🧳Transporting a Crested gecko: box, temperature and escape-proofing
Crested gecko : 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.
In short: 18 to 22 cm including tail as an adult, 15 to 20 years of lifespan, beginner level. A small nocturnal arboreal lizard, docile yet quick, readily leaping from branch to branch after dusk. It thrives at room temperature without heating in most homes, but once its tail drops, it never grows back.
Transporting an ectotherm
A rigid, ventilated box in a snug format (the animal must not slide around), lined with paper or cloth, in darkness — a reptile that sees nothing travels calmly. In winter, a chemical heat pack wrapped and fixed OUT of direct contact: a Crested gecko does not always feel a burn before the lesion.
Temperature: the journey’s only real constraint
The target: keep the box between 20-22°C and 25-27°C for the whole trip. Pre-temper the car, never use the boot in summer or park in the sun — for an animal that produces no heat of its own, a ten-minute lapse does what ten hours would to a mammal. Long trips are planned for early morning in summer, midday in winter.
Safety and escape-proofing
Day-to-day Crested gecko safety comes down to locks: sliding glass fitted with a stop, vents screwed down, and a reflex inspection after every opening — an escape ends in hypothermia behind furniture. Also check misting-system cable ports: small species squeeze through.
Frequently asked questions
How do you take a Crested gecko to the vet?
A snug dark rigid box, temperature held between 20-22°C and 25-27°C, with a wrapped heat pack in winter — and the shortest possible trip.
Can a Crested gecko escape its enclosure?
Better than you would think: the three classic exits are unlocked glass, an unclipped vent and decor rising too close to the lid. An indoor escapee usually turns up near a heat source.
The guides that apply to you
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