Crested Gecko

Eyelash Crested Gecko

Rhacodactylus ciliatus

Description

Crested geckos are named for their most distinguishing characteristic, the lateral crests running from the rim of the upper eye along the sides of the neck and partially down the upper back. In addition to pronounced crests, they have relatively squat triangular heads and prehensile tails. Almost no adult crested geckos caught in the wild still retain their tails. While the loss of the tail appears to be a natural phenomenon, the cause of this loss is still not clearly understood. Crested geckos are perhaps the most polychromatic of the Rhacodactylus. They range from flame orange to gold to green (sorry, the fabled 'blue' crested gecko is just that, a fable.) They have varied patterns: Dalmatians, tigers, brindle, harlequin, pinstripe and chevron-backed are just a few of the distinguished patterns described. Crested geckos can achieve lengths of up to nearly 8 inches (20 centimeters). Their lifespan is not yet known, but many captive individuals are still reproducing at over nine years old, and many experts believe their lifespan could be as great as 30 years.

Natural Habitat

Fascinatingly, although R. ciliatus were first described nearly 14 decades ago (1866), up until 1994 many believed that crested geckos had become extinct. Following a 1994 sighting several individuals were legally collected and made their way back to Europe and the United States. From these individuals and subsequent importations, a viable gene pool of R. ciliatus became available to herpetologists and from this came the extraordinary individuals we see in the trade today.

R. ciliatus come from primary forests on the main island of New Caledonia, Grande Terre. Within this habitat they are most notably in the Riviere Bleu area. They are also found on the southern Isle of Pines, and the nearby island of Kotomo.

Artificial Habitat

The minimum size for an adult crested gecko should be a standard 20-gallon (75 liter) tall aquarium. The enclosure should contain plenty of vertical room as well as numerous climbing branches and/or foliage. One of the most popular plants (from the geckos' perspective) seems to be the weeping fig or Ficus benjamina. Not only do these plants provide adequate branching for climbing, but the leaves also provide some comforting camouflage. A number of substrates are feasible: newspaper, artificial grass carpeting, or potting soil where the main component is either peat moss or ground fir bark. Perlite should be avoided as it can fairly easily be accidentally ingested. Water should be provided in the form of a shallow water dish complimented by periodic misting (best done in the evening when the geckos are most active.)

Diet

Crested geckos, like the other Rhacodactylus species, are omnivorous lizards affording the hobbyist numerous choices for feeding. In the wild, they eat a variety of insects, fruits and nectars, and may also ingest bee pollen (presumably while seeking nectar). Until recently, Rhacodactylus were generally fed a pureed mix of fruit and/or meat supplemented with insects. Baby food has often been the puree of choice, but is severely limited in the nutrition area. There are several commercial diets that incorporate the Rhacodactylus' natural preferences for fruits and nectars and combine this with the necessary supplementation to ensure a complete nutritional diet. This being said, we believe that the geckos also benefit from the occasional feeding of crickets.

Caveats

Crested geckos, like most gecko species, are extraordinarily mobile and can be quick to jump, in some cases to their own peril. In order to avoid injury to your gecko we suggest employing the hand to hand method of handling whenever you must handle your gecko. In this method the gecko is allowed to walk or climb across from one hand to another, by repeatedly placing the free hand in front of the gecko. Geckos handled in this way may calm down for brief periods. Adult male crested geckos should not be housed together except in very large enclosures with a lot of foliage and/or hiding spaces.