New Caledonian Crested Gecko
(Rhacodactylus ciliatus)

Range: New Caledonia

Habitat: Rainforest

Diet: Crickets and fruits

Identification: Medium, khaki geckos with pointed “eyelashes”, brown eyes, and long, triangular heads

Notes: Crested Geckos are called crested geckos because of the crest that starts with their “eyelashes” and runs along their backs.  Crested geckos are valued for their gentle demeanors and attractive appearance. Crested geckos can be a variety of colors including khaki, yellow, orange, and red, and a brindled color morph called “Harlequin”. Crested geckos are also valued for the fact that they don’t grow to much more than nine inches and often live for several years. They are most aggressive around mating. Geckos are known for their ability to lick their own eyes, and the ability to climb vertical surfaces thanks to the setae on their toe pads (which allow for van der walls force to occur between the gecko and the surface). Crested geckos are incapable of autotomy (the dropping off of body parts to draw a predators attention), crested geckos will not regrow their dropped tails. Crested geckos are nocturnal in the wild. Crested geckos like cooler temperatures than other geckos and need high humidity. This species can be bred very easily in captivity and are tamer than many lizard species. Crested geckos are highly arboreal, and their toepads (structures at the tip of their tail to help them in climbing) help accommodate this lifestyle. Crested geckos eat overripe fruit and crickets. They also need calcium supplements. 

At The Children’s Museum: The Children’s Museum has Crested Geckos in the UTC Wildlife Sanctuary.