Crested & Gargoyle Geckos
Correlophus ciliatus & Rhacodactylus auriculatus
New Caledonia Geckos
Housing Your Gecko
Although both species of gecko are relatively small, they do require plenty of room for climbing. For this reason, an enclosure with plenty of height is important, especially as they grow towards adulthood. Although hatchling geckos are often kept in plastic “shoebox” style enclosures or medium sized Kritter Keepers, as they reach adulthood enclosures of at least 12 x 12 x 18"(crested) or 18 x 18 x 24"(gargoyle) provide the space the gecko needs to move around. We strongly recommend 18 x 18 x 24” for both species.
Although some people have had success keeping female geckos housed together, it is important to watch for fighting between them. Males should never be housed together. In our opinion, the best option is to always house geckos individually.
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Provide your gecko with lots of plants, branches and places to climb. Gargoyle geckos are not as well suited to climbing on glass and smooth surfaces - so they will require even more rough surfaces to climb. Although items found in nature can be used in the enclosure - one must be careful not to introduce parasites, pesticides, bacteria and fungus to the tank. Often purchasing organic live plants or artificial plants and vines is a safer choice.
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There are a number of options for substrate on the bottom of the enclosure. We use paper towel for our hatchling geckos as it is clean, inexpensive and easy to replace. Eco-Earth is better than paper towel at keeping the humidity up, but should be avoided for geckos under one year of age. Wood chips, sand and gravel should be avoided as it can cause impaction if your gecko happens to eat some by mistake. Care should also be taken when using "reptile carpet" as a substrate as it can harbour and grow bacteria that is harmful to the gecko.
Clean the enclosure on a regular basis to control odours and provide a safe and healthy place for your gecko to live.
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Temperature, Humidity and Lighting
One of the most important aspects of keeping your new Crested or Gargoyle Gecko happy and healthy is learning to control the temperature and humidity of your pet’s enclosure. Geckos are usually not able to survive temperatures that exceed 30C (85F) or drop below 16C (60F).
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Your gecko should be kept between 21 and 26C (70-79F) although it is safe for temperatures to drop a few degrees at night. Geckos thrive when kept in the middle of the range, at around 24-25C (75-77 F). A quality thermometer will help in keeping proper temperatures.
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Your gecko also requires 50% and 80% humidity to remain healthy. Misting the enclosure once or twice a day usually allows the humidity to remain in a safe zone - and the higher humidity levels directly after misting are also beneficial to your reptile. A hygrometer will help you keep track of the humidity in the tank.
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Although Gargoyle and Crested Geckos are nocturnal, it is important to maintain a proper day/night light cycle for your pet. We recommend providing 8-12 hours of light to the enclosure each day. The enclosure does not require any special lighting equipment if they receive light from a window, room lighting or other sources.
If you choose to provide supplemental lighting for the enclosure we recommend using a LED or other source of light that doesn’t give off heat. Unlike many other reptiles, UVB light is not necessary for your gecko, although some keepers choose to provide a low intensity UV light source.
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Never place the enclosure in direct sunlight as it can quickly overheat.
Feeding
In nature, Crested and Gargoyle Geckos eat a combination of fruits and insects. In captivity, one of the easiest ways to provide the proper balance of these two foods is through the use of a Meal Replacement Diet (MRD). Two of the major brands of these diets are Pangea and Repashy. Although both of these brands are very high quality, here at Emeth Zoo we have chosen to use a variety of flavours of the Pangea brand, as we have found our geckos take it more readily.
Both of these MRD foods comes in a powder form and are mixed with water until it is a thin paste (we mix ours a little more liquidly than ketchup). This food provides everything your gecko needs to thrive. Leftover food should be replaced every second day to prevent mold. You should look for food dishes that are small and easy to clean. Our hatchlings are fed out of empty 500ml water bottle lids.
Both species of geckos may also eat crickets (especially in their first year) but they are not necessary. If you decide to feed crickets, they should be no larger than the distance between their eyes - and should only be fed once a week. It has been observed that geckos that eat crickets as hatchlings tend to have a better feeding response to the MRD, grow quicker, and ultimately are a little larger than geckos that are not fed crickets.
In our experience, Crested hatchlings are much more likely to hunt for crickets than our Gargoyle hatchlings. Wild caught insects can contain pesticides or parasites, and therefore should never be fed to your gecko. Mealworms and Superworms from the pet store should be fed with caution, especially with younger geckos, as there have been cases where they have led to digestive issues.
Shedding and Stuck Skin
As part of the growth process, geckos regularly shed off their old layer of skin., but there is often no evidence that they have shed because they usually shed at night and generally eat their skin. Unfortunately, sometimes their shed skin becomes stuck to their body and they may need some assistance. The best way to prevent a stuck shed is to ensure the humidity in the tank remains in safe limits, and providing a moist hide for your pet.
Here at Emeth Zoo, when a gecko has trouble shedding, we often place them in a “humid container” for 20-25 minutes. Place some damp paper towel or sphagnum moss in the bottom of a plastic container with a few wholes in the lid. Make sure the water is room temperature and not too warm. Afterwards, you can help roll off the old skin with a damp Q-tip. Repeat if necessary. Stuck sheds can be dangerous to your gecko, and can lead to health problems including lost toes or limbs.
Handling your Gecko
We have found that both Crested and Gargoyle Geckos are quite easy to handle, although each gecko can have their own personalities. Avoid holding the gecko tightly, as they usually prefer to walk freely on your hands and they are prone to overheating if held tightly. Never grab or hold your gecko by the tail, as they may “drop”their tail. Tails may also be dropped if they are pinched, so be careful when opening or closing the enclosure. Gargoyle geckos will eventually grow a new tail - although it often looks slightly different than their original tail. Crested geckos will not regrow their tail - but can live a happy and healthy life without it.
Young geckos can be jumpy - but with consistent, careful handling most geckos become quite content to be handled. It is wise to limit the handling of young geckos to short 10-15 minute long sessions once or twice a day as this will allow the gecko to become comfortable with being held without becoming too stressed. With hatchling geckos, we recommend handling them while sitting on the floor, so if they jump - it isn't far to fall. As your gecko reaches adulthood, they can tolerate more hands on interaction.
Geckos should not be handled for about a week or two after moving into a new enclosure as this gives them time to become familiar with their new surroundings.
With proper care your gecko could live for 15-20 years.
Crested and Gargoyle Geckos originate from New Caldonia (between Fiji and Australia), and are ideal pets for new reptile owners as they are probably two of the easiest reptile species to keep. Gargoyles are very similar to Cresteds, but are a little larger, heavier and more prehistoric looking than their smaller cousins. Many people find that the Gargoyles tend to be less jumpy and tolerate handling better than Cresteds. The care of these two species is quite similar, with some of the differences noted in the areas below.