Crested Gecko Health: How To Keep Your Crested Gecko Fit And Healthy
Crested geckos are some of the easiest reptiles to keep as pets, as long as a few very simple rules are followed.
- Crested geckos require a balanced diet rich in nutrients and calcium in order for them to grow properly and live a long and healthy life.
- They also require a temperature gradient so they can thermoregulate and better digest the nutrients in their food.
- They also require a lot of room to move around, and being arboreal tree dwellers, they also require a lot of branches/perches to climb on.
The most common health problems that occur in captive ridgebacks are usually the result of one of the above not being offered or not being offered to the correct standard.
Below you will find information on the most common problems and ways to avoid them.
MBD: metabolic bone disease in crested geckos:
Metabolic bone disease in geckos is most often due to a lack of the correct nutrients provided in their diets.
Metabolic bone disease is a calcium deficiency, causing the gecko to use its own body and skeleton calcium stores to supplement this lack of calcium.
By using the calcium reserves in its own body, the gecko’s skeleton becomes ‘warped’ and misshapen due to the bones becoming very weak and flexible.
This often results in permanent disfigurement of the gecko, especially in the form of bumps, twists and falls to the spine and a rotation of the hips, causing the tail to droop or stick out at an unusual angle.
Metabolic bone disease can also cause a weakening of the jaw, making it much more difficult for the gecko to eat.
The jaw is often too weak for the gecko to close on its own, and the jaw remains permanently open.
Due to the weakening of the bones, MBD can also, in the worst case, lead to numerous bone fractures.
A gecko with MBD finds it more difficult to climb and often loses the ‘stickiness’ in its legs and tail. If a gecko with MBD falls from a height, the result is often broken bones.
Metabolic bone disease in its later stages is a horrible sight to witness, and the gecko is twisted and contorted beyond recognition.
In younger, crested gecko breeding females, it is very important to supplement feed properly. Hatchlings put a large amount of calcium into bone growth, and breeding females use an extraordinary amount of calcium when producing eggs.
Providing a healthy, nutrient-dense, and balanced gecko diet is the most foolproof way to help prevent your crested gecko from developing MBD.
Prevention of gecko metabolic bone disease in crested geckos:
- Gut loads live foods before feeding making them more nutritious
- Dust live foods with nutritional powders, calcium and/or calcium D3
- Provide good meal replacement gecko diet powder
- UVB light can also help prevent MBD, as it helps the gecko absorb and use the calcium in its diet more efficiently.
- Too much phosphorus in the diet can prevent calcium from being absorbed. Avoid foods that are high in phosphorus.
Floppy tail syndrome: FTS in crested geckos
Floppy tail syndrome in geckos is when the gecko’s tail literally flops in an abnormal direction. It is most noticeable when the gecko is lying on its stomach, flat against the side of its enclosure, at which point the tail usually falls over its head or at a perky angle.
A healthy gecko’s tail would rest against the glass in its natural position.
Floppy tail syndrome is thought to be primarily due to a captive environment, as crests in the wild are rarely encountered with a surface as flat, smooth, and vertical as an enclosure wall.
This flat surface is thought to be what may contribute to FTS in crested geckos, as lying on this vertical surface for long periods of time causes the tail to “droop” due to gravity and weakens the muscles at the base. from the tail.
In the worst case, it is believed that floppy tail syndrome can twist the gecko’s pelvis, mainly due to excessive weight being put on the pelvic area when the tail falls to the side.
Because of this, it is not recommended to breed a female crested lizard with FTS, as she could have trouble passing eggs.
Although no concrete evidence is available, it can be assumed that providing plenty of climbing and hiding places for your gecko could help prevent it from sleeping on enclosure walls.
However, it is still not fully understood if this is the actual underlying cause of FTS. Many believe that it could be a genetic deformity and as such could be passed from parent to child, although at the moment this seems unlikely.
Heat Stress in Crested Geckos
Heat stress in crested geckos is the number one killer for these generally hardy and easy to care for reptiles.
Crested geckos will begin to show stress if they are kept in temperatures above 28°C for extended periods of time.
It is much easier to keep your crested gecko enclosure in temperatures close to 25°C than it is to risk excessive exposure to higher temperatures.
That said, you can allow parts of your enclosure to reach 28°C, for example directly under the light bulb, as long as your pet gecko can choose to move to a cooler area if desired.
Higher temperatures only become a deadly problem when your gecko is forced to endure them constantly or for long periods of time without the option to cool down.
Research has shown that the crested gecko exposed to temperatures of 30°C without being able to cool down, can die and is very likely to die within an hour.
Young/small geckos are even more prone to heat stress, so it’s best to always allow them the option of moving to the cooler end of their temperature range.
Cleaning your crested gecko vivarium:
Keeping your gecko’s enclosure clean will help prevent illnesses related to poor hygiene, bacteria, and mold.
The crested gecko tank/enclosure will periodically need a thorough cleaning when it gets dirty.
I find it easiest to clean the enclosures every day or two, removing food debris and droppings and wiping down the sides of the enclosure with a damp paper towel.
There are numerous reptile safe disinfectants available now and these can be diluted with water to ensure a safe environment for your gecko after cleaning and you can use newspaper to clean stains and streaks on glass enclosures.
A thorough thorough cleaning of the enclosure and all its contents is recommended from time to time. I tend to do a big cleaning every month to help stop the buildup of unwanted bacteria.
With regular cleaning and maintenance, your crested gecko enclosure should not create an unwanted odor or create mold/bacteria.
Choosing a healthy crested gecko:
A healthy gecko:
• Your nose and eyes will be clean and clear. The eyes will be bright and shiny and not sunken into the head.
• It will not have layers of retained detached skin attached to its ends. Healthy geckos shed within a few hours and shouldn’t stay much longer than this.
• They won’t be dehydrated – Dehydrated geckos will have loose skin, sunken eyes, and be somewhat lethargic. Dehydration often makes the gecko look skinny compared to a well-hydrated gecko.
• Will be alert when handled, a sick animal will be limp and possibly shaky in your hand and show little or no interest or reaction to being handled
• It should have a plump, straight tail that can ‘grab’ onto objects. A good test of this is if the gecko wraps its tail around your finger.
• It should have almost Velcro feet. If the gecko does not attach or climb, this may be a sign of MBD or retained shed.