Alice White
Many people have pets. And if until recently only dogs, cats, parrots or hamsters were started, now all kinds of lizards and pythons have become very popular. One such animal is the Crested Gecko. There are many species of geckos, they differ in size, habitat, and eating habits. This reptile loves fruits, because of this, it got a different name: the Banano-eating Gecko.
Maintenance and Care
These reptiles, natives of the islands of New Caledonia, live in a subtropical climate and are nocturnal. As a rule, communities are created, which include one male and several females. Long-lived creatures can live up to 20 years, reaching puberty by one and a half years. The Crested Gecko got its name from the scallop that extends from the eyes along the back along the entire body. And Banano-eating got its middle name because of the addiction to bananas. The color is very varied: from orange, brick, to brown.
This lizard is rapidly gaining popularity as a pet. It is unpretentious in care, does not require compliance with complex requirements for maintenance at home. The reptile is not poisonous and not dangerous to humans.
Since the gecko reaches a size of 18-22 centimeters with its tail, it needs a terrarium with a volume of at least 50 liters. If you plan to keep several lizards, then the terrarium must be selected based on the number of reptiles. Experienced owners of these reptiles never settle two males together, because they have a constant rivalry for territory. Better to house one male and several females together.
Lizards are cold-blooded animals, including the Crested Gecko. Keeping this reptile provides for maintaining a comfortable temperature and humidity of the environment:
- daytime temperature +24 +27 degrees;
- temperature night mode + 21 + 24 degrees;
- humidity from 55 to 65%.
Naturally, Crested Gecko has long daylight hours, so a lamp must be installed in the terrarium to maintain the required length of daytime (11-12 hours).
To prevent rickets, vitamin D should be added to the reptile’s diet or an ultraviolet lamp should be turned on for a few minutes. The humidity is checked with a hygrometer, also installed in the lizard’s habitat, and maintained by an automatic spraying system or a manual spray gun. Crested Gecko naturally lives in trees along river banks, so it needs to arrange similar conditions in captivity. As a substrate, plain paper or a mixture of coconut flakes and soil are suitable. In this mixture, you can plant a ficus or dracaena, which will give the home an unusual look. It is also necessary to place artificial stones, snags, and various branches in the terrarium in order to bring the reptile’s living conditions closer to natural ones.
When reaching puberty in reptiles, you can try to get a small gecko. The male reaches puberty earlier than the female. Therefore, the female should be slightly older. Pregnancy lasts a month – one and a half, then the female lays one or two eggs, which she buries in the sand (in natural conditions) or the substrate (in captivity). The small lizard hatches after 3 months while maintaining a constant temperature of 26-27 degrees.
Feeding
In nature, lizards feed on fruits and small insects. At home, you can feed your pet with food for lizards, which is purchased at the pet store. Or you can develop a menu yourself. Grasshoppers, locusts, cockroaches are suitable for food. You just need to be careful about the size of the insect, if the insect is large, then the pet will not be able to swallow it, because the lizard cannot chew. The need for fruit is provided by fruit puree, which can be:
- apricot;
- banana;
- plum;
- peach.
A small lizard needs to be fed every day, an adult 3 times a week. There should always be a drinking bowl with clean water in the terrarium.
Important Information
Like many lizards, the Crested Gecko can throwback its tail to escape the predator. Therefore, you need to be very careful in handling it so as not to damage the tail. Crested Gecko’s tail does not grow back. This reptile is shy, when buying and moving to a new house, it is better to leave the lizard alone for a while, not to pick it up. Give time for the pet to get comfortable in its home.
After that, you can pick it up, only the first time for a short time, a few minutes. Each time, the time can be increased.
