Not many people think of getting a gecko as their pet but actually crested geckos are low maintenance and great for children and new reptile owners.

Crested geckos are native to southern New Caledonia, an island off of Australia. They were thought to be extinct until 1994. They were brought into captivity, but they are still considered threatened in the wild because of ants. 

While they are thriving in captivity, they were thought to be extinct for over 130 years. That being said, scientists are still discovering new morphes. A morph is when you breed geckos and get a new color.

One such morph is a  Lily White. Breeders created this morph in late 2010; since it’s so rare, they cost thousands of dollars. They are in such high demand because of their patches of white.

They are also rare because you can not breed two lily whites together. Every time someone has tried all the eggs turned out to be fatal. Meaning the geckos usually never hatches or they die shortly after.

If you think their colors are stunning in the daytime, you should see them at night when they’re “fired up”. This term describes their vibrant coloration at night.

If you are thinking about having one as a pet, you will probably only find them at reptile conventions. It’s best to buy a baby, as they are cheaper than adults. The adults cost anywhere from $100-150 dollars, and babies can go from anywhere to $30-60 dollars. It’s a worthy investment, as they often live 15 – 20 years.

They make great pets because they are low-maintenance; you feed them only twice a week with powdered fruit mix and spray the cage with water because they are tropical reptiles that need humidity.

They can grow seven to nine inches, which means they need at least a 20 gallon tall tank. They need a tall tank because they are climbers.  

They jump and have feet that stick to everything; they also have pads on the ends of their tail so it can wrap around branches. This all means that you’ll want plenty of accessories in your terrariums: a cave, basking rock, rock ledges, and climbing branches. 

Crested geckos shouldn’t be housed together especially a young gecko and an adult. Even if it’s their own offspring, the adult will eat the young.