Crested Gecko Correlophus ciliatus
The lowest-effort reptile in the hobby, full stop. Room temperature, no UVB, and a powdered fruit diet you mix with water — you never have to keep insects at all. The one thing to remember is that it fears heat, not cold, which is the reverse of almost every other reptile.
⚖️ Legal status · Legal to keep
Native to New Caledonia, which banned wildlife export long ago — the entire trade is captive-bred. Not CITES-listed and not a protected species in China, so keeping one is legal. Never release it.
Check another species →Key parameters
- Lifespan
- 15-20 years
- Adult size
- 20-25 cm total length, 35-55 g
- Diet
- Commercial crested gecko diet (CGD) powder mixed with water, three times a week. Live insects are optional enrichment, not a requirement
- Temperature
- 22-26 °C, and never above 28 °C. Most indoor rooms need no heating equipment at all
- Humidity
- 60-80% at night, allowed to fall back to around 50% by day — it needs a wet-dry cycle, not constant damp
✅ Suits you if
First-time reptile keepers, anyone who does not want a shelf of heating equipment, and anyone who cannot keep live insects at home
🚫 Do not get one if
Homes that regularly exceed 28 °C in summer with no air conditioning; anyone wanting a pet they can handle frequently
Starter equipment list
Buy all of it before the animal arrives, not after.
- Enclosure: vertical, from 45×45×60 cm — arboreal, so height matters more than floor area
- Climbing structure: cork bark, vines and broad-leaved foliage. The denser it is, the more secure the gecko feels
- Feeding ledge: a magnetic cup for the CGD, mounted at mid height
- Substrate: paper towel is simplest; coco coir works for a planted setup, but avoid fine particles
- Spray bottle: mist once in the evening for high overnight humidity, then let it dry out during the day
- Thermometer and hygrometer. Most homes need no heater — the summer problem is cooling, not warming
Most common beginner mistakes
- 1 Heating it like any other reptile — crested geckos are heat-intolerant and above 28 °C is life-threatening. In summer the problem is cooling, not warming
- 2 Assuming the tail grows back — unlike a leopard gecko, a dropped crested gecko tail never regrows. Always support the body when handling
- 3 Feeding only insects and skipping CGD — the diet is a complete formulated food, and leaving it out leads straight to MBD
- 4 A horizontal enclosure — an arboreal species in a shallow tank presses itself against the glass, which is what causes floppy tail syndrome
- 5 Housing two males together — they fight persistently and injure each other. Adult males must be kept alone
- 6 Constant damp with no ventilation — it needs a daily wet-dry cycle; sustained high humidity brings mould and respiratory problems
Common illnesses
| Illness | Common cause | What you'll see |
|---|---|---|
| Metabolic bone disease (MBD) | Feeding only insects without CGD, or feeders not dusted | Soft jaw, trembling limbs, curvature of the spine and tail |
| Floppy tail syndrome | Resting head-down on the glass for long periods, combined with low calcium | Tail base flops to one side; in severe cases the pelvis deforms |
| Incomplete shed | Humidity too low, especially a missing overnight peak | Retained skin on toe tips and tail tip, which constricts toes over time |
| Heat stress | Ambient temperature above 28 °C — the leading killer of crested geckos | Gaping and panting, going limp, colours darkening |
| Impaction | Ingesting fine particulate substrate | Distended abdomen, no defecation for an extended period, refusing food |
Frequently asked
Do crested geckos really need no heating?
In most homes that stay above 20 °C year-round, genuinely no. Their ideal range of 22-26 °C overlaps with human comfort. The real concern is summer — above 28 °C you need air conditioning or active cooling.
What if it drops its tail?
A crested gecko's tail does not regrow — the loss is permanent. It does not affect health or lifespan, and most wild adults are tailless, but check the stump for infection. Prevention is simple: never grab the tail and never reach in suddenly from above.
Can I skip insects entirely?
Yes. Commercial crested gecko diet is a nutritionally complete formulated food and geckos thrive on it alone. Insects mainly add exercise and feeding interest — a bonus rather than a requirement.