Meet the animal
Crested geckos come from New Caledonia and are most active around dusk and at night. Their feet help them climb, but they still need connected branches and leafy cover to move and rest comfortably. Colour and pattern names describe captive variations, called morphs; they do not identify a different species or prove where an animal came from.
Before you choose one
You may be caring for your gecko for 15–20 years. Choose one animal and budget for food, replacement lighting and a reptile vet, as well as the enclosure. Keeping geckos separately avoids competition, injuries and unexpected breeding. Arrange holiday care before you need it.
Set up its home
Plan a tall enclosure with usable climbing space. Specialist guidance recommends a larger adult enclosure of about 46 × 46 × 91 cm; the RSPCA lists a minimum of 45 × 45 × 60 cm. Furnish the taller option with horizontal and angled branches, sheltered rests at several heights and easy-to-reach feeding ledges. For small juveniles, check every escape gap and make sure food is easy to find.
Temperature and safe heating
Give your gecko a local warm area around 26–28°C and cooler air around 20–24°C. RSPCA describes nights around 18–20°C; specialist recommendations differ slightly. Measure both ends with independent air probes and check heated surfaces separately. Any extra heater needs a compatible thermostat. Watch summer temperatures too: the gecko must always be able to move somewhere cooler.
Daylight, shade and UV
Provide about 12 hours of daytime light and darkness overnight, with dense shade available. UVB helps reptiles make vitamin D3. UV Index, or UVI, measures the exposure reaching the animal; a bulb percentage does not. RSPCA suggests UVI 0.7 and ReptiFiles 1–2, so have the exact installation checked rather than treating either as a proven universal requirement.
Water, moisture and airflow
Mist to leave drinking droplets and a brief humidity rise, then allow exposed surfaces to dry. RSPCA describes rises towards 80% followed by background humidity around 40–50%. Keep a clean water bowl available too. Ventilation and drainage should prevent waterlogged soil; check damp hiding places as well as the air reading.
Food and nutrition
Use a complete crested-gecko diet made for the species, mixed according to its instructions. Fruit mash is not a balanced staple. Suitable gut-loaded insects add variety; gut-loading means feeding the insects nutritious food before offering them. Coordinate insect supplements with the complete diet. Young geckos generally need more frequent food than adults; adjust meals to growth and condition and remove spoiled leftovers.
Behaviour and handling
Let a settled gecko step onto a supported hand, close to a safe surface. Keep sessions brief and stop if it repeatedly tries to get away. Never grab the tail: unlike many geckos, a crested gecko cannot regrow it. Climbing and hiding inside its enclosure matter more than regular handling.
Health and life stages
Watch food intake, weight, grip and toes after shedding. Persistent stuck skin, weakness, abnormal limbs or jaw, wounds and declining condition need a reptile vet. Do not pull shed away or try extra-high supplement doses. Females may lay eggs without breeding being planned, so provide suitable private digging space and seek help for straining, swelling or weakness.
Buying and keeping records
Ask for documented captive-bred origin, age and feeding history. Keep the scientific name and seller records with the animal. Check current requirements before buying across borders, and never release a gecko or enclosure organisms outdoors. A colourful morph name is not a health or origin certificate.
Your care routine
Before arrival, test the furnished enclosure through day and night and arrange food, holiday cover and a reptile vet. Each day, check the gecko, water, food and measured conditions. Remove waste, inspect drainage and fixings, and review the setup as the gecko grows. A bioactive enclosure still needs cleaning and observation.
YOUR CHECKLIST
0 of 8 ticked
Crested gecko — Correlophus ciliatus
Care hub: wildformexotics.co.uk/animals/crested-gecko/
Ticks are kept only while this page is open. Print or download a copy before leaving. Completing the checklist does not establish that an animal is well or an installation is safe.
Use these reminders alongside the full guide. Adjust feeding and maintenance to your animal’s condition and measured enclosure conditions.
Sources
- Correlophus ciliatus (The Reptile Database; Uetz and Hallermann)
- Caring for your crested gecko (RSPCA)
- Crested gecko care (Mariah Healey / ReptiFiles)
- Crested gecko terrarium size requirements (ReptiFiles)
- Crested gecko temperatures and humidity (ReptiFiles)
- How much UVB does my reptile need? The UV-Tool (Baines et al.; Journal of Zoo and Aquarium Research)
- Crested gecko food (ReptiFiles)
- Importing non-native animals (GOV.UK / APHA and Defra)
- Guidance on section 14 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act (GOV.UK / Defra)
- Import of pet invertebrates, amphibians and reptiles: IIN (GOV.UK / APHA and Defra)
- Import or export endangered species: check if you need a CITES permit (GOV.UK / APHA and Defra)
Equipment checklist
Equipment examples for Crested gecko, grouped by care need. Read the checks before choosing. Shop links are Amazon affiliate links. Items without a verified Amazon match have no shop link.
Plan the whole setup: These examples cover only part of the setup. Meet every care need and test the finished enclosure before arrival. Suitable equipment you already own may meet the need; optional tools are labelled.
Check each item for your animal’s size and life stage, safe access, compatible controls and measured conditions. The list does not certify an installation.
Secure enclosure
Essential care need
Usable adult dimensions and escape-proof ventilation
Plan first: Verify inside measurements after décor and lamp guards; choose floor or climbing style for the species.
Temperature control and measurement
Essential care need
A thermostat for every heat source plus independent warm/cool readings
Plan first: Match dimming or on/off control to the heater, guard exposed lamps and put probes at animal level.
Exo Terra Digital Thermometer
Model: PT2472
Measure air temperature at animal height. Take independent warm and cool readings where the care plan needs a gradient.
Fit check: The remote probe measures air at one location. Keep it away from direct lamp heat, secure it safely and keep the display outside. Use separate probes for warm and cool areas where needed. Minimum/maximum readings help track changes; this device does not measure surfaces or control heating. Use a water-rated thermometer for submerged readings.
HabiStat Digital Dimming Thermostat Day/Night + Timer
Model: HTDD
Only for a compatible heater when extra heat is needed
Regulate a compatible heater using separate day and night settings. The thermostat does not produce heat.
Fit check: HTDD controls compatible heaters up to 600 W, with no minimum load and a 0–50°C setting range. Socket I regulates the heater; socket II switches a separately verified load on a timer without temperature control. Never connect UVB to the dimming heater socket; the 600 W rating does not confirm T5 ballast compatibility. Guard the heater, secure the probe as instructed without tape and keep electrics dry. Check warm and cool areas with independent thermometers. The controller cannot cool a hot enclosure.
Zoo Med ReptiTemp Digital Infrared Thermometer
Model: RT-1
Spot-check basking surfaces and other accessible surfaces; use an air probe for air temperature.
Fit check: Use this for surface temperatures, with air probes for air readings. Follow the distance and spot-size instructions, and account for reflective surfaces. It cannot measure internal body temperature.
Also plan for: Select the heat source, fitting and guard for this enclosure and room before buying the controller; no heater wattage is selected here.
Lighting and shade
Essential care need
A predictable day/night cycle and species-appropriate measured UV gradient
Plan first: Check the installed lamp, mesh, distance and animal-accessible basking position; preserve zero-UV shade.
Solarmeter Model 6.5R UV Index Meter
Model: 6.5R
Use your own meter or arrange an exposure check
Measure UV Index at the animal’s reachable basking and resting positions, with the fitted screen and guards in place.
Fit check: Use a 6.5 or 6.5R UV Index meter, rather than a UVB irradiance meter. Measure all reachable positions and shaded retreats through the fitted screen and guards. You can borrow a suitable meter or arrange a competent exposure check instead of buying one. Confirm UK supply if buying.
Also plan for: If a timer is needed, choose one confirmed as compatible with the actual lighting load, including the UVB ballast. A suitable existing timed socket may meet the need. Agree a lighting and UV exposure plan for your animal before choosing a lamp. Keep a regular day-night cycle and accessible shade. No lamp model is selected here.
Water and hygiene
Essential care need
Accessible clean water and species-safe cleaning tools
Plan first: Choose a stable bowl/ledge sized for the animal and clean it when fouled.
Exo Terra Water Dish Small
Model: PT2801
Provide accessible drinking water in a small, clean dish.
Fit check: PT2801 measures 5.5 × 6.5 × 3 cm externally. Check the usable basin, stability, safe water depth and easy entry and exit for your animal. Outside measurements do not establish a soaking fit. Clean and refresh water at least daily and whenever soiled. This is a small drinking dish, not an adult snake, dragon, frog or tortoise basin. Tiny spiderlings may need a smaller receptacle.
Alternative equipment
Exo Terra Mini Mister — 0.5 L
PT2489; 0.5 L hand spray bottle. The Amazon title uses 16 US fluid ounces; this is not the conflicting 1.5/2 L pressure sprayer.
Use an existing suitable fine sprayer if you have one. Follow the individual wet-dry cycle; do not spray the animal, soak every surface or substitute misting for drinking water.
A manual misting tool only where the individual care plan calls for it. Use clean water, keep the bottle hygienic and free of chemicals, and do not spray directly at the animal. Check substrate/refuge moisture and drying/airflow rather than misting to a universal schedule.
Climbing and secure retreat
Essential care need
Connected branches, broad perches and multiple shaded hides
Plan first: Fix décor securely and leave access to cooler and more humid choices.
Exo Terra Jungle Vines Large
Model: PT3086
Add a securely fixed climbing route.
Fit check: PT3086 is about 182 cm long and 1.5 cm across. Check that the animal can grip it, secure it against movement and avoid trapping gaps or unsafe falls. Add broad resting cover where needed. It cannot replace food stems or a secure ceiling grip for moulting.
Alternative equipment
Zoo Med Natural Cork Round — select actual dimensions
Three natural small cork rounds; lengths, openings and shapes vary. One natural medium cork round; lengths, openings and shapes vary.
Choose actual dimensions and openings for this individual, support securely and avoid trapping or fall hazards. This is one component, not the complete set of retreats, broad resting surfaces or a grippable moult ceiling.
Select and, where appropriate, cut an actual piece to fit the animal and enclosure. Secure it without trapping gaps and keep hard pieces outside tarantula fall zones. Cork is a refuge or climbing component, not food substrate or a complete moulting ceiling.
Use only if the actual delivered opening and length fit the animal and leave its required usable enclosure space. Secure the piece and avoid hard fall zones. This option is not an automatic upgrade for a small spider enclosure.
