Crested geckos are known to be skittish and easily startled. This is why it is recommended to keep the enclosure of your crested gecko in a relatively quieter room inside the house.
But how well can crested geckos hear? And what are the frequencies of sound that a crested gecko can intercept and hear?
Are all sound frequencies disturbing for your crested gecko? These are some of the questions that will be addressed in this article.
Key Takeaway:
Although crested geckos don’t have outer ears they are able to hear sounds thanks to their inner ears.
Do Crested Geckos Hear Sounds?
When you look at your crested gecko, you will notice that it does not have external ears.
But you will notice that there are tiny holes on the head of your crested gecko that actually help your crested gecko hear.
Not only can your crested gecko hear sounds, but also your crested gecko’s hearing sensitivity changes with temperature.
A crested gecko has higher sensitivity to hearing at higher temperatures.
How Are Crested Geckos Able To Hear?
Crested geckos do not have external ears but they have inner ears. The structure of the inner ear of your crested gecko is normal. It has the following parts:
- Cochlea. This is the part of the inner ear that is actually responsible for hearing.
- Stapes. It is the bone in the middle ear that carries the vibrations to the inner ear. This part is also called the stirrup.
- Tympanic membrane. This is commonly called the ear drum. It receives vibrations from the stirrup or stapes.
How Sensitive Is A Crested Gecko’s Hearing?
Crested geckos can hear high-frequency sounds in the range of 100 Hz and 5 kHz.
The sensitivity of your crested gecko’s hearing can change with temperature. It may be able to hear with more sensitivity at higher temperatures.
Do Crested Geckos Like Music?
Crested geckos do not have any specific liking for music. In fact, as they are easily startled.
You should avoid playing loud music such as heavy metal or rock inside or near the room where the enclosure of your crested gecko is placed.
Your crested gecko may get used to softer melodies playing near the room.
But as far as possible, you should keep the room of your crested gecko enclosure quiet and peaceful.
How Does Noise Affect Crested Geckos?
All the caution about the skittish behavior of crested geckos may leave you worried about the unavoidable sounds that are heard in a house.
Some of the safe and unsafe sounds for crested geckos are listed below.
Safe Sounds
- Dishwasher
- Vacuum cleaner
- Doors opening and closing
- Light conversations
- Sound of clinking cutlery
Basically, you don’t need to constantly be extremely quiet when dealing with your crested gecko.
Crested geckos cannot hear low-frequency sounds. Additionally, your crested gecko will get used to these other sounds such as dishwashers, vacuum cleaners, etc. these daily sounds will not startle your crested gecko.
Unsafe Sounds
- Loud music
- Loud television
- Screaming or shouting
- Sudden loud sounds
Anything sudden and high frequency will startle your pet crested gecko easily.
Summary
Crested geckos are skittish and can be easily startled. But you don’t need to be afraid of the daily household sounds such as that of dishwashers or vacuum cleaners.
Crested geckos can only hear high-frequency sounds and they get used to the daily sounds of the household.
