When you first purchase a crested gecko, you will most likely get an older juvenile or adult crested gecko because they are simpler to manage. You can, however, purchase a newborn crested gecko if you are a more experienced owner. Baby crested geckos are simpler to bond with, and you’ll get to learn how to care for a crested gecko at practically every stage of its life: hatchling, juvenile, and adult.
Young geckos are actively growing and consume more of their food resources and energy for growth, therefore when provided a balanced diet, they rarely get overweight. They shed more frequently, therefore you’re more likely to encounter shed difficulties in hatchlings.
Because of their diminutive size, they can also dry up faster, making humidity a little more difficult. Make sure to strike a balance between enough ventilation and suitable humidity. This article will teach you everything you need to know about young crested geckos and how to care for them. You will also learn the finest methods to care for them.
Baby Crested Gecko
It takes about 2-3 months for newborn crested geckos to hatch from their eggs. They are normally tiny after hatching, measuring 2.5 to 3 inches and weighing approximately 2g. Cresties’ size and weight will be determined by a variety of factors, including incubation temperature and genetics.
It is, nevertheless, ideal to weigh and measure your baby cresties once a week. You can weigh them with a kitchen scale.
The typical growth rate of baby crested geckos is shown in the table below.
| Age | Weight |
| 1 month | 2 grams |
| 2 month | 3 grams |
| 3 month | 4 grams |
| 4 month | 5 grams |
| 5 month | 7 grams |
| 6 month | 9 grams |
How Much Does a Crested Gecko Cost? What About Supplies?
If you’re anything like me, the first thing that comes to mind is certainly price. If you already have a crested gecko, you can go forward to the next section. However, if you haven’t already obtained your young crested gecko, you’ll want to acquire everything you’ll need ahead of time.
- Tank/enclosure – $150
- Artificial plants – $10
- Artificial vines – $10
- Substrate – $15
- Food/water dish – $15
- Temperature gauge – $10
- Spray bottle – $5
- Food – $20
So, how much does it cost to buy everything you need for a crested gecko all at once?
There are a few elements that come into play. One of the most important considerations is where you shop. If you go to a pet store like Petsmart or Petco, you will wind up spending much more than if you buy everything online.
The price of a crested gecko is determined by its age. Hatchlings and young juveniles are typically less expensive than adult crested geckos. A crested gecko’s price can also be influenced by its gender.
However, a newborn crested gecko from a good breeder would cost you between $50 and $100.
All of my reptile supplies are purchased from Amazon. As a result, below is a general estimate of the expenditures connected with purchasing a crested gecko:
So, once you’ve purchased everything you’ll need to supply for your crestie, you’ll most likely spend roughly $235. The price of the crested gecko will vary based on the morph. The morph is essentially the crestie’s color scheme or pattern.
Some of the more expensive morphs, such as the Tricolor Harlequin and the Tiger, can cost up to $500. A young crested gecko, on the other hand, will most likely cost approximately $40.
Where Can You Purchase A Baby Crested Gecko?
Crested gecko can be found practically anywhere in the world. However, because crested geckos are more popular, they are easier to obtain in the United States. Some of the venues where you may purchase a newborn crested gecko are as follows:
• Online
• Pet businesses in your neighborhood
• Exhibits of reptiles
• Individual breeders
• Reptile rescues
It should be noted that not all breeders are good people since some prioritize profit over the health of the gecko. Before purchasing a gecko, it is advisable to obtain as much information as possible about it. You should also search for evidence that the gecko is in good health and does not have any health problems.
How to Handle a Baby Crested Gecko
Baby crested geckos are small and swift, making them difficult to manage, especially for beginners. They are also unaccustomed to being handled and will attempt to jump away, which can be dangerous if they don’t have anything to hop on and fall to the ground.
It is best not to handle a baby crested gecko until it is a little older (six months and older). The only exception is that you will need to handle them in order to weigh and measure them, as well as clean the container.
When handling a baby crested gecko, use caution and avoid grabbing it by the tail. This is a recipe for stress and tail loss.
Here are some more helpful hints for caring for your young crested gecko:
- To minimize stress, replace the food and water when your crestie is sleeping.
- Instead of handling your gecko the entire time you clean the habitat, place it on a branch.
- Before touching your young crestie, create a peaceful environment by removing any noises that could frighten them. Reduce the volume of the television and ask your children (if any) to remain calm and avoid rushing about. They will be less alert and less prone to run and leap around as a result of this.
- Hand walking is a fantastic initial step in dealing with your cresties. You essentially allow your gecko to move freely along your arms. When they are around three months old, do this for one or two minutes every day and progressively increase the hand walking time to as much as 15 minutes.
Health
There are a few health concerns you should be aware of while you grow your newborn crested geckos, the most prevalent of which is shedding. Hatchlings shed at a significantly higher pace than adults (once a week), leaving them more prone to blocked shed and dehydration.
If untreated, trapped shed restricts blood flow to the affected area of the body, causing irritation, damage, and even amputation. As a result, you should check for symptoms of unshed skin around the toes and tail area once a week.
Housing a Baby Crested Gecko
The care of baby crested geckos is similar to that of adult crested geckos. They both require a humidity level of 50 to 80 percent. The temperature should also be between 72 and 78 degrees Fahrenheit (22 to 26 degrees Celsius) during the day and 69 and 74 degrees Fahrenheit (20 and 23 degrees Celsius) at night. 12 to 14 hours of indirect sunlight or artificial light should be provided per day. There is no need for additional lighting at night.
The three significant changes in housing a young crested gecko are the cage, the substrate, and the plants.
Baby crested geckos’ enclosure
Baby crested geckos (up to 10 grams) can be housed in small containers and do not require a terrarium. It is even better to keep them in smaller containers or tanks with a minimum capacity of 1.5 to 5 gallons, such as a faunarium or a very small terrarium (8′′x 8′′x 12′′). Juveniles weighing between 10 and 25 grams can be housed in the first tiny terrarium of between 7 and 10 gallons.
Hatchlings and juveniles will require these smaller enclosures because they will frequently struggle to obtain food in a larger cage. They merely require a modest environment with a few plants or branches and do not require a whole system with climbing opportunities.
Because they are not habituated to the size of the terrarium, some adult crested geckos will struggle to transition to larger terrariums. You can gently transition your crested gecko to a larger terrarium by gradually switching to larger enclosures as the young crested gecko matures.
Substrates for baby crested gecko
Baby crested geckos are little counterparts of adult crested geckos. Because baby crested geckos are so little, they cannot be housed in the same substrate as adults.
The substrate for juvenile crested geckos should be easy to clean and should pose little risk of ingestion. This removes a lot of substrate alternatives, leaving you with only two: bark and soil, both of which can be easily swallowed.
I would recommend using one of the following substrates for your young crested gecko:
• No substrate: There is obviously no chance of ingesting if you do not use a substrate in a terrarium for a young crested gecko. However, there is a risk connected with not employing a substrate. The high humidity required by baby crested geckos will result in an accumulation of water on the terrarium’s surface. There is also the chance that bacteria will grow in the absence of a substrate. As a result, daily cleaning will be required.
• Paper substrates: Paper is a more common substrate for newborn crested geckos. It’s a cheap and safe approach to give the infants their first substrate to walk on. You can use old newspapers or paper towels, and you can keep using them as your baby crested gecko grows. It is probable that your hatchling will shred the paper and try to devour it. In this instance, you can use butcher paper, which is much stronger and less likely to tear.
Older juveniles can be housed in terrariums with a more naturalistic substrates, but I recommend being cautious and waiting until your crested gecko is an adult before getting a substrate with an ingestion risk.
Plants and branches for terrariums
Terrarium plants can be used as a hiding place as well as a way to climb around and explore the enclosure. Live terrarium plants are useful for increasing humidity and giving the terrarium a more natural appearance. Baby crested geckos, on the other hand, benefit more from fake vines. A small container is also not a good place to put live plants.
To make hiding areas, gather one or two little branches and a few fake plants or vines. Like an adult crested gecko’s terrarium, at least half of the container should be free of plants.
You can begin by keeping live terrarium plants in a terrarium for your older juvenile crested gecko.
Feeding a Baby Crested Gecko
When you obtain a hatchling or juvenile gecko, the first important thing to think about is feeding them. What exactly do they eat? How frequently do they eat? What vitamins and minerals do they require?
Don’t be concerned. It is not as difficult as it may appear to provide for them. In truth, it’s only a slight variation on what you’d give an adult crested gecko.
Dietary Fundamentals
After the first shedding, which occurs about 2-3 days after hatching, baby crested geckos will begin eating. You can, however, begin putting food in their aquarium 24-48 hours after hatching to ensure your gecko has nourishment.
Crested geckos are omnivores, meaning they can eat both animal and plant stuff. Baby crested geckos should be fed commercial crested gecko food. This is due to the fact that they provide all of the nutrients that your baby cresties require for optimal growth.
Hatchlings
Because the energy in their yolk sacs may keep hatchlings going for a while, they normally don’t eat for a few days after hatching. However, you should give them some food a day or two after hatching in case they are hungry.
Dietary requirements
While crested geckos are omnivores, meaning they can eat both plant and animal-based diets, you should only give your newborn crested gecko commercial gecko food.
This is a powdered material that is mixed with water. Here’s an example of how it looks:
It is critical for newborn crested geckos because they have very specific dietary requirements that live bugs and fruits cannot meet.
We personally feed Pangea Fruit Mix Fig & Insect Diet to our baby crested geckos since it tastes great and has all of the nutrients your crestie needs to grow healthy and strong.
The commercial gecko feed is relatively simple to prepare: It’s made up of one part powder and two parts water. Put the meal in a small ceramic bowl or a disposable cup. I use disposable cups to avoid having to wipe out a ceramic bowl every time I feed my crested geckos.
You can begin introducing gut-loaded insects coated with calcium and D3 powder when your young crested gecko is about a month old. Crickets are a crestie’s favorite food, but make sure they’re small enough for your baby gecko to chew safely.
If you don’t want to feed your crested gecko live insects, they can live on commercial crested gecko food alone.
Make sure any bug you feed your crested gecko is no bigger than their head!
You can also offer a treat like mashed fruit, but keep it to a minimum.
Such delectable goodies may be a fantastic method to win over your reptile, but they do not give the nutrition that a newborn crested gecko requires to grow.
We recommend feeding your baby gecko mashed fruit once or twice a month.
Feeding Baby Crested Geckos Insects
Around a month after hatching, you can start introducing insects into your baby cresties’ diet. However, make certain that the insects are no larger than the breadth of their head.
When feeding insects to baby crested geckos, make sure to gut-load and dust the insects with calcium and vitamin D3 powder. Every other day, you can feed them two insects.
Water
Baby crested geckos in the wild typically consume dew droplets. However, because recreating this in an enclosure is impossible, place a small dish of water within the enclosure instead. To keep your reptile from drowning, keep the bowl shallow and change the water on a daily basis.
At what age does my Crested Gecko require the Juvenile Diet?
After six months, you can introduce a juvenile diet to your crested gecko. You can feed them with premixed powder every other evening during the week. However, you will discard any uneaten premix the next morning.
Because young cresties do not eat during the day and on weekends, you can supply live food for them to practice hunting.
Because young cresties do not eat during the day and on weekends, you can supply live food for them to practice hunting.
Shedding
Shedding is a regular part of the reptile cycle, just like it is in other reptiles. Crested geckos typically shed their entire skin at once, starting from the nose and working their way down to the rest of the body.
How Often Do Baby Crested Geckos Shed Their Skin?
Baby crested geckos shed their skin more frequently than adults because they are continually growing. However, you may not see it because they shed once every other week. If you’re lucky, you might be able to catch them shedding at night.
Do My Crested Gecko Require Calcium After Shedding?
You do not need to give them calcium once they shed. This is due to the fact that they eat their sheds in order to recoup some of the nutrients used in the formation of new skin.
However, you can keep a healthy shed by spraying its tank on a daily basis to provide the optimum amount of humidity. During the shedding time, keep an eye on them for incomplete shedding.
How to Tame a Baby Crested Gecko
Naturally, all pet owners desire to tame and bond with their animals. This can be difficult for newborn cresties under three months old because they are still figuring out their surroundings. As a result, you must be patient and take things slowly and gently.
Allow your gecko adequate time to adjust to your presence and their new surroundings before making any major attempts to bond with them. Your crestie may not have the best eyesight, but they do have a decent sense of smell.
As a result, they will gradually learn to recognize your fragrance and correlate it with pleasant things like food. You can try to strengthen your bond with your baby crestie by feeding them from your hand as they become acquainted with you.
FAQS
How Long Can A Baby Crested Gecko Live Without Eating?
Hatchlings and baby crested geckos typically consume a large amount of food. This is primarily due to the fact that they are still developing and will require feeding five times a week.
There are times, though, when your gecko can go for a few days without eating. This is common when keeping them in a new tank. Juvenile cresties consume somewhat less food than baby cresties.
You must feed them three to four times every week. They can also go for several days or even a week without eating.
Does Baby Crested Gecko Bite Cause Pain?
Although crested geckos make good pets, they dislike being handled. When handled, a crested gecko can bite, however, their bite seldom causes serious injury. The bite of a crested gecko may startle you at first, but it will not harm you.
A bite from a crested gecko, on the other hand, can result in the transmission of bacteria and some fungi. Because bacteria and fungi can be toxic, it is best to wash your hands after touching and biting a crested gecko.
Is it safe for a baby crested gecko to drink tap water?
Although some gecko caretakers are concerned about giving crested geckos tap water. This is due to the chlorine in the water, however, there have been no reports of crested geckos drinking tap water.
If you are confident that your tap water is safe, there is no reason to avoid using it. However, if you live in an area with contaminated tap water or have multiple animals to care for, it is best to educate yourself on chlorinated water and how to cope with it.
Do baby crested geckos feed on a daily basis?
Baby crested geckos, like adult crested geckos, do not need to eat every day, but can eat every other day. You can feed them every day to boost growth, depending on the type of diet you provide.
Can you keep baby crested geckos together?
In a large enough terrarium, baby crested geckos can be housed together. When they grow too huge to fit in a standard terrarium, you should divide them. It is advised that they be separated at six months.
Final Word
For many individuals, raising baby cresties for the first time is filled with anxiety. Nonetheless, with our help, you will be able to successfully nurture your little and vulnerable hatchling into a happy, healthy adult. All you have to do is give them a suitable home, care for them, and feed them a decent meal. Best of luck!
