Crested Gecko

ANIMAL:
Crested Gecko         Correlophus ciliatus

Type of Animal:
Gecko

Habitat:
Rainforest

Location(s):
South Province of New Caledonia

Appearance:
Hairlike projections above eyes resembling eyelashes leading to often being called eyelash gecko, wedge-shaped head, crest runs from eyes to tail, semi-prehensile tail, can be gray, brown, red, orange, & yellow, markings can be spotted, straight stripes, or tigerlike stripes, brighter colors at night

Food/Diet:
Insects, insect larvae, worms, snails, fruit, nectar, pollen

Status in Wild:
Threatened

Conservation:
Breeding from zoos, wildlife parks, & private breeders

Lifestyle:
Solitary or breeding trios of a male & 2 females

Additional Info:

Called:
Male
Female
Young-Hatchling
Group-Leap/Colony

Weight:
Male- 0.88 oz
Female- 1.23-1.94 oz
Young- 0.56 oz

Gestation:
2-3 months 

Life Span:
15-20 years

Body Length:
Adult- 4-4.5 in
Young- 2 in

Tail Length:
4 in

Main predators are New Caledonian Giant Geckos, snakes, little fire ants (introduced), dogs (introduced), cats (introduced), & rats (introduced).

Males extremely territorial & will fight to the death.

Threats are pet trade, deforestation, introduced predators, wildfires, agriculture, & degradation from introduced ungulates such as pigs & deer.

Many have been bred for being pets, which helps reduce demand for collection from wild.

These geckos make great pets but are fragile & shouldn’t be handled roughly. Some get used to frequent handling.

Young geckos shouldn’t be handled until they reach 3-inch mark.

Females sexually mature at around a year & males sexually mature at 6 months.

Females usually lay 1-2 eggs per clutch & can breed year round.

They’re primarily nocturnal.

They’re tree-dwellers (arboreal)

Fun Fact(s):
Toe pads have tiny rows of hair that can grab & hold on to glass.

They don’t have eyelids & moisten eyes by licking them.

Thought to be extinct until rediscovery in 1994 after a tropical storm.

These geckos are often nicknamed cresties.

If they lose tail, it won’t grow back.

Semi-prehensile tail allows them to grab onto vines & branches.

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