🦎Crested gecko: gear and buying guides

The crested gecko is a small nocturnal arboreal lizard, docile yet quick, ideal for keepers who want a beautiful planted terrarium without heavy heating gear. It thrives at room temperature (22 to 26 °C, never sustained above 28 °C) and mainly needs a vertical enclosure and daily misting.

Profile : 18 to 22 cm including tail as an adult, 15 to 20 years of lifespan, beginner level.

Species profile

Lifespan

15 to 20 years

Adult size

18 to 22 cm

Basking spot

25 to 27 °C

Humidity

50 to 80 %

Minimum enclosure

45 × 45 × 60 cm

Temperament

A small nocturnal arboreal lizard, docile yet quick, readily leaping from branch to branch after dusk.

Health watch

metabolic bone disease progressing to floppy tail syndrome · retained shed on the toes when the setup stays too dry

🩺 The health watchpoints on this page are for information only: only a veterinarian can examine your animal and make a diagnosis.

Crested gecko gear, family by family

• 🍖 Food

  The practical staple is a complete fruit-gecko powder mixed with water, offered 3 to 4 times a week, plus calcium-dusted insects once or twice weekly. Fruit purée alone is unbalanced.

• 🧴 Care & grooming

  Mist morning and evening, letting the decor dry in between: humidity should swing between 50 and 80%. Mind the tail, which unlike many geckos does not grow back after dropping.

• 🎾 Toys & enrichment

  A dense layout does all the work: vines, bamboo, live or artificial plants and elevated hides. It readily leaps from branch to branch after dusk.

• 🏠 Bedding & habitat

  A vertical terrarium of at least 45 x 45 x 60 cm for an adult, densely planted, usually needing no heater in most homes. Low daytime UVB is a welcome bonus.

• 🧳 Travel & safety

  A small faunarium with damp paper towel and a piece of branch, kept out of the sun: overheating above 28 °C is its main travel risk.

• 🧰 Accessories

  Hand sprayer or automatic mister, hygrometer, elevated magnetic feeding ledges, plants and background decor. A full planted setup often costs 200 to 400 €.

Guides to read

• Vertical terrarium for a crested gecko: height, ventilation and humidityBedding & habitat

  Vertical terrarium for a crested gecko: why height matters more than floor space, what size fits each age, and how to manage the humidity cycle.

• Feeding a crested gecko: CGD powder, fruit and occasional insectsFood

  Feeding a crested gecko: why complete CGD powder remains the base diet, when to add insects, and how often to feed by age.

• Tail loss in crested geckos: why you should never grab one by the tailCare & grooming

  Tail loss (autotomy) in crested geckos: why the tail never grows back in this species, what handling mistakes to avoid, and what to do if it drops.

• Terrarium enrichment for a crested gecko: branches, hides and climbing supportsToys & enrichment

  Terrarium enrichment for a crested gecko: why climbing supports matter as much as décor, what hides to provide, and whether to rotate the layout.

• Transporting a Green Iguana to the Vet: Carrier, Heat and StressTravel & safety

  Rigid carrier, keeping the animal warm on the road, and grips to avoid with the tail: how to transport a green iguana to the vet without adding to its stress.

• Humidity and Shedding in the Chinese Water Dragon: Avoiding Skin ProblemsCare & grooming

  Why the Chinese water dragon needs high humidity, how to maintain it without stagnation, and the early signs of an incomplete shed.

• Feeding a Green Anole: Which Insects, and How Often?Food

  Small live insects, prey size and feeding frequency: the complete guide to feeding a green anole, a strict insectivore and a tiny lizard.

• Handling and Transporting a Pacman Frog: Limiting Stress and ContactTravel & safety

  Why the Pacman frog's permeable skin means handling should stay minimal, and how to transport it safely for a vet visit.