EYELASH GECKOS
Crested Geckos are small orange and reddish lizards that live in the trees of New Caledonia, a small island off the coast of Australia. Crested Geckos are known for their eyelashes, though they do not have eyelids. They have sticky feet to climb vertically to feed off of fruits, flowers and small bugs.
EVOLUTION
C. Ciliatus
225 MILLION YEARS AGO
Geckos have been around for nearly 225 millions years during the earliest days of the dinosaurs. Since then, they have spread across the world, developing different survival attributes. Gecko fossils have been preserved in amber seen above, which tells us that by the Cretaceous period, when the dinosaurs were dying out, geckos had already evolved their sticky feet.
A FEW MILLION YEARS LATER
Crested Geckos were discovered on the islands of New Caledonia by Alphone Guichenot, a French zoologist, in 1866, but were later thought to be extinct until a tropical storm in 1994 that lead to their rediscovery. Now, Crested Geckos are the most popular reptile pet, but trade of wild Crested Geckos is illegal to protect them.
PRESENT DAY
NEW CALEDONIA
New Caledonia
New Caledonia is an archipelago 1,255 miles off the coast of Australia. These small islands provide a warm and humid climate perfect for the Crested Gecko. New Caledonia is a French colony and the third time zone to ring in New Years. They have famously tall and skiny pine trees called Araucaria columnaris. New Caledonia has beautiful ocean reefs and tropical sealife.
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CHARACTERISTICS
STICKY FEET
A Crested Gecko’s toes and tip of their tail are covered in small hairs called setae. These setae contain hundreds of smaller, microscopic hairs called spatulae. These minuscule hairs allow for the crested gecko to climb on solid surfaces, including glass, bark, and leaves. All of their toes have toenails or claws that help when their toes will not stick.
Crested Geckos do not have eyelids and so they use their long tongues to lick their eyes to clean and keep them moist. Instead, Crested Geckos have a layer of transparent skin to protect the eyes. Their eyelashes are added protection from larger dirt or leaves.
tail
The tail can be lost to scare or confuse predators. Unlike other geckos, once they lose their tail it will not grow back; however, this is not harmful to the gecko and most adults in the wild lack tails. The tip of their tail is semi-prehensile alone with their toes, which helps them climb solid surfaces. Crested Geckos tails are very strong and they sometimes hang from them.
EYES
DAILY LIFE
MATING
In the wild, female Crested Geckos lay two eggs which hatch 60-150 days after they are laid. Calcium is very important to female Cresteds, if their calcium levels are low they cannot reproduce. Calcium deficiancy in females can lead to lethargicness, lack of appetite, and sometimes death. Newborn Cresteds do not eat real food until they shed for the first time and eat their left over skin. A female crested only has to mate with a male once in order to lay 2 eggs every 4–6 weeks for around 8–10 months.
DIET
Unlike most geckos, Crested Geckos are omnivores, also considered frugivorous, feeding on a variety of small insects and fruit. Fruits like bananas, mangoes and peaches are favorites of the Crested Gecko. Cresteds need a balanced calcium diet meaning they need small insects or lack of calcium could lead to Metabolic Bone Disease.
TONGUE
Crested Geckos use their tongues to clean their eyes, drink water and eat food. Cresteds like to lick their heads to clear away dirt or dew, or to taste things around them.
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