Crested gecko | Facts & Information

Origin

They can be found in the wild northeast of Australia and on islands adjacent to Komodo Island. The species was rediscovered in 1994 after it was declared extinct.

Several specimens were seen after a tropical storm. Although their export from the area of Origin has been strictly prohibited, they are now among the most common gecko reptiles in the world due to their original and special appearance and the ease with which they reproduce in captivity.

Crested geckos typically live in tropical forests in the Highlands in places with heat and humidity where temperatures range from 20 to 28 degrees celsius. It is an arboreal species that reaches 18 to 22cm in length with its tail.

The scientific name is of Greek origin. Rhakos means spine and dactylus means finger, and ciliatus comes from the Latin cilia which refers to genes.

Specifically the name tries to explain and describe the origin of the reptile: it is a gecko with a spine with fingers and crest.

It can be found under one of the names: Eyelash Gecko, Crested gecko, crested gecko.

Crested Gecko feed

The crested Gecko is an eating animal, its food being made up mostly of insects and fruit. She prefers well-ripened and sweet fruits, she likes even honey.

In the wild no one chews his food so it is good to leave some of the work and for the stomach otherwise you will learn lazy.

If they are dear to you and you have specimens as pets you can feed them with worms, crickets or fruit puree.

The puree made from apricots or bananas should not necessarily be a homogeneous paste, it must be crumbled well so that the animal can grab and swallow the pieces of fruit.

When feeding it with insects or worms do not forget to "roll" them in calcium powder. Calcium powder is a supplement that helps maintain a healthy diet.

In the wild the crested gecko feeds on very ripe fruit and small invertebrates which it catches by its characteristic style.

An advantage for which they are chosen as pets is that they do not have to be fed daily and not necessarily with insects, or if they are left alone for several days they can put in the terrarium a kind of cocoon with insects built in such a way slowly they come out harder, therefore less often.

Besides insects can be fed with the "Crested gecko Diet", this is a kind of dust or powder that can be bought in pet stores.

Those who are patient and love their pet can feed them with a fruit puree mixed with vitamins and minerals that meet the needs of nutrients.

If you decide to feed them with powder and / or puree it is good not to remove insects from the menu (crickets or other invertebrates that lizard can consume).

It is good to avoid large insects, hard fruits and generally any hard food because the animal does not have enough strength to "chew".

Besides having no teeth and swallowing whole prey it can damage large and hard food. Don't worry if you see that they don't eat because they don't eat a lot of food. The best proof that they feed are the" traces " left behind (the corner where they pee).

Like other lizards, he will generally choose a place to pee. She will never make it to the place where her food is placed.

It is better not to overuse bananas(because they contain potassium and prevent the assimilation of calcium) and citrus fruits(citric acid can harm in large quantities and cause the animal discomfort).

Features crested Gecko

One of the reasons it has become so popular is that there are many models available in a wide variety of colors. It can be found in many colors: red, orange, yellow, olive, gray, brown and different combinations of these colors from mixed crosses: Brindle, striped, dalmatian, spotted, etc.these varieties breeders call them "morphs".

If you are buying a gecko with a crest, it is good to see it before to see what condition it is in. If you can see the terrarium where he spends his time is even better, if his nostrils and mouth are clean or if his eyes are healthy.

Those whose feet tremble when moving or have soft, rubber-like mouths mean they are sick. Some of them recover, some of them don't.

Pay attention to sellers in specialty stores, many of them want to sell animals, they do not care about their condition, so they starve them to look like puppies. I had the unpleasant experience of going to a store in Sun Plaza Bucharest to see that a gecko was fed one worm a week while mine was eating 10 a day and is twice the size of that rickety poor thing.

If you ask how old they are, they will most likely lie to you. It is best to buy animals from acquaintances or someone you can trust. A healthy animal has sharp senses, does not lose its balance, if you try to get your hands on it makes as many steps because there are no dogs to sit around caressing, etc.

The tail of the crested gecko does not regenerate. The animal may lose its tail only once for various reasons. When a predator grabs its tail it can "leave" its tail that will struggle for a few seconds to attract attention so the animal can save itself.

The place will heal, but another tail will no longer grow in this species. Another way to" lose " their tail is fighting between members of the species; males wage territorial battles. It can still run out of its tail if it gets stuck in the Wild between two branches or under a stone and fails to pull it out.

Crested Gecko breeding

This species is one that breeds in captivity with ease. It adapts to living conditions and if it has food and water it has no problems in multiplying.

For breeding it is good for the reptile to be mature so as not to have problems at birth. Mating is recommended after the age of 15-18 months, the weight of the female to be at least 35 grams, and the male at least 40.

To facilitate the laying of eggs is put in the terrarium a few cm pot with a moist substrate because lizards like moisture. After the lizard lays the eggs, whether it does it in the casserole or elsewhere, if you have experience it is good to put them in the bowl that should not be deeper than 5cm and should not be covered all by the substrate.

Be careful, you must not twist the eggs because the embryos may die. The incubation temperature is 22-24 degrees room temperature, but this can vary as is inevitable in most cases, between 20 and almost 30 degrees celsius.

The higher the temperature, the faster the hatching will take place and the greater the chance that the chicks will be males. If at a temperature up to 23-24 degrees about 75 days will pass, the higher the temperature rises, the faster the hatching will occur, about 2 months (60 days).

If it happens that some eggs do not hatch on time you should not worry as long as they retain their color and continue to grow because they are considered "late".

There are cases when the hatching difference between the first and last egg was 3 weeks or even a month. The process does not depend entirely on temperature.

Once the chicks are out it is to keep them away from adults for reasons of cannibalism. They can be fed a few days after hatching, generally after the first Moult. It is said that the food that a gecko can be Fed should not be greater than the distance between its eyes.

The sex of babies can be clearly differentiated after 6 months. It may become visible earlier but to be sure it is better to stay for a month or two. In males one can see hemipenises, two bumps at the base of the tail, bumps that distinguish them from females.

To be sure that we have established the fair sex we can also check the femoral pores at the base of the lower legs. It is very simple, as with swellings, only males show these femoral pores. They can be identified by their appearance as scales.

It's hard to tell at birth what morph the baby will be when it becomes an adult. Parents can be a good indicator of the future colors of the chicken. The pattern and colors in general will remain the same, only in intensity can changes occur, the colors become more erased as the animal grows.

Like many other lizard geckos it needs calcium in its diet to produce eggs with healthy shells and maintain healthy bones. Vitamin D3 allows calcium to be assimilated. It can be assimilated through a dietary supplement.

Bone diseases are called metabolic bone diseases (MBD) and are caused by a lack of calcium and vitamin D3. You can easily see if a gecko lacks calcium if its legs are shaking when moving, if it can't keep its balance, if its limbs or jaw are soft, or if it is lethargic.

These symptoms are more evident in females who are about to lay eggs, but can be seen very well in males. It is a disease that is treated, but in the long run it leaves traces on the animal so it is best to prevent it.

If the animal suffers from this disease for a long time or remains in incorrect positions with bent limbs after treatment, it may remain disabled if the limbs are welded in incorrect position.

If your pet loses its senses and becomes lethargic, it is best to consult a veterinarian. It is not recommended to go to an experienced breeder because although you may know what the cause is, you may mistake the dosage.