Also, new book on Crested Geckos, published by Magnet and Steel and at
present available from all Pets at Home stores.
Crested gecko (Rhacodactylus ciliatus). Photographed by Drew Buckley
In many ways an ideal first lizard, crested gecko care is relatively simple.
They need daytime temperatures in the mid-twenties centigrade, but allowing it
to fall a few degrees at night. If they are provided with a suitable dietary
source of vitamin D3 then no full-spectrum light is required, although they may
benefit from lights emiting low UVB level. Cresties are naturally partially
frugivorous which means that in addition to standard live insect fare such as
crickets and mealworms, they will also take pureed fruits including baby foods
(make sure that no milk or milk products are present in the ingredients).
Because they will willingly take inanimate foods then dried crickets and
mealworms will also be accepted. All foods should have a calcium supplement (I
recommend Nutrobal by Vetark) either mixed into it (fruit puree) or in the case
of insects dusted on to them (dead or alive) or fed to them (gut-loading of
live insects). Commercially available powdered crested gecko foods are suitable
for adult cresties, although the growth rate of hatchlings can be slower than
on live foods. A common mistake is to mix these powdered diets with fruit puree
- remember that a 50:50 mix of the two will immediately halve the nutritional
value of the commercial diet - including the protein, calcium and dietary
vitamin D3 levels.