Crested Gecko Care Guide

The crested gecko (Correlophus ciliatus, formerly Rhacodactylus ciliatus) is a tree-dwelling gecko from the humid forests of New Caledonia, thought extinct until 1994, that grows to about 8 in (20 cm) and can live 15 to 20 years. Its needs are close to the reverse of a desert lizard’s: a tall vivarium, mild temperatures, a humid misting cycle and a diet built partly on fruit and prepared gecko food. It suits keepers whose homes stay cool and who want a climber to watch at dusk rather than a basking lizard.

Care requirements

Need	What to provide
Enclosure	Tall, minimum 18 × 24 × 18 in (45 × 60 × 45 cm, W × H × D) for one adult. Glass holds up better than wood in the humidity (RSPCA)
Temperature	Warmest spot only 79–82°F (26–28°C), cool zone 68–75°F (20–24°C), nights down to 64–68°F (18–20°C). Thermostat on any heater (RSPCA)
Humidity	40–50% baseline, misted up to about 80%, then allowed to dry back. Substrate must not stay waterlogged (RSPCA)
Lighting	5–7% UVB lamp at the top of the vivarium. UVI 0.7 in the basking zone down to 0 in the shade, 12 hours on, 12 off (RSPCA)
Diet	Mashed fruit with supplement, crested gecko diet (CGD) and live insects, rotated week by week (RSPCA)
Lifespan	Up to 15–20 years (RSPCA); ADW gives 10–20, possibly longer (RSPCA; ADW)
Social needs	Best kept alone. Never house males with others; females only with plenty of space and close watching (RSPCA)
Legal notes	No common restrictions; check local rules.

Crested vs leopard gecko

New keepers often treat the two as interchangeable. They are not. If you want the ground-dwelling, heat-loving species, see the leopard gecko care guide.

	Crested gecko	Leopard gecko
Lifestyle	Arboreal climber and jumper (RSPCA)	Ground-dwelling, hides under rocks (RSPCA)
Enclosure shape	Taller than it is long (RSPCA)	Longer than it is tall (RSPCA)
Warmest spot	79–82°F (26–28°C) (RSPCA)	82–86°F (28–30°C) (RSPCA)
Humidity	40–50%, misted to 80% (RSPCA)	30–40%, dry (RSPCA)
Diet	Fruit, CGD and insects (RSPCA)	Insects only (RSPCA)
Dropped tail	Does not grow back (RSPCA; ADW)	Grows back (RSPCA)

Keeping it cool

Crested geckos do not need a hot basking spot. The RSPCA’s warmest recommended point is 82°F (28°C), below the basking range it gives for leopard geckos. A low-wattage, guarded lamp on a thermostat at the top of the vivarium is enough, and in a warm room you may barely need it. The bigger risk is overheating. Hobbyist guidance generally treats sustained temperatures above about 82°F as dangerous for this species. A vivarium near a sunny window, on top of a radiator or in a room without air conditioning in summer can pass that easily. Keep a digital thermometer at the top and another lower down, and check both daily.

At night, temperatures can safely drop to 64–68°F (18–20°C). If your room gets colder, use a non-light-emitting heater on a thermostat: a ceramic heater needs a dimming or pulse-proportional thermostat, and a heat mat needs an on/off one with the probe on the mat (RSPCA).

The misting cycle

Humidity matters most for shedding and for the sticky toe pads that let the gecko walk on glass. Aim for a 40–50% baseline, and mist with clean water to push it up to around 80%. Then let it fall back before the next misting (RSPCA). Many geckos drink the droplets, but always keep a water dish too. A vivarium that stays saturated breeds bacteria that cause skin and respiratory infections, so use substrate that holds moisture without pooling, such as coir or a soil mix topped with moss or leaves, and make sure there is good ventilation.

Furnish it vertically: fruit-tree or grapevine branches, vines, tall broad-leaved plants and cork-bark tubes or half coconut shells for daytime hiding (RSPCA). Climbing space is what prevents floppy tail.

Feeding: gecko diet, fruit and insects

Commercial crested gecko diet comes as a powder you mix with water. The RSPCA treats it as one part of the diet rather than the whole thing. Choose a brand without wheat, rice or bran, and remove leftovers daily because it sours. One rotation it suggests: a week of mashed fruit with supplement (blueberries, pear, papaya, strawberries, mango), then a week of live insects, then a week of CGD.

Insects such as small dubia roaches, calciworms and crickets should be gut-loaded for 24–48 hours and dusted lightly just before feeding. Feeding them in a separate tub stops the gecko swallowing substrate. Weigh the gecko regularly to confirm steady growth (RSPCA).

Gotchas

• Grabbing the tail. Crested geckos drop their tails to escape predators, and the tail does not grow back. Losing it costs fat reserves and agility (RSPCA; ADW). Let the gecko walk onto your hand.
• Short climbing space. A short or bare vivarium leads to floppy tail syndrome (RSPCA).
• Toe pads losing grip. This usually points to low humidity or a nutritional deficiency (RSPCA).
• Stuck shed on toes. Retained skin can cost the gecko its toes. Soak it in shallow, tepid water and rub the skin off gently (RSPCA).
• Long handling sessions. Keep them to about 10 minutes so the gecko’s core temperature doesn’t drop. Expect it to jump (RSPCA).

Avoid

• Citrus fruits and banana, which interfere with calcium uptake (RSPCA)
• Gecko diets containing wheat, rice or bran (RSPCA)
• Any heater without a thermostat, and vivariums in direct sun
• Waterlogged substrate
• Crickets left in overnight, which bite sleeping geckos (RSPCA)
• Housing males together