Classification: Introduced Species - Introduced into the United States in several states.

Description: Crested geckos typically range from 6–10 inches in length, including 4–6 inches of tail length. Among the most distinctive features of these geckos are the hair-like projections found above the eyes, which greatly resemble eyelashes. This projections continue as two rows of spines that run from the eyes to the sides of their wedge-shaped head and continue to the base of their tail. Crested geckos do not have eyelids. Instead, a transparent scale, or spectacle, keeps each eye moist, and the geckos use their tongues to clear away debris.

These geckos possess a semi-prehensile tail which they use to assist in climbing. The tail can be dropped (via caudal autotomy) to distract predators. Crested geckos do not regenerate their tails once lost; most adults in the wild lack tails.

The toes and the tip of the semi-prehensile tail are covered in small hairs called setae. Each seta is divided into hundreds of smaller (approximately 200 nanometres in diameter) hairs called spatulae. It is believed these structures exploit the weak van der Waals force to help the gecko climb on most solid surfaces, most easily on flatter, smoother surfaces such as glass or wood. The toes have small claws which aid in climbing surfaces to which their toes cannot cling.

The crested gecko has many naturally occurring color groups, including grey, brown, red, orange, and yellow of various shades. They have three color morphs in the wild, which include pattern-less, white-fringed, and tiger.

Habitat: There are three distinct and disjunct populations of crested geckos: one on the Isle of Pines, and two on Grand Terre. The southeastern rainforests of Grand Terre, the main island of New Caledonia where crested geckos are primarily found, are divided by the highest peak on the island, Mont Panie (1628 meters above sea level). This greatly influences climate and soil type in the region. High and low temperatures can range from 11.1-27.8°C, though temperatures typically range from 22.2-23.9°C. This area is tropical rainforest with precipitation levels potentially as high as 400 cm per year. They are most typically found at elevations from 150-1000 meters above sea level. Crested geckos spend daytime hours resting in thick vegetation near the forest floor, where it is cooler and less sunny. At night they spend much of their time foraging in shrubs and lower portions of the canopy, rarely traveling much higher than 3 m from the forest floor.

Range: The crested gecko is endemic to South Province, New Caledonia. There are three disjunct populations, one found on the Isle of Pines and surrounding islets, and there are two populations found on the main island of Grande Terre. One population is around the Blue River, which is a protected provincial park, and the other is further north, just south of Mount Dzumac.

Found in these States: IN | MN | TX

Diet: Crested geckos are omnivores, feeding primarily on insects, nectar, and fruits, hunting and feeding at night. Calcium and Vitamin D3 are vital for the proper growth and development of crested geckos, especially for young individuals. Deficiencies can result in metabolic bone diseases, which can be fatal, so they have endolymphatic sacs on the roofs of their mouths for calcium storage.

Reproduction: Mating behaviors have yet to be observed in the wild. Captive males have been known to fight violently if forced into contact with each other, especially during breeding season, and so multiple breeding females are kept with one male. A male will approach a female with jerky movements and, if she is willing, she will remain still while he climbs on her back and bites her neck as copulation begins.

Males become sexually mature between 9 to 12 months of age and females typically become mature at 12 months at a weight of 30 to 35 gm. At 3 to 4 months old, an external hemipenal bulge becomes visible in males, located at the base of the tail near the vent. In contrast, females are flat at the base of their tails, with much smaller bulges. Females are capable of laying 2 eggs every 4 to 6 weeks and do so 30 to 40 days after copulation; they retain sperm and may lay up to 4 eggs before copulating again. Breeding and egg laying takes place 8 to 10 months of the year, with a shift to lower temperatures halting egg production. If this resting period does not occur, females may lay eggs year round and are at risk of suffering severe calcium deficiencies. Eggs can be as large as 11x24 mm and 1.2 to 2.8 gm, and hatch 60 to 150 days after being laid. Young are independent at hatching.

Males exhibit no parental investment beyond fertilization. Females allocate nutrients to their eggs (moreso because of their small clutches) and lay their eggs in a hole a few inches deep, safe from predators, and within an appropriate proper temperature range and soil moisture, allowing for gas exchange through the egg membrane. After laying her eggs, the female does not provide any additional parental care to her developing offspring.

Status: Little is known about crested geckos in their natural environments, and even less in known about the impact of human activities on their populations. Slash and burn agriculture, deforestation, and mining (nickel, cobalt and chromium), as well as the introduction of non-native species are all believed to be threats to crested geckos and they are classified by The IUCN Red List as "Vulnerable", with a downward population trend. The primary indigenous conservation organization on New Caledonia, the Association pour la Savvegarde de la Nature NeoCaledonienne (ASNNC) is currently working with the government to protect more land and habitat and raise awareness about the reptilian fauna of the islands. The other organization working to protect this environment is the Center of Initiation of the New Caledonia Environment. The hope is that laws will eventually be passed to protect the terrestrial reptilian fauna there.

Taxonomy: