![]() ![]() Crested geckos consume insects, fruit, and nectar in the wild, which has been expertly replicated in prepared powdered diets. Perhaps the most alluring aspect of crested gecko care for new keepers is their diet. Avoid any coil UVB or mercury vapor bulbs entirely - these produce extremely concentrated spots of UVB rather than the strips, which spread it across the enclosure. They produce lower concentrations of UVB than the High Output UVB bulbs most people purchase for their basking reptiles. So, what does this mean for you, crested gecko keeper?Įasy! Purchase a strip-style shade-dweller UVB bulb. Bearded dragons, for instance, require high amounts of UVB and are in Ferguson Zone 4. Crested geckos fall into Ferguson Zone 1, which requires the lowest amount of UVB. The easiest way to quantify the amount of UVB required is to look at the Ferguson scale, which measures how much UVB is needed for each reptile species. Now it is very important to note that there is such a thing as too much UVB, just like there can be too much heat. While it is true that crested geckos can survive without UVB, we should ask the question, ‘Why not?’ if it benefits them even a bit. Please see our Heating and Lighting Guide for a more in-depth guide on this topic!Ĭrested geckos fall into the category of many keepers believing they do not need UVB. Modern research indicates providing UVB for any reptile increases their physical health, mental wellbeing, and quality of life, and providing UVB has evolved into a question of ‘Why not?’ instead of ‘Why?’ Most reptiles can get by with proper supplementation and little to no UVB, but providing appropriate levels of UVB is becoming increasingly popular for reptiles for which it was previously thought of as unnecessary. Insufficient levels of calcium and vitamin D can lead to health issues including Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD,) a skeletal disease which results in permanent deformities and mobility issues. ![]() UVB is beneficial for reptiles because it helps their bodies process calcium and produce vitamin D. UVB light is an additional light source which produces ultraviolet B rays. This cooldown period maintains their circadian rhythm, which has been proven to help keep their immune system strong. ![]() Allow the nighttime temperature to fall just below 70☏, but no cooler than 65☏. Maintaining a circadian rhythm is extremely important for captive reptiles. Like other reptiles, crested geckos need a day/night cycle which comes with a cool-down period. This forms a gradient of 70☏ at the bottom up to low 80’s at the top, which allows the gecko to thermoregulate as needed. The hot area should be between 80-83☏, and the cool area should be between 70-75☏. An arboreal enclosure seeks to achieve the same idea, just vertically! The hot area will be at the top of the enclosure, where the light is (and heat rises,) while the cool area will be at the bottom near the substrate. In a terrestrial reptile enclosure, there is a designated hot side and cool side. Like other reptiles, however, providing a thermogradient is ideal. Crested geckos will suffer severe health issues and even death if the temperature in their enclosure is above 85☏, which is an unusually low temperature for most reptiles to be in danger. Temperature is a very important part of any reptile’s husbandry, though for crested geckos it may be even more so.
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