Species · Tropical arboreal gecko
Crested Gecko
Correlophus ciliatus
The no-heat-lamp, fruit-eating arboreal gecko — arguably the easiest reptile to start with.
Difficulty: BeginnerPrintable care sheet →
Crested geckos are gentle, big-eyed, tree-dwelling geckos with eyelash-like crests and an unfair amount of personality. They're the low-effort dream reptile: they thrive at household room temperature, eat a complete fruit-based powder you just mix with water, and don't need blazing lights. Your main job is keeping them cool enough and humid enough — and not panicking when they drop their tail, which is normal for the species.
Or browse common Crested Gecko questions →
Care at a glance
| Adult size | 4.5–5.5 in body (~7–8 in with tail; many adults are tailless) |
|---|---|
| Lifespan | 15–20 years |
| Enclosure | Adult minimum 18×18×24 in, oriented vertically (they're arboreal) and densely planted with climbing cover. Babies do better in a smaller enclosure at first so they can find food. |
| Basking / warm zone | No hot basking zone needed. A gentle warm area up to ~82–85°F (28–29°C) at most — and no higher. Sustained temperatures above the mid-80s°F cause heat stress and can be fatal. |
| Cool side | Ideal ambient is ordinary room temperature, ~72–78°F (22–26°C). |
| Night | Night 65–72°F (18–22°C) — a natural cool-down they appreciate. |
| UVB & lighting | Low UVB is recommended (Ferguson Zone 1): UVI 1.0–2.0 at the basking branch (e.g. a low-percentage T5 ShadeDweller bulb). They can also get D3 from a complete diet, but UVB is a healthy bonus. |
| Humidity | 60–80%, allowed to dry back to ~40–50% between mistings — constant sogginess breeds mould and respiratory illness. Mist in the evening (and again in the morning if needed). |
| Substrate | Simple paper towel (great for beginners) or a bioactive tropical mix (topsoil/coconut fibre). Note loose particulate can pose an impaction risk to very small geckos (under ~13 g). |
| Diet | The easy part: a complete commercial crested gecko diet (CGD) powder — e.g. Pangea or Repashy — mixed with water, offered every 2–3 days. Insects 1–2×/week are an optional enrichment, not a requirement. No live food is needed at all. |
| Supplements | Generally none — a complete CGD is balanced. If you feed extra insects, dust them with calcium. |
What it's like to live with a Crested Gecko
Crested geckos are about as low-maintenance as a reptile gets, which is why they have become such a favourite. They are nocturnal and arboreal — by day they wedge themselves against the glass or under a leaf, and at night they come alive, climbing and leaping around their planted vertical world. There is no hot lamp to manage and no live feeding required if you use a complete powdered diet, so the daily routine is really just a misting and a food change. They are confident little geckos and can be handled, but they are leapers — you "gecko-walk" them hand over hand, low over a soft surface, rather than holding them still.
Your first month together
The settling-in period, in order — so you know what's normal and when not to worry.
- Let it settle for a week with minimal handling — a new crestie will hide by day and explore at night, which is exactly what you want to see.
- Mist the enclosure in the evenings: it lifts the humidity for a clean shed and gives the gecko water droplets to drink from, which is how they prefer to hydrate.
- Offer complete crested gecko diet (CGD) every other evening in a shallow dish; a settling gecko may eat lightly at first, then pick up.
- Keep it under about 82°F at all times — with cresties, overheating is the real danger, not cold.
- Once it is settled and feeding, start brief "gecko-walking" handling low over a bed or sofa — and never grab the tail, because a dropped crested-gecko tail does not grow back.
Through the year, and as they grow
Crested geckos are fairly steady year-round but tend to slow and eat a little less in the cooler months, with no cause for concern. Hatchlings grow quickly and benefit from daily food, while adults are happy on the every-other-day rhythm. The one constant across every season is temperature: keep them cool enough, and watch that a summer heatwave never pushes the enclosure past the low 80s°F.
The pet store gets these wrong
Common myths, kindly corrected — no shame for having believed them.
- They need a heat lamp — usually not; room temperature is ideal and overheating is the real danger.
- They must have live insects — no; a complete CGD powder is a full diet.
- Baby food or plain fruit is fine to feed — no; it lacks the calcium and balance of CGD.
- A dropped tail is an emergency — no; crested geckos drop their tail naturally and live perfectly well without it (it won't grow back).
Before you buy
- An 18×18×24 in vertical, planted enclosure.
- A way to keep them under ~82°F in summer (this is the real risk, not cold).
- Commercial CGD powder and a mister.
- A 15–20 year commitment.
See a reptile vet if…
We can't diagnose from afar — but these are the signs to stop watching and get a professional:
- A wavy, rubbery jaw or a permanently kinked "floppy tail" (signs pointing to metabolic bone disease / calcium deficiency).
- Gaping, lethargy, or collapse in heat — treat overheating as an emergency: cool it down and call a vet.
- Not eating with visible weight loss over weeks.
- Stuck shed on the toes (can cost toes) or eyes.
- A firm, swollen belly with no droppings (possible impaction).
Never
- Never let the enclosure exceed the mid-80s°F — heat kills cresties faster than cold.
- Never rely on fruit or baby food as the diet.
- Never keep it constantly soaking wet (mould and respiratory infection).
- Never house two males together.
- Never assume a dropped tail needs treatment — keep the area clean and it heals.
Common crested gecko questions
How hard are Crested Geckos to keep — are they good for beginners?
Beginner. Arguably the single easiest reptile to start with — room temperature, a complete powdered diet, no live food required. The one real danger is heat: they overheat easily.
What do Crested Geckos eat?
The easy part: a complete commercial crested gecko diet (CGD) powder — e.g. Pangea or Repashy — mixed with water, offered every 2–3 days. Insects 1–2×/week are an optional enrichment, not a requirement. No live food is needed at all.
How big an enclosure do Crested Geckos need?
Adult minimum 18×18×24 in, oriented vertically (they're arboreal) and densely planted with climbing cover. Babies do better in a smaller enclosure at first so they can find food.
What basking temperature do Crested Geckos need?
No hot basking zone needed. A gentle warm area up to ~82–85°F (28–29°C) at most — and no higher. Sustained temperatures above the mid-80s°F cause heat stress and can be fatal.
What should the cool side be for Crested Geckos?
Ideal ambient is ordinary room temperature, ~72–78°F (22–26°C).
What night-time temperature do Crested Geckos need?
Night 65–72°F (18–22°C) — a natural cool-down they appreciate.
What UVB and lighting do Crested Geckos need?
Low UVB is recommended (Ferguson Zone 1): UVI 1.0–2.0 at the basking branch (e.g. a low-percentage T5 ShadeDweller bulb). They can also get D3 from a complete diet, but UVB is a healthy bonus.
What humidity do Crested Geckos need?
60–80%, allowed to dry back to ~40–50% between mistings — constant sogginess breeds mould and respiratory illness. Mist in the evening (and again in the morning if needed).
What substrate do Crested Geckos need?
Simple paper towel (great for beginners) or a bioactive tropical mix (topsoil/coconut fibre). Note loose particulate can pose an impaction risk to very small geckos (under ~13 g).
What supplements do Crested Geckos need?
Generally none — a complete CGD is balanced. If you feed extra insects, dust them with calcium.
How big do Crested Geckos get?
4.5–5.5 in body (~7–8 in with tail; many adults are tailless)
How long do Crested Geckos live?
15–20 years
What are the signs Crested Geckos are sick or need a vet?
See a reptile or exotics vet if you notice: A wavy, rubbery jaw or a permanently kinked "floppy tail" (signs pointing to metabolic bone disease / calcium deficiency).; Gaping, lethargy, or collapse in heat — treat overheating as an emergency: cool it down and call a vet.; Not eating with visible weight loss over weeks.; Stuck shed on the toes (can cost toes) or eyes.; A firm, swollen belly with no droppings (possible impaction)..
Your first two weeks ·Taming & handling ·Behaviours explained ·Won't eat? ·Stuck shed ·When to see a vet
Sources & further reading
This guide was written and fact-checked against these authorities. It's kind, general guidance — not a diagnosis or a substitute for an exotics vet:
- ReptiFiles — Crested Gecko Care — Min 18×18×24 vertical, warm area 82–85°F max / ambient 72–78°F / night 65–72°F, UVI 1.0–2.0 (Zone 1), humidity 60–80% drying to 40–50%, CGD diet every 2–3 days, substrate/impaction <13g.
- Association of Reptilian & Amphibian Veterinarians (ARAV) — Find-an-exotics-vet; MBD / floppy tail syndrome.
- Merck Veterinary Manual — reptiles — Metabolic bone disease, thermal stress, dysecdysis.
Written and fact-checked by The Baskden Team against veterinarian-authored sources — if your reptile shows a red-flag sign above, see an exotics vet promptly.