Origin: Eastern Islands of New Caledonia (Australia)
Length: about 25 cm
Age: 10 to 15 years
The eyelash gecko is from New Caledonia. The crested gecko is a terrestrial (meaning it lives on the ground) and nocturnal species. They like both a dry and moist environment. As the name of the gecko suggests, they have two distinctive combs with spikes near their eyes. These combs with spikes remind you of eyelashes. The color varieties of an eyelash gecko can range from gray to green and sometimes brown.

Care
Experience: Starting/Intermediate Reptile Owner
Food: Crickets, cockroaches (dubia) and mealworms
Adult feeding: three times a week
Feeding young: Daily
Water bowl: Yes
Water change: 3 times a week

Nutrition
The natural food of the crested gecko is much more varied and rich in nutrients than food animals. That is why it is important to add extra vitamins and minerals to the eyelash gecko's diet. This can be done, for example, by dusting insects and other food animals with a so-called vitamin and mineral preparation. At 'Food' you can find the food animals that are suitable for the eyelash gecko

Water
It is good to provide water for your eyelash gecko. Make sure that if you provide the gecko with water, he/she cannot drown in it. It is best to put a very thin layer of water in the water dish of no more than 2 cm. Change the water about three times a week. In addition to the formation of algae and bacteria, faeces can also enter the water bowl.

Cleaning
To keep your crested gecko's enclosure as clean as possible, it is best to remove food residues and excrement from the enclosure daily or every other day. This is to maintain the hygiene and health of your gecko.

Handling
crested gecko quickly shed their tails when picked up or handled. Once the eyelash gecko has been picked up, the gecko will not bite quickly. Try to avoid handling as much as possible, because this gives the eyelash gecko a lot of stress. If you are going to pick up your gecko, you must do so firmly, but carefully. The skin is very thin and can be easily damaged.

Housing
Minimum size stay for one couple: 40x40x70 cm
Day temperature: 22 to 26 degrees Celsius
Night temperature: 18 to 22C
Hours of light: 10 to 12 hours
Humidity: 60 to 80%
Ground cover: Sand, coco peat, kitchen roll or newspaper

Design
The terrarium should be set up in a desert-like manner. This means that the terrarium should preferably be made of glass and the temperature should be 22 to 26°C during the day and 18 to 22°C at night.
In addition to a spotlight, also place a mild bottom heating to simulate solar heat rising from the sand (this can be created by placing a heating mat). Make sure that solid anchored rocks and tree stumps are present in the terrarium so that the crested gecko can bask on them. You can make shelters out of cork bark or by laying a stone flower pot on its side, for example. To make the terrarium look even more natural, you can also place plants in the terrarium. Use mostly plastic plants or plants that can withstand drought (no cacti).
In addition to furnishing, the eyelash gecko also needs UV light to stay healthy. They need UV radiation to make vitamin D. You can use a UV lamp to get UV radiation into the accommodation.

Behaviour
Lifestyle: Terrestrial and nocturnal

Character
The crested gecko lives withdrawn in its hiding place and are therefore generally quite shy. They feel safe when they can crawl into a tight crevice. They will come out of these hiding places especially at night to look for food.
Points of attention
eyelash geckos are best kept as pairs. Males can be very territorial and will defend their territory, but females will also attack intruders. So it is better not to keep other animal species with eyelash geckos.

Cost and Purchase
Legislation: You do not need CITES or transfer papers to own this gecko.
One-off costs: This includes the costs for accommodation, lighting, heating, water bowl and decoration. This can cost a few hundred euros in total. The final amount depends on the quality and size of the products.
Fixed costs: Fixed costs include the costs for the feed, which is several tens of euros per year.
Unexpected costs: Costs have been incurred when your gecko happens to get sick or your equipment breaks down.