Bonding with a crested gecko is an easy process especially if you give your crested gecko time to adjust to its environment. Crested geckos can get very comfortable up to the point that they can enjoy being handled by you. But, how do you get a crested gecko to trust you? And how long does it take for a crested gecko to get used to you?
2-4 Weeks: Crested Geckos takes up to 4 weeks to trust when you hand-feed them from when they are hatchling Geckos. If you have just bought a juvenile Gecko, patience and routine petting sessions help to settle your Crested Gecko’s nerves every time you handle them.
When trying to bond with your crested gecko do not expect the same kind of bond that you form with other pets like dogs because these are different. But they will still bond with you and will make great pets.
In this post we explain the ways in which you can bond with your crested gecko as well as some of the things that you will need to do in order to keep the bond between you and your gecko stronger.
The post also explains some reasons why it may be hard to bond with your gecko and the th9ings you can do to try to bond with it.
There are so many things that you can do in order to bond with your crested gecko and make it trust you. Make sure that bonding with your crested gecko is done when the gecko is at the right age and stage in its life, do not rush the process.
Rather be patient and wait for your gecko to adjust to everything in its new environment first. Feeding your crested gecko from your hand is one way of bonding with the gecko.
A bond between you and the gecko can also be created if you handle it gently and frequently. When you make use of these ways you will find bonding with your crested gecko an easy process.
Set up tank or the terrarium
A comfortable place for the crested gecko is the first thing you need to consider when bonding up with your crested gecko. This is going to be the gecko’s new home, as a result you want to be as comfortable as possible for it.
Make sure that the tank you buy for the gecko is large since they like to climb. Avoid getting a tank that is very small for them as it can affect their growth. Include things like tree branches and some leaves to make the tank feel homey.
You can also use silk store bought plants as they have the ability to hold humidity and are good moisture absorbents. You can also use real plants for the terrarium or tank. Sticks and rocks can also be a very good choice for the gecko’s home.
Be patient and take it easy
Any attempts to bond with your crested gecko must acknowledge the need to take things at a good pace and not rush everything. The first step is by making sure that you give the crested gecko time to get used to its new environment.
Then you should also give it time to get used to having you around it. Before you start handling your gecko make sure that it is able to feel your presence in the room.
You can simply go to the tank just to watch your gecko without making any attempt to handle it, this way the geckos can be able to get used to your presence, usually through smell than seeing because they do not see that well. When this is done that is when you can start handling your crested gecko in order to bond with it.
Handling the Gecko gently
Holding your crested gecko should be done in a gentle and calm manner. If handled roughly, your crested gecko will not like it and this can disrupt the bond between you and your gecko. Some of the tips to follow when handling your gecko are:
1) Create an environment that is calm
when handling your crested gecko, make sure that the environment is quiet and not loud. Avoid putting on loud music or being around noisy people. If the place is too noisy you can try shutting down the doors or the windows. This helps to keep your crested gecko comfortable when you are holding it.
2) Open the terrarium or the tank slow
This ensures that your crested gecko is not frightened in any way. Opening it roughly can cause your gecko to get stressed. It is also important that you put the enclosure on the floor if this is your first time handling a gecko because it can jump, the gecko might hurt itself if it jumps from a height that is too high.
Therefore, placing it on the floor will help to avoid such things. If you are housing multiple Crested Geckos under the same terrarium, you must consider how you are going to evenly distribute your petting time to each Gecko.
3) Do not Force handling
There will be certain points when your crested gecko is not ready to be handled. At some points it does not feel like being handled. It is wise to not force the gecko. If you notice that the gecko does not want to be handled it is better to stop and put it back in the tank.
There is a problem of tail loss with the crested geckos. This usually happens when they are too frightened or feel threatened. To avoid this problem, make sure that you do not make your crested gecko feel frightened or scared and always watch out for its tail when handling it.
4) Right age and stage
Usually, crested geckos that are 6 months old or less are very hard to bon with. These crested geckos are also very hard to handle. This is mostly the case because the gecko is till discovering things that are happening around it and is trying to get used to the new environment that it is in.
Therefore, you should try to give your gecko some space and time before you try to bond with it so that it is able to get used to the surroundings around it. You can give your gecko at most three months so that it familiarizes itself with the place and adapts to the climate.
It is better to also weight until they are in the right stage before you bond with them. If your gecko weighs less than 10 grams, wait first for it to grow more and then bond with them.
5) Build up the time you handle your crestie
With time, you will see that your crested gecko will not mind being held. In order to increase the bond between you and the gecko, you can start increasing the time you hold your crestie. This should be done gradually; you start by increasing little by little over time. For instance, you start with 5 minutes and increase to 10 minutes the next day and so on.
6) Be Confident
It is very important that you avoid instilling fear in your crested gecko. Geckos are very fearful and any noise that you make can easily scare them. Therefore, always avoid handling them roughly if you want to bond with them.
Be cautious and calm when handling them. On the same note, you should also not be scared, instead, you need to be very confident and handle everything without having any fear. When you try to handle your crestie, it may make some sound that may cause fear in the owner.
However, make sure that you are not scared when your crested gecko does this. You should handle everything in a calm manner and still try to handle it. When you are gentle and calm your crestie will not resist you trying to handle them every time.
7) Feeding the gecko
Crested geckos need to be fed on a regular basis. Feeding the crested gecko is one of the main ways that you can bond with the crested gecko.
It is very easy to feed these animals. Geckos do well with being given store bought food or premade food. A repashy diet is good for the gecko and this can last for a long time. The food also has any nutrients that your gecko may need so that it stays healthy.
Fresh fruits are also very good for the crested gecko. You can also give your gecko some crickets by pouring them in the terrarium or letting your gecko catch them on its own.
Handfeeding your gecko will greatly improve the relationship that you and your gecko have, it will also make your gecko love being handled if you do this during handling.
Conclusion
When trying to bond with your crested gecko, it is essential to use a gentle approach so that your gecko get comfortable with you. Before you start bonding with your gecko, start by ensuring that it reaches a certain stage as well as age.
It should be 10 g above in weight and at least 3 months older. You should let your crested gecko get used to its new environment first before you try to bond with it and also make sure it gets used to you being around.
Make sure that your gecko is not stressed or overwhelmed in any way as this can disrupt the bonding process between you and your crested gecko. Following all these steps, you are assured that you will find bonding with your crested gecko to be a rather easy process.
