Care, Health and Growth, Crested Geckos, Geckos

Here’s Why Your Crested Gecko Screams 2025

Updated On

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Key Takeaway:

  • Crested geckos, also known as eyelash geckos, are popular pets known for their unique appearance and friendly personalities.
  • Crested geckos may scream when they are stressed, scared, or threatened, indicating the need to remove stressors from their environment.
  • Common causes of screaming in crested geckos include territorial behavior, stress, pain, and hormonal factors during the breeding season.
  • Understanding the cause of the screaming behavior is important for providing a comfortable and stress-free environment for your crested gecko.
  • If your gecko is in pain or has an illness, it’s best to consult with a veterinarian experienced in reptile care.
  • Crested geckos are vocal creatures and can chirp, bark, squeak, and scream to express their moods and emotions.

Crested geckos, also known as eyelash geckos, are a popular pet species known for their unique appearance and friendly personalities.

However, some pet owners may be surprised to hear their crested gecko making a loud, high-pitched noise.

In this article, we will explore the reasons why crested geckos may scream, as well as how to address the behavior.

Whether you’re a new or experienced crested gecko owner, understanding why your pet is screaming can help you provide a comfortable and stress-free environment for them.

Do Crested Geckos Scream?

Being an enthusiast of crested geckos means that you are aware of the wide variety of vocalizations that a crested gecko partakes in.

Screaming is one such vocalization that you may sometimes hear from your pet crested gecko.

Crested geckos scream and squeak when they are stressed, scared, or threatened. So, if your crested gecko is heard screaming, it may be an indication that you need to remove some stressor from its environment.

Why Is My Crested Gecko Screaming?

There are several possible reasons why your crested gecko may be screaming. Some of the most common causes include:

  1. Territorial behavior: Crested geckos, particularly males, may scream to assert their dominance over their territory. This is usually seen in males that are housed together or in close proximity to one another.
  2. Stress: A crested gecko that is feeling stressed may scream as a way to express its discomfort. Stress can be caused by a variety of factors, including poor living conditions, lack of hiding spots, or being handled too often.
  3. Pain: In some cases, a crested gecko may scream due to pain or discomfort. This can be caused by an injury, illness, or parasitic infestation.
  4. Hormonal: during the breeding season, it’s common for males to vocalize more and scream as a way to attract females.

It’s important to observe your crested gecko’s behavior and living conditions to determine the cause of its screaming.

crested gecko
Crested geckos scream due to several reasons

By addressing the underlying issue, you can help to reduce or eliminate the behavior.

If you suspect your gecko is in pain or has an illness, it’s best to consult with a veterinarian experienced in reptile care.

What Does It Mean For A Crested Gecko To Scream?

A crested gecko screams or squeaks when it is experiencing some sort of discomfort.

That discomfort can be due to pain, injury, illness, stress, or poor husbandry.

Sometimes, too much handling or forced cohabitation can also lead to unusual screaming on the part of your crested gecko.

Screaming is not one of those happy-time vocalizations of crested geckos, and so, if you hear your pet scream, it is best to find out the underlying cause and remedy it as fast as possible.

Are Crested Geckos Loud?

There is a mixed opinion on how loud a crested gecko is as a pet – mostly because what you may find loud is highly subjective.

But it is a fact that crested geckos are on the vocal and chatty end of the spectrum.

So, if you have multiple gecko pets, you will notice that your crested gecko is one of the more chatty ones. And in that reference, crested geckos may appear noisy.

However, if by loud, you mean disruptively loud – then rest assured that crested geckos are pretty quiet.

They won’t disrupt your sleep or work with their vocalizations.

crested gecko
A crested gecko’s scream can be loud or inaudible

Can Crested Geckos Vocalize?

Yes, crested geckos can vocalize. In fact, they have a wide variety of vocalizations that they use to make their moods more evident.

Crested geckos chirp, bark, squeak, and scream.

Depending on their body language and mood, you can tell whether the vocalization is out of excitement and joy or stress and fear.

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Why Is My Gecko Making Squeaking Noise?

Squeaking is almost the same as screaming. When your crested gecko screams, it is expressing fear, stress, and discomfort.

On the same lines, squeaking is also used by crested geckos to express fear, stress, and discomfort.

In fact, a crested gecko may squeak first, and if it still doesn’t get your attention, it may start screaming.

Squeaking is when the crested gecko experiences mild stress and is trying to get your attention to help remove the stressor from the environment.

If the stressor isn’t removed for a substantial amount of time, your crested gecko may start screaming or barking.

Are Crested Geckos Noisy At Night?

Crested geckos are vocal and nocturnal. This combination may seem like crested geckos would be noisy at night.

But, as with how loud they are, how noisy they are may be subjective depending on how sensitive to noises you are during the night.

crested gecko
Crested geckos are very active at night

Naturally, since crested geckos are awake during the night, they will undertake most of their vocalizations at night.

But they are not very loud and their vocalizations will not disrupt your good night’s sleep.

Summary

Crested geckos are vocal creatures.

Their variety of vocalizations is one of the idiosyncrasies that make them such a unique and intriguing pet for reptile enthusiasts.

However, the vocalization of a crested gecko may sometimes indicate stress or discomfort.

Especially if you hear your crested gecko squeak, scream, or bark, it may be best to find out the underlying cause and remove any stressors.

Dr. Janet Garcia (DVM, Vet)
Janet is a reptile veterinarian, pet enthusiast, and writer, committed to imparting knowledge, insights, and anecdotes that enable reptile owners to provide optimal care for their scaly companions. Dedicated to providing guidance on husbandry, or the diet of reptiles have on human lives, this blog is the go-to source.

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