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Crested Gecko Care Sheet |
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~nocturnal, arboreal,
omnivorous~
Size:
Cresteds reach about
7-10'' in TL (total length).
Life Span:
Most live to an average
of 10 years, and under optimal conditions, they may exceed that.
Housing:
Because Crested Geckos
are arboreal (dwell high in trees, etc.) they should have a lot
of sticks and vines to climb. The sticks should be a little
thicker than the gecko so they can stand easier. The vines
(plastic are safer) should be placed at all different angles;
along the bottom for hiding, at angles for climbing, and on the
sides of the enclosure for security. Then there should be
logs/rocks/hiding places along the bottom. The substrate may
consist of something like peat moss (no fertilizer) or the Zoo
Med Eco Earth bricks (which I love - 1/3 of a $3 brick easily
fills the bottom of a 10 gallon tank with 1-2'', and it stays
moist for 2 weeks) Just make sure the bottom doesn't stay
excessively moist, it should be pretty dry, but kind of sticks
together when you squeeze it. They do not require a water bowl
as long as you mist the enclosure at least once a day,
preferably twice. They will drink it off all of the leaves and
themselves. Using warm filtered water works better, also.
Diet:
In the wild their diet
consists of about 70% fruit and 30% insects. Babies and males
(I've heard from some people) seem to prefer crickets as a
staple. For fruits, you may feed mango, apricot, nectarines,
banana, passion fruit, pear, etc. You may also buy baby food in
fruit flavors, which they love. There is also a diet food you
can get for them at most pet stores.
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