Hanging out on the floor
About half a year ago, my old gecko, Harry, whom I have written about on this site, passed away. After a while, I decided I wanted another gecko. So, I went to the pet store and bought a two year-old New Caledonian Crested Gecko who I named Gonzo.
First off, I have a little science/history lesson on the Rhacodactylus ciliatus (New Caledonian Crested Gecko). They were thought to be extinct until they were found by independently researching herpetologists in 1994. They were found on the island of New Caledonia (obviously!), which is off the coast of Australia and has temperatures from around 70 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit. In their native habitat, they would eat insects and a variety of native fruits. They can be up to ten inches long, half of which is tail. Also, New Caledonian Crested Geckos can be found in many different colors, including varying shades of brown, tan, red, orange, yellow, gray, black, cream, and more. The green coloration in Crested Geckos is produced by two or more different colors combining to create a green coloration. Also, in good conditions, they may live up to twenty years.
Sticking to the wall
Now I have some Gecko care and caging advise. First comes the discussion of feeding. I feed Gonzo medium sized crickets and peach and apricot baby food. The crickets live in a small (one gallon) plastic tank, are feed a cricket substrate, and and put in Gonzo’s tank three at a time. I buy them in groups of ten for one dollar. As for the baby food, I would advise for a peach or peach-based baby food. To feed him it, I dip my finger in it and have him lick it off.
When handling him at first, he was nervous and tried to run away. But after handling him a lot, he is very relaxed and calm and does not mind handling. He jumps a lot, though, and can jump up to a foot, runs quickly, and can climb walls. For caging, I have a twenty-two gallon tank with a removable mesh top and heat lamp. In his tank are a water dish, a climbing log, and a flexible vine. For a bedding I use a moist, earth-like caging substance. I also mist his cage weekly.
He is rather easy to take care of and is extremely lovable, which makes him a great pet. Happy herping!!
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By the way, what is the meaning of “Gonzo”?
I wonder if it’s from Japanese…
No, actually it is short for the Spanish name Gonzales. Thanks for asking.
[...] because he lacks a female gecko to spend his days with. Anyhow, I have written about him before, once about his species and another time about how to care for cresties. Now, after a year has gone by, a few of my [...]