Even though crested geckos have only been adopted as pet lizards for the last 20 or so years, they are very popular.
They are a species that is native exclusively to the tropical climate of New Caledonia and lets be brutally honest they are an awesome looking species of lizard.
With all of that being said, when you are thinking about taking on a new pet it is best to know what sort of commitment you are getting yourself into. But how long do crested geckos live?
So with that in mind this article is going to be looking at the age that crested geckos live to. I will also be giving you ways that you can make sure that your crested gecko reaches its maximum lifespan.
How long do crested geckos live for?
First off lets answer the main question before we get onto the rest of the article.
How long do crested geckos live? In the wild crested geckos live to the ripe old age of between 10-20 years, which is fairly old for such a small species of lizard. The same goes in captivity as long as the crested gecko is treat well and provided with all of the nutrients, care and and equipment that it needs. That is quite some commitment to your pet.
So there we have it. Crested geckos have a lifespan of around 10-20 years as long as they are well looked after. Now we are going to look at some of the things that could potentially influence how long your crested gecko lives for.
How long do crested geckos live?
How to help your crested gecko live longer.
How long do crested geckos live? Help them live longer! Our pets are just like our family and we always want the best for them, no matter if it is a dog, cat or a crested gecko. We want them to live long, happy and healthy lives and because we are looking after them it is our choices that can affect this.
With that being said, this part of the article is going to teach you some ways that you can make sure your gecko lives a long and happy life.
Feed your crested gecko a healthy and balanced diet.
Crested geckos are an omnivorous species of lizard. This means that they like to have a diet that consists of plant based foods and also animal based. Believe it or not this is quite a rarity amongst lizards!
To keep your crested gecko healthy and to make sure it lives a long and full life you should feed it insects along with a variety of fruit and vegetables. This will keep it very happy and keep it well nourished.
If you would like to learn more about crested gecko diet and feeding check out this article that I wrote. It has a huge write up for all the different food you can feed to your crested gecko. Make sure you give them the right food.
Keep the correct humidity and temperature.
This may seem like an obvious one to some but I will mention it anyway. If you want your crested gecko to like to its full life expectancy you need to make sure that it has the right environment to live in. Stick to the temperatures and humidity below to keep your crestie happy and living longer.
Crested gecko tank temperature = 78-82 Fahrenheit with a cooler area at the other side of the tank for temperature regulation.
Crested gecko humidity = the ideal humidity preference for crested geckos is between 60-70%.
Make sure that your gecko is active.
One tip that I have to keep your crested gecko living into old age is to keep it active. By this I mean to make sure that it has lots to do in its tank. Branches, logs, caves and rocks will make a much more exciting environment for your gecko to live in.
It will enjoy climbing about and exploring its surroundings instead of just sitting around with nothing to occupy it. Try to make your geckos tank as exciting as possible.
Things that may reduce your crested geckos lifespan.
Above was a list of ways that you can help your crested live a longer life, now this next section is about things that you need to avoid.
Feeding your crested gecko the wrong foods.
On the opposite end of the spectrum as above, there are certain foods that you should never feed to your crested gecko. These foods can cause your pet to get very ill quickly or over time so it is defiantly worth checking over my feeding guide to make sure that you do not feed the wrong foods. You can check out the crested gecko diet and feeding guide by reading this article.
Keeping more than one Crested gecko in the same tank.
This is something that I really do not recommend. Keeping more than one crestie in the same tank can lead to a whole host off different issues. These can range from fighting and stress right through to food stealing and malnutrition.
There are certain situation, such as breeding, where keeping two crested geckos in a tank makes sense but other than that they should be given their own space. If you would like to read more on this topic check out this article, It goes in deep about housing two or more crested geckos together.
Related questions.
Do all crested geckos live that long? Unfortunatly there are no guarantees just like with all other species on this planet. But with good care you can make sure that your gecko lives its fullest life.
At what age can crested geckos start to breed? Generally crested geckos reach sexual maturity at around 1 1/2 years old for both the male and females. The female gecko also needs to be at least 38-42 grams in weight before she can be considered for breeding.
Conclusion.
How long do crested geckos live? Hopefully you have learned some new information in this article that you can take forward into keeping your crested gecko happy and healthy.
Crested geckos make for great pets and live very long lives for such a small species. This means that you can get to know and love your geckos unique personality and develop a real bond with it.
If you need to know anything else about the care of pet cresties why not check out my helpful crested gecko care sheet which contains all of the basics that you could ever need.
