Gargoyle Gecko
Size:
Approximately three inches long at birth, they average about eight to ten inches in length as adults. Juveniles are miniature replicas of the adults. Crested Geckos are rather variable in appearance, being colored browns, tan, yellow, rust, orange or even red. Various patterns of tiger striping may be present, and some specimens may exhibit black speckling scattered across the body and head. Many have a light ‘lichen’ pattern on the tail. This variability has already coined a number of trade names to describe the various colors, and more will be invented soon.
Handling:
These geckos will rarely attempt to bite, although they may do so if restrained. Handle gently, without pinching or squeezing. Remember that the tail may break off if handled roughly, and unlike most geckos it will not regenerate. Crested geckos are very calm and slow-moving, walking along until pausing to measure distance carefully before making a slow frog-like leap. If frightened, they may scamper up an arm and then stop to look back and see where the problem is. Until accustomed to handling; the gecko should be handled inside the cage or while sitting on the floor. A frightened gecko may leap out of the keepers’ hand and take a fatal fall if held while standing.
Caging:
Just about anything can be used, with a ten or twenty gallon aquarium being adequate for a single adult. When selecting a cage, pay special attention to the humidity needs of these lizards. Screen covers may provide too much airflow. These geckos have well developed adhesive lamellae and can easily climb smooth surfaces. As with many members of the genus, R. ciliatus possesses a unique adhesive pad under the tail to assist it in climbing. They are strong jumpers and climbers, and climbing and hiding areas should be provided. Cages should be equipped with a secure cover as keepers have reported their geckos having the strength to push up a loose screen cover and escape.
Food:
A variety of small insects and arthropods are eagerly accepted by these geckos. Hatchlings will feed on two to three week crickets and wax-worms. As they grow, provide larger crickets, wax-worms, and mealworms. Adult specimens will take an occasional pinkie mouse. Dust food with a calcium powder about twice a week to provide additional calcium for growing bones. Adults may be supplemented once weekly, unless females are producing eggs. This uses huge amounts of calcium, and supplements should be made daily. Additionally, crested geckos will eat fruit flavored baby food. Peach, nectarine, and banana are favorites, and vitamin or mineral supplements are easily added. Offer small amounts in a shallow dish about three times weekly. Several keepers add powdered bee pollen to the fruit mix, in hopes of duplicating the nutrients content of flower nectar more closely.
Substrate:
Some breeders prefer to maintain their specimens on plain paper flooring, while others suggest use of damp cypress mulch to aid in increasing humidity. Experiment to see what works best for you.
Heating & Lighting:
Conditions in their native habitat are quite mild, with average temperatures ranging from 65 to 85F, dropping to 55-65F in the winter. In most cases, normal household temperature is fine and no special heat source need be provided. No special lighting is required for these nocturnal animals.
Humidity & Water:
Provide clean water in a shallow dish. Humidity should be moderate, and these geckos seem to enjoy occasional misting. If kept too dry, these geckos often experience shedding problems, particularly the toes. Stuck sheds on toes may harden and constrict the blood flow to the toes, causing loss of the toes. It may be necessary to reduce ventilation of the cage to increase humidity within. A humidity level of 50-75% seems adequate.
Approximately three inches long at birth, they average about eight to ten inches in length as adults. Juveniles are miniature replicas of the adults. Crested Geckos are rather variable in appearance, being colored browns, tan, yellow, rust, orange or even red. Various patterns of tiger striping may be present, and some specimens may exhibit black speckling scattered across the body and head. Many have a light ‘lichen’ pattern on the tail. This variability has already coined a number of trade names to describe the various colors, and more will be invented soon.
Handling:
These geckos will rarely attempt to bite, although they may do so if restrained. Handle gently, without pinching or squeezing. Remember that the tail may break off if handled roughly, and unlike most geckos it will not regenerate. Crested geckos are very calm and slow-moving, walking along until pausing to measure distance carefully before making a slow frog-like leap. If frightened, they may scamper up an arm and then stop to look back and see where the problem is. Until accustomed to handling; the gecko should be handled inside the cage or while sitting on the floor. A frightened gecko may leap out of the keepers’ hand and take a fatal fall if held while standing.
Caging:
Just about anything can be used, with a ten or twenty gallon aquarium being adequate for a single adult. When selecting a cage, pay special attention to the humidity needs of these lizards. Screen covers may provide too much airflow. These geckos have well developed adhesive lamellae and can easily climb smooth surfaces. As with many members of the genus, R. ciliatus possesses a unique adhesive pad under the tail to assist it in climbing. They are strong jumpers and climbers, and climbing and hiding areas should be provided. Cages should be equipped with a secure cover as keepers have reported their geckos having the strength to push up a loose screen cover and escape.
Food:
A variety of small insects and arthropods are eagerly accepted by these geckos. Hatchlings will feed on two to three week crickets and wax-worms. As they grow, provide larger crickets, wax-worms, and mealworms. Adult specimens will take an occasional pinkie mouse. Dust food with a calcium powder about twice a week to provide additional calcium for growing bones. Adults may be supplemented once weekly, unless females are producing eggs. This uses huge amounts of calcium, and supplements should be made daily. Additionally, crested geckos will eat fruit flavored baby food. Peach, nectarine, and banana are favorites, and vitamin or mineral supplements are easily added. Offer small amounts in a shallow dish about three times weekly. Several keepers add powdered bee pollen to the fruit mix, in hopes of duplicating the nutrients content of flower nectar more closely.
Substrate:
Some breeders prefer to maintain their specimens on plain paper flooring, while others suggest use of damp cypress mulch to aid in increasing humidity. Experiment to see what works best for you.
Heating & Lighting:
Conditions in their native habitat are quite mild, with average temperatures ranging from 65 to 85F, dropping to 55-65F in the winter. In most cases, normal household temperature is fine and no special heat source need be provided. No special lighting is required for these nocturnal animals.
Humidity & Water:
Provide clean water in a shallow dish. Humidity should be moderate, and these geckos seem to enjoy occasional misting. If kept too dry, these geckos often experience shedding problems, particularly the toes. Stuck sheds on toes may harden and constrict the blood flow to the toes, causing loss of the toes. It may be necessary to reduce ventilation of the cage to increase humidity within. A humidity level of 50-75% seems adequate.
Crested Gecko
Lighting, Temperature & Humidity:
Use a full-spectrum fluorescent light to provide 10 to 12 hours of light each day. Humidity should be kept around 50%. You can establish this by misting the enclosure every night. Remember that Crested Geckos are nocturnal. They will be sleeping or hiding during the daylight hours. In most cases, room temperature will do for Crested Geckos. If the room you are keeping them in especially cool, use an incandescent bulb or ceramic heat emitter to maintain a temperature of 70 - 75 degrees F. At night, allow the temperature to drop to somewhere in between 60 degrees F to 70 degrees F.
Diet: Perhaps the best part of keeping Crested Geckos is that they do not need to be fed live insects. Although I
highly recommend a varied diet. They are an omnivorous species, which in the wild eats both insects and rotting
fruits and flowers. In captivity they can be fed an excellent powdered diet mixed with banana and other ingredients.
Caging:
Make sure to provide an enclosure that is taller than it is wide. These little Geckos will climb all the time. A 20 gallon glass aquarium is suitable for a maximum of 3 Crested Geckos. Do not put two males together. Provide your Geckos with a live plant, making sure it is non-toxic, and multiple branches by climbing. They require places for hiding as well. You can use either potting soil, peat moss, sphagnum moss or any other mulch type material for the substrate.
Substrate: Paper towels or cage liners are by far the easiest substrate to use, though not very aesthetically pleasing. If males and females are housed together with the intent of breeding they will make finding the eggs much simpler, however. Reptile barks can also provide a nice substrate, though they carry the same risk of ingestion. NEVER use pine/ cedar chips intended for small mammals as they can make your gecko very, very ill.
Water: Provide a constant supply of clean, fresh, filtered, chlorine-free water in a shallow bowl that cannot be tipped over. Using a clean (new) spray bottle, mist your Crested Gecko twice daily. They will eagerly lap the water off of the surfaces in their enclosure, and the misting will provide much needed humidity. Don’t over mist or you will get a
mold problem.
Normal Behavior and Interaction: Crested Geckos are a nocturnal species that will spend all day sleeping. Once they get up in the evening they are amusing to watch wandering around their cage. They seem to enjoy each others company greatly and often sleeps together during the day. At night it is not uncommon to hear growls, squeaks,
barks and yips as they talk to each other in the same cage, and to geckos in other cages. Cresteds are normally amenable to handling with a little bit of patience and work.
Use a full-spectrum fluorescent light to provide 10 to 12 hours of light each day. Humidity should be kept around 50%. You can establish this by misting the enclosure every night. Remember that Crested Geckos are nocturnal. They will be sleeping or hiding during the daylight hours. In most cases, room temperature will do for Crested Geckos. If the room you are keeping them in especially cool, use an incandescent bulb or ceramic heat emitter to maintain a temperature of 70 - 75 degrees F. At night, allow the temperature to drop to somewhere in between 60 degrees F to 70 degrees F.
Diet: Perhaps the best part of keeping Crested Geckos is that they do not need to be fed live insects. Although I
highly recommend a varied diet. They are an omnivorous species, which in the wild eats both insects and rotting
fruits and flowers. In captivity they can be fed an excellent powdered diet mixed with banana and other ingredients.
Caging:
Make sure to provide an enclosure that is taller than it is wide. These little Geckos will climb all the time. A 20 gallon glass aquarium is suitable for a maximum of 3 Crested Geckos. Do not put two males together. Provide your Geckos with a live plant, making sure it is non-toxic, and multiple branches by climbing. They require places for hiding as well. You can use either potting soil, peat moss, sphagnum moss or any other mulch type material for the substrate.
Substrate: Paper towels or cage liners are by far the easiest substrate to use, though not very aesthetically pleasing. If males and females are housed together with the intent of breeding they will make finding the eggs much simpler, however. Reptile barks can also provide a nice substrate, though they carry the same risk of ingestion. NEVER use pine/ cedar chips intended for small mammals as they can make your gecko very, very ill.
Water: Provide a constant supply of clean, fresh, filtered, chlorine-free water in a shallow bowl that cannot be tipped over. Using a clean (new) spray bottle, mist your Crested Gecko twice daily. They will eagerly lap the water off of the surfaces in their enclosure, and the misting will provide much needed humidity. Don’t over mist or you will get a
mold problem.
Normal Behavior and Interaction: Crested Geckos are a nocturnal species that will spend all day sleeping. Once they get up in the evening they are amusing to watch wandering around their cage. They seem to enjoy each others company greatly and often sleeps together during the day. At night it is not uncommon to hear growls, squeaks,
barks and yips as they talk to each other in the same cage, and to geckos in other cages. Cresteds are normally amenable to handling with a little bit of patience and work.