Crested Geckos (Rhacodactylus ciliatus)
Crested Geckos are a reasonably new species for me to keep, I have had my little colony for around a year now. And Wow, what fantastic little creatures they are.
Believe it or not, This species was thought to be Extinct up until 1994,
they come from the Islands surrounding New Caledonia, most were found and collected from the Isle of Pines by scientist's and Herpetologists, and due to incredible success in captive breeding, they had become one of the top five Reptiles kept in captivity, in under 10 years.
So you could say they have been brought back from extinction.
Believe it or not, This species was thought to be Extinct up until 1994,
they come from the Islands surrounding New Caledonia, most were found and collected from the Isle of Pines by scientist's and Herpetologists, and due to incredible success in captive breeding, they had become one of the top five Reptiles kept in captivity, in under 10 years.
So you could say they have been brought back from extinction.
How I keep them.
One of my female's Sloughing her skin, Isn't she pretty.
I have six of these beautiful, friendly, exceptionally easy to keep little Geckos. Comprising of two groups, with one male and two females per enclosure.
I keep them in 45 x 45 x 60 Exo-terra glass vivariums. I have tried to keep the enclosures looking as naturalistic as possible, with lots of foliage, branches to clime on and lots of places to hide.
I use a mixture of Coire (Dried, ground, compressed Coconut, that you soak with warm water to create a natural earth/mud type substrate) with a few hand fulls of Orchid bark and some sphagnum moss.
This substrate not only looks like real forest floor, it is very easy to keep clean and helps to keep a high humidity in the vivarium.
I keep them in 45 x 45 x 60 Exo-terra glass vivariums. I have tried to keep the enclosures looking as naturalistic as possible, with lots of foliage, branches to clime on and lots of places to hide.
I use a mixture of Coire (Dried, ground, compressed Coconut, that you soak with warm water to create a natural earth/mud type substrate) with a few hand fulls of Orchid bark and some sphagnum moss.
This substrate not only looks like real forest floor, it is very easy to keep clean and helps to keep a high humidity in the vivarium.
Temperature and uv lighting
Unlike most other reptiles, Cresties do not need a high temperature. They do very well with ambient temperatures in the mid to upper 70s degrees f (24-26 degrees C) so most house holds are warm enough to keep them with out the need of any extra heating, However a Thermostated, low wattage, incandescent red heater bulb may need to added to the enclosure if the temperature drops below this in your home.
All of my reptiles are given U.V Lighting, I believe it to be a important part of their correct care, even though Cresties are crepuscular (meaning they are awake in dusk and dawn not fully nocturnal) so being asleep during the day, I believe they would be exposed to some sunlight where ever they resided during their slumber.
So I give mine 5.0 U.V, however, I reduce the exposure by hanging many plants from the top of the viv, to help break up some of the stronger rays of light from the U.V Bulb/tube.
These lights I run off of a timer (until I fit the Moon and Sun Switches) giving them 8-9 hour days (this time of year, Winter) then I increase this as the seasons change.
All of my reptiles are given U.V Lighting, I believe it to be a important part of their correct care, even though Cresties are crepuscular (meaning they are awake in dusk and dawn not fully nocturnal) so being asleep during the day, I believe they would be exposed to some sunlight where ever they resided during their slumber.
So I give mine 5.0 U.V, however, I reduce the exposure by hanging many plants from the top of the viv, to help break up some of the stronger rays of light from the U.V Bulb/tube.
These lights I run off of a timer (until I fit the Moon and Sun Switches) giving them 8-9 hour days (this time of year, Winter) then I increase this as the seasons change.
Feeding.
Feeding Cresties couldn't be any more simple. There are many commercially bred invertebrates/insect's that are readily available to feed to many insectivorous reptile's, Cresties do eat these, However in the wild they would also eat many types of flowers, nectar and fruits. Due to this fact commercially produced Gecko food is available to buy. I use "Allan Repashsy's Crested Gecko Diet" this food is awesome, it comes in a powdered form, that you mix with water to make a kind of fruity milkshake. My Cresties (and some of my other Arboreal Geckos) love it, apparently it has enough goodness in it to be a complete diet, but I do offer a few Crickets and locust aswel.
Gargoyle Geckos (Rhacodactylus auriculatus)
I have three of these little arboreal beauties, they all born in mid 2012 by a friend of mine,
Their care is very much the same as the Cresties, they are feding on "Repashsy's" and a few insects like crickets or small locust a couple of times a week.
They will get a little larger than the Cresties as adults.
unlike the Cresties, if a Gargoyle looses it's tail, they can re-generate it but it will not be as prehensile as the original tail was.
I love these little critters, such great characters and there are more and more morphs of these being hatched each season.
Their care is very much the same as the Cresties, they are feding on "Repashsy's" and a few insects like crickets or small locust a couple of times a week.
They will get a little larger than the Cresties as adults.
unlike the Cresties, if a Gargoyle looses it's tail, they can re-generate it but it will not be as prehensile as the original tail was.
I love these little critters, such great characters and there are more and more morphs of these being hatched each season.