Crested Gecko Vs. Leopard Gecko? Which One Is Better As Pet.

When you are determined to keep a lizard as a pet, it can be challenging to choose the right one for your household. The top choice you have to decide about Created and Leopard Geckos is that they are famous for keeping as a pet for beginners. Before making any decision about adopting a specific genre, it is mandatory to look at their specifications. Let have an overview of their similarities and differences to figure out which one suits you best. 

Specifications Leopard Geckos Crested Geckos
Adult size
8-10 Inches
7-9 Inches
Hatchling size
3-3.5 Inches
3-4 Inches
Life Span
20-30 years
15-20 years
Diet
Insects, crickets, worms
Insects, Fruits, Specialized food Nectar, Pollen
Maintenance Level
Easy
Easy
Vivarium Size
10-30 Gallons
20-30 Gallons

Leopard Gecko Vs Crested Gecko

Similarities

Both of these species are about of the same size, the difference in size is minor, and both male/female needs are quite similar. They are much easier to adjust to in a new environment and make an easy-going pet for entire family members.

Leopard and Crested Geckos are available at pet stores, and you can order on-line from the leading web stores. They have an average life span of around 15-25 years; if you want to get them for breeding purposes, they both can be considered as starter reptiles. Both of them are well known for their fantastic colorful bodies and unique patterns.

Differences

Leopard geckos require a certain heat level to stay healthy and active that could be ideal around 9-95 degrees. That is possible to maintain inside a tank by using tank heating mats. Crested Geckos can stay fine at room temperature; they don’t need extra heating arrangements in their captivity. 

Leopard Geckos like to eat live insects while crested enjoy crawling meals. Crested geckos don’t require expensive socialized diet plans; instead, natural worms can fulfill their energy needs.

Crested geckos are easy to grip and feed, while leopards are a bit clumsy sometimes, so they require more effort to hold them.

Crested geckos are less prone to be caught by reptile diseases; instead, Leopards occasionally succumb to cryptosporidium disease. 

Leopard can start hatchling with the incubation process; crested ones can hatch at room temperature. In the start, you have to make efforts to be comfortable feeding your lizard, and more planning is required to provide them.  The insects should be coated with calcium powder before feeding them; that can be a strange thing to do initially, but soon you will be habitual of this.

Crested Geckos As Pet

This charming and soft-skinned gecko appears with a gentle disposition that makes them easy to handle as a pet; crested can be considered a good pick for adopting a lizard for the first time.

This nocturnal creature has a wide body and large head; babies measure around 3-4 inches without tails and weigh almost 35 grams. They can reach sexual maturity after 20 months of age. Crested gecko’s tails come off during a stressful situation, and they will not regrow it. Tailless geckos will likely live perfectly everyday life, so a missing tail should not be a matter of concern about geckos.

An adult must need an approximately 20-gallon spaced terrarium or more extensive, you can keep some of the females with one male member, but two males can’t stay clam together. Males in the same container will try to fight due to their aggressive instinct.  

Geckos would like to hide under their favorite places; crested will usually go for bamboos and bark tubes or PVC pipes. This unique creature stores calcium in naturally presented sacs on the roof of its mouth, known as endolymphatic sacs. These reserves are the indicator to tell about the calcium levels in the body of Geckos. 

Leopard Gecko As Pet

This nocturnal lizard is mostly found in the regions of Afghanistan, Iraq, India, and Pakistan. The adult measures up to 7 inches on average and weighing almost 150 grams, and males are larger than females. They can live up to 30 years with ideal living conditions in captivity.

The ideal age for adoption is above 8years; they demonstrate tolerant behavior, an aggressive terrarium-mate, or rough handling that can damage their tail. They can stay well in a glass terrarium or plastic well-ventilated tub with a capacity of a minimum of ten gallons. 

Unlike created geckos, leopards can regrow their tail well once after losing them. They are quite similar to rattlesnakes and move their tail in excitement when looking at the food. This movement is like dogs wagging their tails to communicate their emotions; even excitement about mating is often expressed through their tails.

Leopard Gecko - Pros & Cons

Pros

  • They are calm and easy to handle
  • Available in pet markets and on-line stores
  • require fewer efforts for enclosure maintenance
  • Active and energetic during day time
  • You don’t need a lot of humidity
  • Easily found in adorable morphs
  • Move their tails to express emotions. 

Cons

  • Food preparation requires more effort on your part
  • Metabolic bone disease is quite common among these species
  • you should clean the cage regularly after feeding
  • They are more vocal, which can be annoying for the owner sometimes

Crested Gecko - Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Commonly available in pet stores and on-line shipping options also considerable
  • They made a fantastic pet and looks adorable while climbing
  • They are harmless unless they are threatened 
  • Choose from a variety of cute morphs
  • They stay loyal with their owners if handled with affection
  • They demonstrate a docile behavioral pattern

Cons

  • They will not feel comfortable over 80-degree temperature
  • They could stay well with you if you used to awake at nights
  • One male gecko can remain in one tank at a time
  • They need higher levels of humidity to stay healthy
  • If their tail fell off, it will not grow precisely in the same shape

Which One Should Be Kept As A Pet? Leopard Gecko or Crested Gecko

Crested geckos make unique pets, especially if you have children at home who would like to adore this lizard’s presence in their surroundings. Their mild temperament made them incredibly great pets with unique features to be loved by all family members. Adopting a crested gecko is a low-maintenance deal. You don’t have to provide them with live insects to feed. Instead, they will adjust to your living space.

Leopard makes an excellent pet for beginners; they will not require high maintenance expenses somewhat more than crested but still reasonable. They are to be kept under normal conditions, but you have to be careful about their UV light requirement to avoid bone problems. They will like to eat live insects, which keeps them looking gross a few times, but it can be understood as nature’s cycle of existence.

Never expect the lizard to be cuddly or expressive like cats or dogs; they are prone to stay lonely most of the time. Never ignore this animal’s instinct to take care of their emotional needs; they will only attack you if they feel threatened with life.

Final Verdict

If you want to adopt a pet lizard with zero experience, both of these lizards can prove unique pets to stay with you for long-term companionship. You would love to see their attractive color and patterns; they are not proving to be many expensive pets. 

Thanks for reading this article; hopefully, it would be quite useful to give you a clear vision about deciding on adopting a lizard as a pet. In the end, summarily, it is up to the owner what kind of relationship they want to develop with their beloved pet. For a more delicate natured person, the crested gecko will make a great companion, while for a more social animal, leopard ones can be the perfect lizard to stay with more extended time.

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