vet4dragons is a veterinary service for aquatic and exotic pets run by
Lance Jepson MA VetMB CBiol MSB MRCVS.
Did you see Lance on BBC Wales' X-ray?
New surgery hours on Wednesdays at St. James' Parkway
Clinic, Swansea
Also, new book on Crested Geckos, published by Magnet and Steel and at present available from all Pets at Home stores.
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.
vet4dragons