Doing a large report on Crested Geckos

[HelicopterPilot]

For 7th grade I am doing a 20 page report on crested geckos. I have to learn info and other stuff. I have to ask some people about their experiences with Crested Geckos and I have to get aleast two interviews with people that work with Crested Geckos. I also have to get info about what a person that works with crested geckos does in their daily lifestyle/job.


I also have to get ALOT of info on them and answer some questions.

What is Crested Gecko Behavior?

How do Crested Geckos hunt and/or find food?

When a crested gecko loses its tail is it advantegous or bad for the gecko? Also what are the pro's and con's of losing you tail?

Basically all aspects of Crested Geckos besides obvious husbandry becuase I know that stuff. I am also not looking for any vetrinary aspects. My teacher doesn't want that in the report.

Any help will be appreciated.

[bloodred]

check out wikipedia.com

[HelicopterPilot]

I can't use encyclopedias online or otherwise.

[myiarchus]

Just from observing my own geckos I've seen them actively searching for crickets, but other times they will use the "sit and wait" method until insect movement catches their eye. I'm not sure if there is a definitive answer on this one. Sometimes a Gecko of mine will approach a moving cricket, then the cricket will stop moving, and the gecko won't strike at the cricket until it moves again. Cresteds and all other geckos are visual hunters.

Since the prehensile tail of a Crested has adhesive lamellae it will aid in climbing, landing from jumps, and may aid in overall balance. So keeping your tail is always a plus for these reasons. Since Cresteds don't regenerate their tails, it can only be used as a defense tactic one time. However if you read Allen's book Rhacodactylus: A guide to selection and care (which will be infinitely more helpful than I am) it says that the majority of wild Cresteds are tail-less. So although one of their defenses may be used up, they are by no means not doomed without a tail.

As for other information I'll leave that up to the pros. Hope this help a little.

[HelicopterPilot]

Yes I do have that book (and it will be another main source of info).
I read that tailess geckos have an advatage of moving throught foliage easier than with a tail.

Thanks for that info on the crickets aswell. Visual hunters, I'll keep that in mind next time I feed crickets.

[tmfleo]

Also Crested geckos being more active at night there sence of of smell and taste is a factor when there looking for fruit to eat

[Brian]

I'd think if anything the tail loss defense isn't very important to them in the first place.

[genevieve]

I think I read in THE BOOK that the value of the tail was less than the cost of the energy that it would take to regenerate it. In other words, Cresties without a tail are not at a disadvantage, or they would spend the energy to regenerate to make up for the loss.

As for Crested behavior... well, the males are territorial with other males, and the females can be too. Young geckos seem to enjoy sleeping together, even when there are a plethora of other spaces for them to sleep. They can also be aggressive and bullies do pop up sometimes, especially around resources, like the food bowl. Some of them just seem to be nasty little bugs though. I have heard stories of one Crestie juvi in a cage eating the tails off all the others. Glad I haven't had any like that!

Genevieve

[lizardsister]

With regard to tails, I have two tailless that are in no way (that I've been able to observe) affected by the loss. One had no tail when I got her, the other lost his tail when he "escaped" from his enclosure. The door to my reptile room was left open and the cats knocked his enclosure into the floor where the lid popped off. When I got home, I found his still twitching tail long before I found the rest of him. Dropping his tail probably saved his life.
In answer to your question about what people who work with cresteds do as a day job, I'm an attorney in the health care law field. My sister, who also keeps cresteds and is my partner in our breeding endeavors, is a social worker and soon-to-be grad student.

[Brian]

Taillessness might help with jumps like frogs.