# How Active is your crested gecko?



## Sayochan (Aug 13, 2012)

My family and I are starting to get a bit worried about my crested gecko. We've been struggling to feed him as so far the only thing he will eat are crickets (which I recently killed off....by accident) and pears/ pear flavoured baby food. Tried 2 different CGD and he doesnt seem very interested at all. He recently shed and did a damn good job of it! was very proud :2thumb: But since he's shed he's been very inactive... During the day he just sits and hides his head between the ficus branches, or behind a leaf, I can understand this as he's nocturnal but I don't see him getting active on a night anymore (i'm normally awake til 1-2 am). He's very calm when I handle him and will just sit there. I expected him to be faster and jumpier since he's still just young.

Is this just how he will be? or is this unusual behavior for a crested gecko?

Would love to hear how active everyones are as well!


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## creg (Jun 10, 2012)

sounds about the same as mine which is about 6months old i think. i never see him moving day or night, he is a bit jumpy when handled though if you touch his back or head, and runs fast when i try and get him out his viv.


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## Sayochan (Aug 13, 2012)

creg said:


> sounds about the same as mine which is about 6months old i think. i never see him moving day or night, he is a bit jumpy when handled though if you touch his back or head, and runs fast when i try and get him out his viv.


Think mines around the same age, but he doesnt move much when I hold him.


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## creg (Jun 10, 2012)

Sayochan said:


> Think mines around the same age, but he doesnt move much when I hold him.


i wouldnt worry about it hes probably just a very relaxed natured gecko. they can be quite difficult to get eating cgd too from what ive read, luckily mine came already used to it. i think baby food might be a little bit bad for them so if i were you id just stick with crickets, you could try mixing the baby food with cgd to see if he can get used to it that way gradually.


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## GlassWalker (Jun 15, 2011)

Definitely no worries about inactivity during day time. Mine usually don't budge in the day unless I disturb them.

They don't really eat much when smaller. So depending on size at 6 months, not eating much sounds possible. If you still got CGD, you can try mixing that with the baby food to get them used to it. Start with only a little, and increase the amount gradually. Even if using baby food and crickets, do they get calcium/D3/multivitamins too?

Night activity depends on the gecko too. Most of mine will spend most of the time standing on something, looking out for a tasty bug to walk past and ambush. Sometimes they can be found drinking or eating CGD too. Environmental factors also play a part in this.

Similarly with handling. My females are generally quite timid if handled during day time. More active and tries a little to run if I try the same at night. My males like to run pretty much any time!


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## Sayochan (Aug 13, 2012)

I've stopped using baby food as I'm worried that it won't be good for him, and cook and mash some old pears for him (which he really loves!)



GlassWalker said:


> Definitely no worries about inactivity during day time. Mine usually don't budge in the day unless I disturb them.
> 
> They don't really eat much when smaller. So depending on size at 6 months, not eating much sounds possible. If you still got CGD, you can try mixing that with the baby food to get them used to it. Start with only a little, and increase the amount gradually. Even if using baby food and crickets, do they get calcium/D3/multivitamins too?
> 
> ...


Last time I weighed him, he was 12g. To me that sounds a bit low but he's not full size yet. Tried mixing cgd with baby food but he still makes the disgusted look haha so it's pears and crickets when i buy some more  I dust the crickets in calcium + D3 powder but i'm wondering if I should put anything in the pears?

Well the first time I saw him eat crickets was when I put him in a shoe box with them. There was small thumps as he grabbed them, now everytime he's in there he pounces on anything that moves slightly! :lol2:

I'm a bit disappointed that he's a calm gecko :') i was hoping for a lively jumpy one! but he's cute to look at so I can't complain much.


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## sam n mushu (Jun 4, 2012)

you could try dusting the crickets in the cgd aswell to get him used to the taste.  also try tiny locusts/roaches much better than crickets  good luck


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## Guest (Sep 7, 2012)

I'd recomend getting a cheap set of 0.1 digital scales off ebay, you can weigh him once a week and you'll know if he's eating. I'd also recomend clarks crested gecko diet if you haven't already tried it, mine loves the stuff and won't eat any other diets.

More often than not you don't see them eat their fruit/cgd so it can be difficult to tell.


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## Sayochan (Aug 13, 2012)

sam n mushu said:


> you could try dusting the crickets in the cgd aswell to get him used to the taste.  also try tiny locusts/roaches much better than crickets  good luck


Might try locasts but pretty sure roaches would be a big NO NO in my house haha my sister and dad are already "disgusted" by the gecko. Would he be big enough for small locusts? he's only small himself


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## Sayochan (Aug 13, 2012)

FrozenReptile said:


> I'd recomend getting a cheap set of 0.1 digital scales off ebay, you can weigh him once a week and you'll know if he's eating. I'd also recomend clarks crested gecko diet if you haven't already tried it, mine loves the stuff and won't eat any other diets.
> 
> More often than not you don't see them eat their fruit/cgd so it can be difficult to tell.


I have digital scales coz I bake a lot and I weighed him 2 weeks ago and meant to start weighing him every sunday but forgot... Started on komodo's cgd but he didnt like that so I got some repashy, but I'm going to stop being soft to him! :whip: i'll leave him some repashy and if he doesnt start eating it I'll... I'll....... keep feeding him pears... (too soft)


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## Ady-182 (Sep 10, 2011)

My three cresties vary hugely in activity. My oldest is really really chilled out, doesn't move around her tank much and is happy to just sit in my hand or on my shoulder without moving for quite a while. The other two are much more active, not really wanting to be held for long and jumping around their tanks all night long.

The weight will vary loads between cresties as well. At a year old, mine were 18g, 26g and 4g (which is very low and was worrying but she's growing well now : victory


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## GlassWalker (Jun 15, 2011)

Komodo CGD is an odd one, and not really one liked by many cresties. Repashy CGD more closely resembles fruit so you should have more luck with it, but they can be fussy on some flavours too which doesn't help.

One of my first cresties was also about 6 months and 12g when I got him. He didn't change much in weight for months, and only rocketed when given a load of crickets.

As for adding calcium and vitamins into the pear, I would do so. Check if the instructions that came with it give a recommended mixing amount. When I used to feed mine fresh fruit, I never cooked it, just mashed it and gave it to them raw.


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## Sayochan (Aug 13, 2012)

GlassWalker said:


> Komodo CGD is an odd one, and not really one liked by many cresties. Repashy CGD more closely resembles fruit so you should have more luck with it, but they can be fussy on some flavours too which doesn't help.
> 
> One of my first cresties was also about 6 months and 12g when I got him. He didn't change much in weight for months, and only rocketed when given a load of crickets.
> 
> As for adding calcium and vitamins into the pear, I would do so. Check if the instructions that came with it give a recommended mixing amount. When I used to feed mine fresh fruit, I never cooked it, just mashed it and gave it to them raw.


The komodo cgd was the only one at the pet store where I got him but at the time I thought it was a good choice. As soon as I smelt the mixture I felt sorry for him haha smelt pretty bad! the repashy does smell more fruity but he's still not keen... But I'm going to continue to put it in in hopes that he will get so hungry he will eat it haha.

Cooking the pears was my mums suggestion as it softens them to a mush but he really loves them! will sit and lick it off my fingers for ages :2thumb:

He's pretty active right now! I think he's currently looking for crickets but I ran out and can't get any for a few days. I also think it has something to do with my desk top lamp. I was out all day today but my room can get reeeally hot in the sun so I shut my blind and placed my desk lamp on the grating. It's happened before when I've let him bask on my desk under it then he gets quite active. I'd really love to get him a UV light but I just dont have the money atm! It's my 18th birthday next month so hopefully I will get him one then.


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## sam n mushu (Jun 4, 2012)

i buy a medium box of roaches and there are a few small ones in that box my crestie can eat, i havent found anyone online that sells really small ones. anyone??? lol my beardie has the rest on the box 

but yeah if they are the size between the geckos eyes you are fine


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