Can a Crested Gecko Live in a Paludarium?

Crested geckos are one of the most popular pet reptiles and for good reason. They do make for one of the best pets to have, especially if you love animals that stay indoors.

The species of crested geckos find their natural habitat to be that of a tropical rainforest.

Crested geckos are native to the offshore islands of New Caledonia.

Belonging to a natural niche of tropical rainforests, crested geckos are one of the best reptiles to consider if you have, or want to set up, a Paludarium.

What Is A Paludarium?

A Paludarium is essentially a type of terrarium that you can keep at your home to have a biodiverse environment for your aquatic or arboreal pets.

It is a semi-aquatic habitat that includes components of both land and water.

If you’re an aquarium enthusiast, you can visualize a Paludarium as an aquarium that also has the component of land. A Paludarium consists of a custom bioactive habitat.

A bioactive habitat is one where different living organisms interact with each other – much like a mini version of an actual natural environment.

The main objective behind creating a Paludarium is basically to replicate the natural habitat of rainforests, wetlands, and streams.

This miniature custom-made environment is soon gaining popularity, especially with people who have pet reptiles.

Can a Crested Gecko Live In Paludarium?

In a word, yes. Crested geckos can not only live but thrive in a Paludarium.

To understand why this is the case, it is important to know what the natural habitat of a crested gecko looks like.

The crested gecko is a reptile native to the rainforests of New Caledonia. Specifically speaking, these geckos reside in the Isle of Pines and Grand Terre.

These are two islands near Australia with a thick tropical rainforest cover and a warm and humid climate.

So, essentially, a crested gecko needs warm weather, humidity, and thick vegetation. The enclosure of the gecko should replicate a tropical rainforest.

And, well, that falls straight into the domain of a Paludarium. Therefore, it is easy to conclude that a crested gecko can live in a Paludarium.

Size of reptile: 6 to 10 inches

Recommended Paludarium size: At least 12 X 24 X 24 inches

It is essential to build a Paludarium that provides humidity, maintains a warm temperature, and fulfills the crested gecko’s dietary needs.

Why You Should Consider Building A Paludarium For Your Crested Gecko?

A Paludarium, in the simplest of terms, is a bioactive habitat. What this means is that, unlike a simple tank, a Paludarium will have as many components of nature present in the creature’s original native environment as it can.

Such a bioactive habitat replicates with substantial accuracy the natural environment of a crested gecko. It brings a better, more natural way of keeping your crested gecko.

Can Crested Geckos Be In Water?

While instinctively a crested gecko may know how to stay afloat and swim, they are ideally not supposed to be in the water for a prolonged period, or they will be at risk of drowning.

A crested gecko will only swim when there is no other option. They do not have gills and cannot breathe under the water.

So, even when they go in the water, they have to hold their breath. And if they are not able to resurface after a short while, they might even drown.

What Type Of Enclosure Is Best For A Crested Gecko?

A common confusion among reptile owners is the difference between a vivarium and a terrarium. And if we’re being honest, the dictionary definitions of the terms haven’t made things clear for us.

In the simplest possible terms, a vivarium is an enclosure made majorly of wood, while a terrarium is an enclosure made majorly of glass.

So, which one should you choose for your crested gecko if you’re not keen on a Paludarium?

As a general thumb rule, while Paludarium does make an ideal habitat for your crested gecko, a terrarium provides a good enough alternative.

A terrarium is made of glass and is thus able to allow for tighter control of humidity – which is a very important factor for the health and comfort of your crested gecko.

Another thumb rule that’s easy to follow for pets other than crested geckos is:

A terrarium works best for forest reptiles and amphibians; a vivarium, on the other hand, is generally better for desert and arid-region reptiles and snakes.

For a crested gecko, choose an enclosure that has more vertical height than horizontal reach. Crested geckos love to climb.

So, a bigger vertical wall will be needed to ensure that it doesn’t climb up and escape.

An ideal enclosure for a crested gecko would be made up of glass – it is durable and cost-effective, and it maintains the warm and humid temperature within.

It is also recommended that you opt for a Paludarium which has two large doors either on the front or on the sides of the enclosure. Such enclosures make supervision and cleaning easy.

Summary

The crested geckos are a very suitable pet to keep in a Paludarium.

Their native habitats of tropical rainforests can be replicated using the Paludarium which has the right customizations for maintaining humidity, temperature, and dietary needs of the crested gecko.