overexposed that he climbed down through a small cut-out in the bottom of the back wall and wedged himself in between the polystyrene and the glass. At this point, I knew I had to get more hides for him.

Now, I have this:

• One Exo-Terra fake plant against the heat pad on the left, matching Rocco's 'fired-up' colours
• One Exo-Terra fake plant against the cooler side of the glass, matching Rocco's 'fired-down' colours
• One drinking bowl
• One misitifier
• Two 'jungle vines' that weave their way across the vivarium, creating different paths for them
• One piece of cork bark inside the enclosure, and a spare one outside of the enclosure
• One medium-sized Exo-Terra hide/cave, used as the moist hide.
• Recently purchased Eco-Earth substrate for the vivarium floor

I even purchased a hygrometer and a thermometer to measure water and temperature levels in the viv. Now the vivarium is perfect, and sees to all of their needs.

So long as you make sure you have the following, you're fine:

1. At least three hides: moist, warm and cool
2. More than one way for your gecko to climb
3. Accessories that help to form a natural environment
4. Accessories that see to their physical needs, e.g. water bowl

Step Three - Think about Food!

Do you have any ideas about what you would like to feed your gecko?

I would recommend (and I'm sure that any reptile specialist would!) that you try every new crestie with live food. The reptile specialist in the store will advise you on what your crested gecko has been eating, therefore what is best to feed him or her.

If you do decide on live food, you will have to think about supplements and keeping arrangements.

When I purchased the crickets in the store, I also purchased a 'critter keeper'. These are basically fairly small boxes that come with 'jelly' and cricket food. They help to keep the crickets alive for longer and keep them healthy. It is not a necessity, but it could be helpful and cost-effective.

You should also make sure that you purchase calcium, and some form of multi-vitamin supplement.

If you decide not to feed with live food, then your only other option for a staple food is Crested Gecko Diet. In the UK you will probably have to purchase this online, but I know in the US it is sold in stores.

There are two brands: Repashy and Komodo. They both supply the gecko with what he or she needs, and they both come in different flavours. Once again, this is truly down to opinion as to which is best for your gecko. I myself use Komodo, but I think Repashy is more commonly used.

Now the only thing you have to do is get your gecko!

I hope that this post helped.

You can come on by tomorrow to read about housing new geckos together, which is something I am recently experienced in!

If you have any questions or anything to say, please do comment.

Keep all the comments rolling in!

Elly. x

Plans for Breeding

Crested geckos do not become sexually mature until about a year old, although there are many cases of it happening much earlier.
Rocco and Savannah are in the same enclosure, and so if they were to mature early they would be getting up to their shenanigans right away.
If it were to happen early, I need to make sure that there are plans in place for whatever might happen, and I need to know what I'm doing.

Preparing for Eggs

When female cresties lay their eggs in the wild, they will bury them into the soil or the earth and leave them in the same position until they are hatched. It could have a negative impact on the growing gecko's development if the egg is moved around too much.

We purchased some Eco Earth super early and filled it reasonably deep in our geckos' enclosure. It's a soft, soil-like material made up of shredded coconut fibres. Some come in a block for you to break up, but mine came in a ready shredded 8.8 litre bag. It can be used moist or dry in the enclosure, and I thought it would be a natural material for them which would be easy for Savannah to bury into.

Some people don't fill their enclosure with substrate in case hunting cresties consume it by accident. However, due to Rocco and Savannah's lack of hunting skills, the substrate shouldn't be a problem in this sense. If you do have concerns about your gecko consuming the substrate, you may want to read up on nesting boxes, as these can be effective for egg-laying too.

 This picture shows the substrate on the floor of my vivarium. There's lots of room around the enclosure for Savannah to lay her eggs and bury them.

This is a front view of the substrate through the vivarium glass. You can see how deep it is. We filled it about 2/3 of the way up to the front doors.

For the next few months, we will keep checking the substrate carefully for eggs about once a week. When they are definitely sexually mature, we will make sure we do this more often.

Preparing for Hatchlings

Until we find any eggs, and until we know Rocco and Savannah are sexually mature, this isn't something we have to worry greatly about.

On the other hand, I think it is important for us to know exactly how to care for the hatchlings and how their needs differ from the needs of an adult gecko.

We have a critter keeper, and I have been told that this can make a great home for hatchlings in their first month or so of life. An enclosure that is too large can make hatchlings feel intimidated and they will struggle to find their food. I want my hatchlings to be able to hunt, as I believe this is a healthier and more natural option for them.

We are keeping the critter keeper aside at the moment for the hatchlings, and we are going to use paper towels in the bottom of it. It is quite small, but we will be sure to fill it with some sort of vine for them to climb in.

At Christmas time, something that I've asked for is an explorarium. I know that explorariums are often hung outside when it is warm, and that's the main aim for them, but I'm thinking that the older hatchlings would find the explorarium a decent enclosure until we find them a home.

Here's an image I found online of a hatchling enclosure made from a cricket keeper. This is the kind of thing that I had in mind for the young hatchlings.

Selling my Crested Gecko Hatchlings

I already know of a few people who would like a hatchling or two, and I'm giving friends and family a 25% discount.

I know that crested geckos can be a lot more difficult to sell than perhaps puppies, kittens or bunnies, but I have several plans in place.

I'm going to be using the blog to advertise my hatchlings. I know that the blog is still young and I've yet to receive more views and everything, but it will be a good way to advertise them.

I'm going to let people pre-order them as soon as they want to. If you know what Savannah and Rocco look like and how tame they are etc., you will know that any hatchling of theirs will be gorgeous with a lovely temperament. I will want people to be able to come and pick them up, as it will be difficult and not very cost-effective for me to travel. The earlier people order the hatchlings, the more likely they will be able to have one, the sooner they will be able to have one and the less expensive they will  be.

I know that I'm going to be aiming for about £40 a hatchling, which was the price of Rocco and £10 under the price of Savannah. The prices could vary depending on what the hatchlings are like and my situation at the time. If anyone is already interested, you can email me on:

roccothegecko@gmail.com

elly_crook@icloud.com

pianoprincess33@gmail.com

Here are some pictures of Rocco and Savannah's markings to give you an idea on how the hatchlings may turn out.

Rocco (left) is my male. He is a 'flame'. This is him fired up when he is brown and orange, and fired down he is yellow and green. Savannah (right) is my female, and she is a harlequin. She is fired up here, and she is a brighter and lighter yellow and gold normally.

As well as advertising on the blog, I'm going to be using pets4homes, preloved and gumtree. I know a lot of people successfully sell their geckos on these websites, and I feel that my hatchlings are going to have a lot to offer compared to a lot of the other sellers'! ;-)

I'm willing to keep the hatchlings for as long as I need until they are homed :-) I will love and care for them if nobody else can.

Problems

I'm fully aware of some things that may go wrong when breeding crested geckos.

I've mentioned a couple of times before about small gravid females unable to lay their eggs, therefore the eggs fusing inside their womb. I've made sure very early I've provided lots of space and substrate in hope that Savannah can lay her eggs successfully, and I am feeding her up and providing lots of calcium and vitamins in order to make sure she grows successfully.

I'm looking out for loss of appetite and lethargic behaviour from the both of them, which could indicate stresses of breeding. This is most commonly caused by a larger and older male wanting to breed, whilst the smaller and younger female does not. Rocco and Savannah are the same age, but Rocco has been fed much better and therefore is much larger. This is something I have to keep an eye on from Savannah, but at the moment she is perfectly active and healthy, growing day by day and eating brilliantly.

The last thing I'm looking out for is Savannah becoming gravid. I don't want to miss any signs of this, because I want to start planning as soon as I'm aware of approaching hatchlings!

So that's about it for my breeding plans :-)

Other than all of that, I'm just trying to create a comfortable environment with zero competition so that my geckos get on as best as possible! They seem to be doing just fine.

I'll finish of with a couple of pictures of the pair of them this morning. They show Savannah following Rocco up the vine. So cute!

(For those interested in hatchlings, it will also show you Savannah 'fired-down'!)

Enjoy!

Elly. x