Should I get a leopard gecko or a crested gecko?
Both are great first geckos that want almost opposite setups, so choose by your home and how you want to feed. A crested gecko needs no hot basking lamp (and must stay under ~82°F), lives in a tall planted enclosure, and eats a complete powdered diet — ideal for a cooler room and no live bugs. A leopard gecko wants a warm basking surface, a horizontal desert setup, and live insects, but is very calm to handle. Neither is harder — they just fit different keepers.
🛒 Getting one🏠 Setup
Full guide: leopard vs crested gecko →Compare side by side →
Does a crested gecko need a heat lamp?
Usually not — cresties thrive at ordinary room temperature (about 72–78°F), and their real danger is the opposite: sustained temperatures above the mid-80s°F cause heat stress and can be fatal. If your room is cool you might use a gentle low-wattage source on a thermostat, but for most keepers no basking lamp is needed. Keeping them cool enough is the priority.
☀️ Heat & UVB🏠 Setup
Full guide: heat & UVB →Crested gecko guide →
What do crested geckos eat — do they need live insects?
The easy part of crestie keeping: a complete commercial crested gecko diet (CGD) powder — like Pangea or Repashy — mixed with water and offered every 2–3 days is a full, balanced diet. Insects a couple of times a week are optional enrichment, not a requirement. Don't feed plain fruit or baby food as a staple — it lacks the calcium and balance they need.
🍽️ Feeding
Crested gecko guide →
My crested gecko dropped its tail — will it grow back?
No, and that's okay — unlike leopard geckos, crested geckos don't regrow a dropped tail, and most adult cresties in captivity are tailless ('frogbutts'). They live completely normal, healthy lives without it. Just keep the wound clean (paper towel for a while) and handle gently. Dropping the tail is a natural stress/escape response, not an injury you caused.
🤔 Behaviour🩺 Health
Is this normal? →
How humid should a crested gecko be?
Aim for 60–80%, allowed to dry back to around 40–50% between mistings — constant sogginess breeds mould and respiratory illness. Mist in the evening (and again in the morning if it dries out), and the gecko will drink the droplets. A cycle of humid-then-drier is healthier than keeping it permanently wet.
💧 Humidity & shedding🏠 Setup
Full guide: humidity & shedding →Crested gecko guide →
My crested gecko won't eat its CGD
First rule out the simple things: fresh-mixed diet (it spoils in a day), the right consistency, offered in the evening, and a temperature that isn't too cold or dangerously hot. New cresties often take a week or two to settle before eating well. Weigh weekly — cresties can go a while between good meals, but ongoing weight loss means a vet.
🍽️ Feeding🩺 Health
Full feeding guide →Is this normal? →
Common reptile questions that also apply
These apply to every reptile, crested gecko included — tap through to the full answer.
Crested gecko · 6 questions