8 Facts Everyone Should Know About Crested Gecko

Crested geckos are among the popular pets that you can keep at home. You will stumble on the pictures of these cuties on social media. You must have fallen in love with them once you set your eyes on them. In this article, we will give you the crested gecko facts.

Here are some of the fun facts that you should know about crested geckos.

Do Crested Geckos Make Good Pets?

One of the reasons why crested geckos are getting more and more popular as a pet is because they make a good pet. However, they were thought to be extinct before they were rediscovered, and since then, they have become everyone’s household name among reptiles’ lovers.

One of the first things that make crested geckos a good pet is because they are friendly. However, they are flighty in nature and love jumping from one object to another. You can still handle them; however, you should avoid grabbing their tail suddenly when handling them.

Crested geckos will make a good pet for all kinds of hobbyists from beginners to experienced ones because they are easy to care for. They will thrive well in a high humidity level from 60%-80% and high degrees between 72-80 degrees Fahrenheit. 

You do not need to provide them with many accessories before you make them happy. Unlike other geckos, you do not need to provide live food for your crested gecko to thrive.

This means cresties are perfect for you if you are squeamish about feeding live food to your gecko. You can feed them with insects or fruit as a treat while they thrive well with crested gecko meal.

Another great thing about keeping crested geckos is that you can keep them in moderate tank size. You don’t have to keep them in a massive terrarium to make them happy.

New to crested gecko? Check out the crested gecko care sheet now! We had listed out all the things you need to know about crested gecko as pets. Check it now!

A small terrarium will make it easy for them to find food and to also make it easy to clean whenever you want.

They also come with a wide range of colors and patterns to choose from.

8 Crested Geckos Fun Facts

Here are some of the fun crested gecko facts that will surprise you about crested geckos.

They Have Small Fine Hairs on Their Toe Pads

Just like other geckos, crested geckos have small and fine hairs on their toe pads. The hairs help the crested gecko to stick to the surfaces, which helps them when climbing. 

If you find your crested geckos walking around on the glass walls, you should know the small fine hairs help them stick to the glass wall.

They Require Less Handling

Crested geckos do not like being handled a lot. Frequent handling of crested gecko can cause stress, and they can lose their tails. However, you should know that their tail does not grow back after it has dropped.

Furthermore, cresties can even fall ill when they are stressed. This means that crested geckos can easily get stressed when handled, and it is best to avoid stressing them. However, you should try not to handle them for more than 15 minutes, not stress them.

Crested Geckos Look like They Have Eyelashes

Another important feature of crested geckos that you cannot miss once you see them is located above their eyes. Crested geckos look like they have eyelashes, and some people even name them eyelashes gecko.

They don’t really have eyelashes but small scales or ridges. However, this feature is among the things that make them very cute.

New to crested gecko? Check out the crested gecko care sheet now! We had listed out all the things you need to know about crested gecko as pets. Check it now!

They Lick Their Eyeballs to Keep Moist and Clean

Like most other reptiles, crested geckos do not have eyelids. However, they need to keep their eyes moist, and you will find your cresties licking its eyeballs every time. Crested geckos usually lick their eyes to remove any debris or dust from their eye.

Although you may find this very weird, it is one of their weird little habits.

They Can Swim But You Should Not Force Them To Do That

Swimming capability is common in lizards and reptiles. All lizards have the ability to swim, and it is an instinct presence in their gene since birth. Crested geckos use this instinct when they are in danger.

For instance, if a predator is chasing a crested gecko near a small water pool, the crested geckos can swim across the water to evade the predator. Furthermore, crested gecko’s swimming is similar to its natural movement, a little bit of sideways movement.

However, crested geckos will try to get out of the water as fast as possible to look for a safe spot in the area. This is because crested geckos do not have gills and need to hold their breath when underwater. 

Furthermore, most crested geckos will not dive but try to stay afloat while swimming ashore. If the crested gecko is not able to get above water after going underwater, it will drown. This is why you should avoid forcing them to swim as it may lead to stress and even death.

They Eat Their Shed During Shedding Period

Crested geckos occasionally shed their skin just like other reptiles. Furthermore, baby cresties will shed their skin more frequently as they grow, but it will slow down once they get older. 

However, you may not notice when crested geckos shed their skin because they will eat up their shed once done.

This is because the shedding process in crested geckos consumes a lot of their vitamins and vitamin levels. They will then eat up their shed to make up for their loss. Although this can be gross to you, you need to know it is a pretty fun fact.

They Were Be Extinct Until Recently

As mentioned before, crested gecko was first discovered during the 19th century but went extinct and was later found in the 20th century. To me, it looks like they play hide and seek with humans, and people thought they were extinct.

However, they come back in styles as they are getting more popular in the pet world. In the wild, crested geckos have vulnerable status but are not extinct.

They Are Extremely Vocal Creatures

You should not be surprised when your crested geckos make some noises. This is because they are quite a vocal creature, and they normally make a chirping sound, especially when stimulated or in the breeding season.

They can also make a barking sound; however, that is not a good sign because they are uncomfortable and stressed.

Wrapping Up

Crested geckos are one of the excellent pets that you can get. The best thing is that they are not too big or small and are very hardy. Although they are usually shy, they can also tolerate handling. 

I hope I am able to convince you to get one of these adorable pets for you or your family with the fun facts listed above.