One of the most popular gecko pets is crested geckos. They have amazing personalities so keeping them as a pet would not be that hard no matter if you are a beginner or an advance reptile keeper. Although they are popular with their own spotlight, there are still a lot of facts about them that maybe you may never hear before. So let’s talk more about crested geckos, shall we?
Crested Gecko And 8 Facts You May Never Heard
1. Crested geckos come from archipelago regions
We may easily spot them everywhere now, but what are crested geckos actually? Who are they and where do they come from? So crested geckos, or for short cresties, belong to Diplodactylidae family. They are found the Isle of Pines region in New Caledonia, a group of islands in the southwest Pacific Ocean in 1866. Back then, Crested geckos are thought to be extinct, until 1994 after their rediscovery.
2. Crested geckos are endangered, is that true?
Actually, the number of crested geckos in the wild remains uncertain. Some types of them are believed to be listed as endangered species, while the others are known as vulnerable. The decreasing of crested geckos’ population is due to habitat loss and predators, which is not a good sign if we still want to have them around, isn’t it?
3. Crested Geckos are friendly and excellent pets!
Not only good as a pet because of their personalities but also they have an ideal size too. Crested geckos are not too big, so they don’t require a large space and they are also not too small to be pet. Although their unusual skin structures and their large eyes make them look as if they are intimidating, crested geckos are shy toward human. They are not an aggressive gecko, not even venomous, and often very calm. Crested geckos eat insects and fruits as well. You can also leave them for days without food so you don’t have to worry too much whenever you are on travel or a work trip. Another good news is they are quite affordable too!
Just like we have known before, crested geckos are docile and they are good with handling. You can handle them quite often without any problem as long as it is no more than 10 minutes at a time because they might jump from your hand and run away from you! If you want to hold them longer, like up to 20 minutes, you have to know how to restrain the gecko better.
4. Taking care of crested geckos is not that hard
This type of gecko is relatively easy to take care of. You just need the basic requirements, like to keep them in room temperature with a simple terrarium sets up where it is not too hot like over 82-degree Fahrenheit. For food, you do not always have to give them insects because they are good with fruit treats, nectar or flower pollen, until pureed baby food and commercial foods that you usually find a pet store. They are not a picky eater because even in the wild, they can eat anything that they can find and kill, from snails, spiders, or even birds! So for short, it should not be that hard to take care of them, but make sure you still give them the best treatment and proper care!
5. Crested geckos have a long life span
How long crested gecko can live is actually still on debate. Some studies said that they can live at least 20 years to 30 years of age –according to the native geckos back in their rediscovery in 1994, but most of them that are still available now is still under 10 years of age.
6. Crested Geckos do not have eyelids. They lick their eyeballs!
The first thing that you may notice about crested geckos beside their exotic skin structures are usually their eyes. Their eyes look so big, aren’t they? It is because crested geckos do not have eyelids like leopard geckos (you may also notice how leopard geckos look ‘friendlier’ because of their cutie eyes, right?). Now you may wonder how do they sleep or blink without an eyelid then? Do they sleep?
Of course, they are! But because they don’t have eyelids, whenever they sleep, their eyes are covered with the upper rims, or the part of their eyelashes and they have to lick their eyeballs to keep their eyes clean! How mental is that?
7. Don’t worry, crested geckos are harmless and will not bite you!
Just like we knew earlier, they are truly good friends and pets because they are relatively harmless because they are not venomous and are not prone to biting. They still have some small teeth, though, so if crested gecko bites you, you might hurt you just a little bit, without injuring your skin, of course!
8. Crested geckos can bark!
You read it right, they do ‘bark’ and even chirp with a high and fastpitch when crested geckos are under stress or in an uncomfortable situation (like being held for too long, so be careful!). These voices can be a sign for you to move them into a better place or situation. However, they also usually make some noise when it comes to breeding season, so you don’t have to worry or even confused if you hear them barking and chirping occasionally. Just make sure you understand the time of the season!
That is all about some interesting facts about one of the most unusual yet exotic geckos, which is crested gecko! For here we know that they are originated from New Caledonia archipelago, they are quite easy to take care of, not a picky eater, they lick their eyeballs because they don’t have eyelids, and they can bark or chirp! Sadly, some of them are on the list of endangered and vulnerable animals due to habitat loss and predators. See you later with another fun fact!