Crested Gecko Not Eating: Causes & What to Do
| Common non-illness causes | Shedding, recent tail loss, heat stress |
| When to see a vet | ~1 week+ refusal with weight loss |
Shedding and tail loss
A short dip in appetite around a shed cycle, or in the days after dropping a tail while recovering, is common and typically resolves on its own within a couple of days.
Heat stress
Temperatures creeping above roughly 82°F suppress appetite directly and are a common, often overlooked cause in a species that doesn't need supplemental heat in the first place — check ambient room temperature.
Humidity and stress
Chronically low humidity, a recent move, cage changes, or handling stress can all suppress appetite temporarily.
When to worry
Refusing food for more than a week or so combined with noticeable weight loss, lethargy, or other illness signs warrants a reptile vet visit rather than continued waiting — this species' small size means weight loss compounds faster than in larger reptiles.
See the full care guides guide, or browse all 440 info pages.
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.