Crested Gecko Care.

[mlededee]

They are somewhat active at night and sleep pretty much all day. She basically found a place she felt secure to sleep and that's where she will stay until she wakes up and decides to come out and about. Most of mind start to get active around dusk but some don't until later--that's with no light other than some very dim light from a covered window. If you are using lighting in the room or on the cage this may vary.

Also, keep in mind that active for a crested could be coming out and perching on a leaf for to stare at you while you wait for it to do something. Then as soon as you leave the room you hear a thump and all kinds of action.

Here is a thread that has some cresteds of different ages on a ruler for size reference: http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...ad.php?t=26873. From what I can tell yours looks pretty close to adult size, but a ruler pic will definitely help determine that.

[deeplove]

She felt like taking a picture as soon as she woke up.



The new and improved Pad. Vines and leaves. I'm sure she's diggin it.

Can you see her in the bottom?

[deeplove]

HOTTIE ALERT!!! SEXAY!!!



That's in total darkness. Is it a she or a he?

[mlededee]

She looks big enough that she should be showing a bulge if she is a male. Do you know how much she weighs or did you get a photo of her next to a ruler?

That pic of her first waking up is too cute!

[aaramire]

ok maybe this is a silly question but I was wondering what do you keep on the front of the 10 gallon tank( the top if it was right side up) to keep her from escaping? it is unclear to me from the pics and I think this setup is pretty nice!

[deeplove]

She looks big enough that she should be showing a bulge if she is a male. Do you know how much she weighs or did you get a photo of her next to a ruler?

That pic of her first waking up is too cute!

The apple bottom jeans gives her away.



I'm sure she's a female. I do have to get a scale so I can weigh her.

I have to get her on a ruler but she's a bit shy. Every time I've tried, she hops away. I'll try tonight. If so, she's bee very active at night an sleeps during the day. Turning on the daylights, making noise and Armageddon won't wake her up.

She loves her leaves.

ok maybe this is a silly question but I was wondering what do you keep on the front of the 10 gallon tank( the top if it was right side up) to keep her from escaping? it is unclear to me from the pics and I think this setup is pretty nice!

The 10G is actually bottom front. So I keep the top in the back with a 10G top with screen. I don't like how the screen top looks so I placed it backwards. If I need anything, I'll just turn the tank around.

[aaramire]

The apple bottom jeans gives her away.



I'm sure she's a female. I do have to get a scale so I can weigh her.

I have to get her on a ruler but she's a bit shy. Every time I've tried, she hops away. I'll try tonight. If so, she's bee very active at night an sleeps during the day. Turning on the daylights, making noise and Armageddon won't wake her up.

She loves her leaves.



The 10G is actually bottom front. So I keep the top in the back with a 10G top with screen. I don't like how the screen top looks so I placed it backwards. If I need anything, I'll just turn the tank around.

Ahh I see! Thanks so much! I really like this setup and this seems like a great way to keep a crestie!

[deeplove]

Ok guys and gals. I just bought a new pad for my baby and I'll post it up later. I wanted something a bit more fancy per say. The door on the screen top is too small and it isn't as convenient per say.

But anywho...

I bought her some live crickets and I battered them in a nice mixture of Calcium goodies. Now, can I leave the crickets in there overnight for her to eat or are they MAN EATERS?!?

She's really focused on them but I'm sure she doesn't want us around for her Chow Down.

[deeplove]

[NightLad]

Looks fantastic! I have mine in a 18X18X24 Exo-Terra, with a medium Exo-Terra waterfall for a constant humidity of mid-60's to mid-70's, with a spike of 80ish after a late evening misting. Cresties love tall enclosures and vines to hide in. However, it is also important to provide some horizontal perch for them to relax on. Some people believe that sleeping upside-down on the glass can lead to the 'floppy' or 'dead' tail condition in which the muscles at the base of the tail basically stop working and their once near-prehensile tail just sort of flops back and forth like a dead limb.

You can get a Repti Hammock (made by ZooMed) in various sizes and stick it in one of the back corners behind some vines. That works well. You can see a picture of it here: Repti Hammock

Another thing to remember; don't let the temp get over 80. Most people say 82F is the highest, but I prefer 80 just to play it safe. Prolonged exposure to temps above 80-82F are fatal.

If you want to provide a small basking area in one of the upper corners of the enclosure I'd recommend a low wattage (25-30) ceramic heat emitter. I recommend a CHE because in my experience heating/basking lamps kill humidity.

Don't forget to clean the waterfall at least once a week, and to clean out the enclosure at least once per month. A fantastic cleaning agent you can use for this job is "Healthy Habitat all-Natural Cleaner/Deodorizer". It is also a mild disinfectant, devoid of toxins and fully biodegradable. It comes in a convenient spray bottle, so you can just mist out the empty enclosure and wipe it down, then wipe it clean with a water-damp washcloth. You can also use it on the vines and whatnot. (Works great for your BP enclosure too! Some harsher cleaners, like vinegar, will damage the aquarium silicone over time.) See a picture of it here: Healthy Habitat Cleaner

One thing I would caution you to keep an eye on; that substrate you are using. Some people have reported that when lunging for crickets the cresties can get a mouth full of the bark. Depending on the size you are using it may cause issues. The professional Crested Gecko breeders I know don't use anything other than paper or simple paper towels for their animals. I see that you are going for a more 'natural look', and I am totally into that look too, but after some thought I decided that a simple layer of brown parcel paper was good enough. It is also far simpler to clean every month; just roll it up and toss it out. The brown is 'natural' enough looking for me. I put a few stones in each corner of the cage to keep it from rolling up due to humidity over time.

I hope some of my thoughts have been helpful! Again, kudos on the great setup and wonderful new pet! They can live upwards of 20+ years, so your daughter may have a best friend for a long, long time. hehe.