Male vs Female Crested Gecko: How to Tell
| Reliable sexing weight | ~15–20g+ |
| Most reliable trait | Pre-anal pores |
Pre-anal pores
A row of pores just in front of the vent becomes visible in males as they mature, generally more reliably once a gecko reaches sub-adult size — this is one of the clearer external sexing indicators for this species.
Hemipenal bulges
Males typically show a visible double bulge at the base of the tail from paired hemipenes, though for geckos that have already dropped their tail, this indicator isn't usable at all.
Why young geckos are hard to sex
Most of these traits aren't reliably visible until a gecko reaches roughly 15–20+ grams, often 8–12 months old. A seller claiming to reliably sex a very young hatchling should be treated with some skepticism.
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A single adult crested gecko needs a minimum 18"x18"x24" front-opening, well-ventilated enclosure — taller matters more than wider since this species is highly arboreal — furnished with cork bark, branches, and dense foliage for climbing.
A complete crested gecko setup needs a tall 18"+ front-opening enclosure, cork bark and branches for climbing, coco fibre/moss substrate, a misting routine to hold 50–80% humidity, and complete CGD powder — no heat lamp is required in most homes.
Hatchlings can start in a small (roughly 8"x8"x12") enclosure to make food easier to find, juveniles move up around a few months old, and adults need a minimum 18"x18"x24" vertical enclosure.
Crested geckos generally do best at normal room temperature, roughly 72–78°F, and can suffer heat stress above about 82°F. Most homes need no basking bulb or heat mat at all — just monitoring during hot weather.
Low-level UVB (roughly 5–6% output) is increasingly recommended as good practice, though it isn't strictly mandatory for crested geckos the way it is for a strongly basking desert species — their diet's built-in D3 from CGD covers much of the gap.
Crested geckos need roughly 50–80% humidity, achieved through misting once or twice daily, with good ventilation to prevent the dampness from turning stagnant.