Crested geckos are gaining more and more popularity in the pet trade. A reasonable thing to consider before you buy crested gecko is how much it does a crested gecko cost. Crested Geckos have varying prices for several reasons.
Reptiles and other exotic pets are priced based on their scarcity in the market. You should budget $50-100 if you want to buy a young crested gecko from a reputable breeder.
When you are considering the gecko price, it is best if you include the other supplies needed to set its habitat, feeding, and caring for it properly.
In this article, you will get an insight into the price of crested geckos and the price of recommended supplies that you may need.
Contents
- How Much Does A Crested Gecko Cost at Pet Stores?
- Patternless or Solid Crested Gecko (Cost $40-400)
- Bicolor Crested Gecko (Cost $59.95 – $499)
- Tiger Crested Gecko (Cost $89.95 – $279.95)
- Brindle Crested Gecko (Cost $50 – $250)
- Flame Crested Gecko (Cost $69.95 – $349)
- Harlequin Crested Gecko (Cost $79.95 – $499)
- Pinstripe Crested Gecko (Cost $99.95 – $429.95)
- Dalmatian Crested Gecko (Cost $69.95 – $349.95)
- Cost for Crested Geckos Accessories
- Cost for Food
- Cost for Healthcare
- Other Costs
- FAQs
- Conclusion
How Much Does A Crested Gecko Cost at Pet Stores?
Crested geckos come in different colors and patterns, which is why it has varying prices. Since crested geckos have varying prices, take a look at your options to decide what is best for you.
Patternless or Solid Crested Gecko (Cost $40-400)
A patternless or solid morph, as its name implies, means a crested gecko does not have a pattern. It has a solid color, but you may notice a row of cream-colored scales around the back of the hind legs.
You will find patternless morphs in different colors like brown, olive, orange, dark brown-black, yellow, red, and cream.
Bicolor Crested Gecko (Cost $59.95 – $499)
Most of the bicolor crested geckos that are available for sale online are patternless with a slightly darker or lighter color on their dorsal top. The color range of bi-color crested geckos for sale are usually orange, olives, red, and buckskins.
Some bicolor crested gecko can have a hint of a pattern on the back but will not have the cream of flame morphs.
Tiger Crested Gecko (Cost $89.95 – $279.95)
This is one of the most popular crested geckos out there. Tiger crested geckos are similar to bi-color crested geckos. It usually has a variety of base coloring with a bold striped or brindle look. It is usually beige or brown. – Check price
Brindle Crested Gecko (Cost $50 – $250)
This is another morph of crested gecko that looks like the tiger morphs. However, the bands of patterns do not run up and down but are broken and have a marble look.
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!
Flame Crested Gecko (Cost $69.95 – $349)
The color on the body of flame crested gecko is different from that of its dorsal (head/back). Flame crested geckos vary from each other as it can be white, orange, cream, etc. just like the overall body coloring.
Harlequin Crested Gecko (Cost $79.95 – $499)
Harlequin crested geckos look similar to flames gecko but have more patterns. You will see more pattern along its sides and legs, and it comes in a wide range of colors. Another morph is the extreme harlequin, which is even with more color, and there is a contrasting color on the upper lateral area.
Pinstripe Crested Gecko (Cost $99.95 – $429.95)
The Pinstripe crested geckos have a prominent pinstripe that goes along its dorsal part. The pinstripe can be either partial or full based on the species. Pinstripe crested gecko is also available in different colors.
Dalmatian Crested Gecko (Cost $69.95 – $349.95)
A Dalmatian crested gecko comes in a wide range of base colors. It usually has varieties of black, green, red spots on it, and it is a popular trait on most of the crested geckos, no matter the visible traits.
The dalmatian trait usually does not show during a young age but will show as the gecko develops with age.
Cost for Crested Geckos Accessories
There is a need to buy some essentials before you buy a crested gecko. I will list some of the accessories you may need and their price range below.
Note: This is just a price indication: prices of these accessories may depend on factors such as discounts, availability in your region, brands, package sizes, and so on. You should also keep in mind that shipping costs for these accessories can be high.
Enclosure
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This is an essential accessory needed for keeping a crested gecko. The best thing is that crested gecko does not take a lot of space. You can keep baby crested geckos in small containers or 10-gallon terrariums. Juvenile and adult crested geckos can be kept in around 20-gallon terrarium.
The price for an enclosure is based on the materials, size, and quality of the cage. You can get a small container (faunarium) for about $20, but you will pay more for a real terrarium. You should budget around $100 for a small terrarium with a 12x12x18 inches dimension. A large terrarium with dimension 18x18x24 inches will cost about $200.
Digital Thermometer/Hygrometer
You will need to monitor the temperature and humidity of your crested gecko terrarium daily. So, you will need to invest in a good thermometer and hygrometer. It is best to get a digital thermometer and hygrometer versions because they are more accurate.
To save cost, you can get a combined thermometer and hygrometer kit for around $25. If you opt to get them separately, you should be expecting to pay about $35.
Lighting/Heating Equipment
Crested geckos do not need special UVB light or high heat for them to stay healthy. You can place your terrarium in a spot with a normal day and night light cycle (without putting the terrarium in direct contact with sunlight). Your terrarium needs to have a temperature of around 72-78 degrees Fahrenheit for optimal growth.
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!
Most crested gecko owners do not necessarily need both the lighting and heating equipment. However, if you want to get both pieces of equipment, you should budget around $65 with a $20 recurring cost to replace the light and heat bulbs.
Feeding Ledge
Crested geckos are semi-arboreal animals and love jumping and climbing. Although you can place their cup or dish on the ground, it is recommended that you put their feeding and water cups high.
You can invest in a feeding ledge for your crested geckos. Feeding ledges can come with suction cups, screws, or magnets. If you have a screen cage, you can buy a screw feeding ledge while you can opt for a feeding ledge with magnet or suction cups for your glass terrarium.
Feeding ledges with suction cups are lesser than the ones with magnets. The feeding ledge costs range between $10-20.
Substrate
If you are planning to buy baby crested gecko, you will not need a substrate right away. You can simply use a paper towel for its tank. Your crested gecko will need a substrate once it gets older. A substrate cost ranges from $5-20 per bag based on the kind of product that you choose.
Substrates are usually included in the crested gecko kit. However, substrates are a monthly recurring cost if you do not have a bioactive terrarium. You can budget around $10 monthly for substrates.
Terrarium Plants
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You can use fake or live plants in your terrarium to get some foliage. It is recommended to get fake plants for hatchlings and small juveniles. The reason is that you are using a small terrarium or containers which are not large enough for live plants.
You can get live plants from a plant nursery, garden center, or online. You can get live plants like golden pothos, bromeliads, and sansevieria for your crested gecko tank. It is best not to get too many plants and leave half the terrarium for your gecko to roam around.
The price of a plant depends on whether the plant is live or fake. You should budget around $20-50 for your terrarium plants.
Transport Cage
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You can use a transport cage to convey your gecko to the vet or from the shop to your house.
It can also be used as temporary housing when you are cleaning its terrarium. You can get a faunarium or critter keeper as a transport cage, and it costs around $20.
Decorations
Decorating your crested gecko enclosure is entirely based on the owner’s choice. Lots of decorations exist, such as branches, fake vines, hides, waterfalls, backgrounds, etc. You can opt for a total package decoration with vines, bamboo bars, hiding places for around $45.
Feeding/Drinking Cups
You can get feeding or drinking cups in pet stores and online. Most of them are usually plastic, but biodegradable cups and you can budget around $10 for 100 cups.
Digital Scale
Knowing the weight of your gecko is among the cares for crested gecko. This helps to know whether your cresties are losing weight. You can use a digital kitchen scale for measuring their weight. It costs around $10-20.
Spray Bottle
Your crested gecko terrarium humidity on average should be around 70-80%, with drops to 50%. You will need to mist crested gecko terrarium once a day. You can buy a pressurized spray bottle for $15, while a normal spray bottle will cost you $5.
Reptile-Safe Disinfectant
You will need a reptile-safe disinfectant to clean your crested gecko terrarium. You can get this type of disinfectant for about $15.
Cost for Food
Crested geckos are omnivorous. In the wild, cresties feed on fruits and insects found in their habitat. In captivity, you can feed them with the same diet or opt for commercial diets. Some cresties owners used to feed their geckos with bugs and fruits only as treats.
If you want to feed them with insects, you will need to sprinkle the insect with calcium supplements once or twice a week. You can get calcium supplements online or in local pet stores for around $4-$16. Live and dead feeder crickets around $34.
Commercial food for your crested geckos would be around $6 to $18. You will find them at online shops or local pet stores.
Cost for Healthcare
Unlike other pets, crested geckos do not need checkups or annual vaccinations. You will only need to visit the vets when your crestie is ill or gets injured. The cost of a veterinary visit is usually between $40 to $60.
However, you will need to pay hundreds of dollars if your crested gecko needs cultures, x-rays, or other tests. Your crested geckos may not need to be taken to vets for a long time.
But you can budget around $200 a year for a visit. You can then use it for other things if you do not visit the vet or just save it for next year.
Other Costs
Breeding Costs
If you are planning to breed your crested gecko, you need to get a separate enclosure for each gecko because you may need to separate them. You can keep hatchlings in 6-quart plastic bins used for shoeboxes, and it is available for around $5 each. Then modify it with a screen or holes for adequate ventilation.
You can also use small Kritter Keepers based on your humidity levels because they can dry out quickly. Some of the other things that you will need are gram scale, incubation box, lay box, and diggable substrate, and hatching medium.
You can make your lay box and incubation box yourself. However, the price for the incubation box is around $21 or more. Hatchling medium like perlite, super hatch cost ranges from $8-20.
Crested Gecko Recurring Cost
You should also put into consideration the recurring cost after your startup cost. Recurring cost consists of buying and replacing things in your gecko’s enclosure.
Some of the recurring costs are crested gecko diet, substrate, feeding/drinking cups, etc. You can budget $20 for a recurring crested gecko diet every three months. You can budget $10 per month as a recurring cost for substrate, $10 every two months for feeding/drinking cups.
Every three months, the total recurring cost for caring for your crested gecko will be about $60.
FAQs
How much does crested gecko food cost?
If you opt for a commercial diet, an 8 oz bag of Pangea Crested Gecko Diet costs around $18. This will last for 6-7 months if you feed your gecko 3-4 times per week.
This means you spend $3 per month. You will need to feed your crested gecko with calcium and multivitamin dusted crickets 2-3 times per month.
Your crested gecko will eat 2-3 crickets per week, and you will get live crickets in pet stores for 15-25 cents. The average crested gecko food cost will be around $3-4 per month.
Why are crested geckos so expensive?
Crested geckos are considered by many to be inexpensive. However, you will pay a lot of money for rare morphs. The price of crested gecko depends on factors such as gender, age, region, the rarity of the morph, and season.
Where can I buy a crested gecko?
You can get to buy your crested geckos from any place in the world. You will find them in pet stores, online stores, reptile expos, and private breeders. You can check online for more information before you decide to buy a crested gecko.
Does PetSmart sell crested geckos?
Yes, they do. However, live pets are only available in-store. Crested geckos may not be available at all the PetSmart stores and may be seasonal. You should note that pet size, color, and gender can also vary by store.
Conclusion
Crested geckos are an excellent pet choice for reptile lovers and pet lovers.
This is because they have great composure, moderate size, and require less responsibility when compared to other pets.
Crested geckos are available in different pet stores and online at a varying price. The cost for a crested gecko varies due to their age, gender, rarity, season, source, and so on.
