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An
Overview
The crested gecko is an arboreal gecko
endemic (native exclusively) to New Caledonia. The species was thought to
be extinct until its rediscovery in 1994 on the Isle of Pines, a tiny island
just off the southeast coast of the main island. Until 1994, the last documented
sighting of a crested gecko was in the late 1800's. This rediscovery was
greeted with much excitement amongst both academics and hobbyists, but no one
had any idea how popular this species would become. Due to their docile
nature and easy care requirements, the crested gecko is gaining in popularity by
the day. Because they thrive at room temperature and don't need live
insects in their diet, it is believed that the crested gecko will eventually
surpass the popularity of the leopard gecko, which is currently the most popular
pet gecko in the pet trade.
The A.C.
Reptiles Collection
Their strange crests, "eyelashes",
seemingly endless palette of colors, interesting patterns and ultimately, all
the potential for combinations are what lured me into crested geckos in the
first place. With that in mind, when I decided to begin breeding them, my
plan was very simple; to produce the best looking crested geckos available
anywhere.
When I first started
building my collection, I purchased the best looking geckos I could find and
from as many different bloodlines as I could find. By starting with the nicest
animals and the most genetic diversity humanly possible, I was able to put
together several groups of unrelated animals for each of my breeding projects.
In contrast to large commercial
producers, I maintain a relatively small colony consisting of only top quality
specimens. With a smaller collection, I have the time and the space to
house all my geckos in small groups of 2-5 animals. Another benefit is that I
can take a more methodical approach when putting breeding groups together
because I am familiar with the traits that I'm trying to reproduce, and
sometimes I may even have a good idea of how that trait is passed on within my
particular bloodlines. My original breeding stock comes from many
different bloodlines, representing literally all of the top breeders in the
country, as well as a line completely unrelated to most crested geckos produced
in the United States. Click HERE to
view my Crested Gecko Collection. |
Care & Husbandry Information at
Ciliatus.com
Long story short, my crested gecko section
became so extensive that I had to move it to it's own website.
Aside from tons of information
about crested geckos, the forums are getting pretty popular too. The
website is now averaging over 100,000 page views per month and the numbers are
still climbing steadily. |
