[DaFoot]

Cresties have made it to my list of suitable as first lizards...quite like to keep a few, ie. 1.2.0.

After a fair bit of reading, keeping seems pretty straight forward.

However as a nocturnal species I a bit worried I would never see the little critters unless staying up late. Any crestie keepers out there care to comment on this?

Also, any of you crestie keepers use a light for viewing them?

 

[Kerry1]

I have had my 1st cresty for a three weeks now. He's only 2 months old. I don't see him much but he's on his own. I get him out daily for 10 mins while I clean him out and check for uneaten crix. He's already very tame though and licks pureed fruit off my fingers :lol: They are very comical and great pets. Bit harder to keep than leos and fatties, but equally if not more enjoyable

 

[Cara]

they are cute but you prob wont see them alot, my little guy loves eating off my fingers & seems to prefer baby food to crix but i still try give him a few, they are gorgeous little things & i'm planning on gettin my little guy some females, i guess if you have more your more likely to see them! They don't need heating unless your room is overly cold as room temp say mid 70s is perfect for them, I've got a waterfall in mine as they don't like drinking still water but he seems to ignore that & lick the water off the glass when i mist him daily, once they get used to handling they're wicked little critters to have

 

[DaFoot]

...and another Q.

How old before they can be sexed with reasonable accuracy?

 

[spit]

Between 7-9mths the boys should start getting the huge balls,there's no missing those things lol.I see mines quite a lot as they tend to sit on their branches.

 

[nicky]

also its not like these nocturnal reps come out really late, its usually about 8ish when my gecko comes out to play....

 

[DaFoot]

These fellas are sounding more appealing with each post....

One last one, thinking of a trio in a 4 foot x 1 foot viv. Big enough for trio?

I guess to ensure no blood relation, best to get 2 females settled in first then add a male from another supplier later.

Any comment on likely hood of fighting if I take this approach?

 

[Art_Gecko101]

Cresties are arboreal so unless the 4 ft is the verticle measurement, its not ideal. It would probably do but they'd be happier with some height. a 2ft cube is probably best.

couple of points:
1. All cresties in the pet trade came from the same small amount of animals originally shipped over from New Caledonia so you're extrememly unlikely to find 2 completely unrelated, however, most descent breeders will have some idea of where the parents came from so ask around.
2. As they're going to be your 1st lizards, i'd have to recommend you get just females, at least just till your comfortable with their day to day care. Cresties are so prolific that they will breed and its very easy to get overrun- and with a trio you will get twice as many eggs! Hatchlings will need to be housed separatly from each other to ensure you can monitor them individually and then you'd need to find someone to buy them.also, be careful when choosing a 'probable' sexed gecko, some males 'drop' very late (its best to use a 10X jewellers loope to look for herpimenal pores instead of just the bulge) and i know SO many people buy probably females and have them turn male. Females should not be allowed to breed until at least 30-35gm (about 14months old) so you wont be able to introduce the male until their up to weight.

3.. There shouldnt be too much problem with fighting, although i have heard of it so you would have to watch out carefully when you introduced the male, and of course give him a quarantine period of about 90days before letting him anywhere near your females just incase he has anything.

 

[DaFoot]

... they'd be happier with some height.

Do you find, in your experience they thrive more when in a taller enclosure?
I see a lot people that keep arboreal spp (be they lizards, snakes or spiders) recommend a tall enclosure, is this just an assumption of preference or can you see the difference in their general health?

2. As they're going to be your 1st lizards, i'd have to recommend you get just females, at least just till your comfortable with their day to day care.

Fair comment. that was part of the thinking with the above plan of females first.

Cresties are so prolific that they will breed and its very easy to get overrun- and with a trio you will get twice as many eggs!

Kinda like rabbits then? Maybe the female only approach is a good idea!

also, be careful when choosing a 'probable' sexed gecko, some males 'drop' very late (its best to use a 10X jewellers loope to look for herpimenal pores instead of just the bulge) and i know SO many people buy probably females and have them turn male.

:lol:
Yup, I've read a few stories about this in my research!

Females should not be allowed to breed until at least 30-35gm (about 14months old) so you wont be able to introduce the male until their up to weight.
3.. There shouldnt be too much problem with fighting, although i have heard of it so you would have to watch out carefully when you introduced the male, and of course give him a quarantine period of about 90days before letting him anywhere near your females just incase he has anything.

So when the females are old/big enough I'll have a think about wether I really want to introduce.

 

[Art_Gecko101]

I think it's probably best to wait a little while before adding the male. Its just that i'd hate to see you get in over your head and then end up getting fed up with all the hassel!! it does happen!!!

With the enclosures, its a personal choice. I doubt that it would actually be deterimental to their health(... but then i dont know this for sure) but you'll get so much more enjoyment out of watching them and they'll get so much more interaction and stimulation out of an arboreal viv.
I really love watching my animals climb around and scale the heights of their vivs, they get so much enjoyment out of it- you can tell. They're always climbing around, hanging off branches - they're so acrobatic i actually get worried when i watch them that they'll fall and hurt themselves! for example, one likes to climb head-down a fake plant up the corner and when the leaves end he just hangs on with his back legs and uses both hands to grab the side of the tank! Its scary cause my tank is 2ft high! funny though!!!

I use the 18X18X24 tall exoterra, and IMHO theyre fantastic. I got mine for 60 pounds each (i find shops will nearly always do deals as theyre big to have in your stock room or shop floor for long!!). They have great ventilation, front opening doors with a lock so you can get at them nicely without reaching in like a big huge thing coming at them from above (i always imagine the big lottery finger!!) and are a great size.