A gecko is usually a small to the medium-sized reptile.
There are more than 1600 species of geckos present in the wild – but not all of them can be domesticated to keep as pets.
There are only a select few species out of the huge number of gecko species that make for good pets.
These geckos are usually under a foot long and have a life span of 10 to 20 years.
In fact, it is this lifespan along with the small size that has gone on to make geckos a popular choice for pet owners with an inclination towards reptiles as pets.
List Of The Best Types Of Geckos To Keep As Pets
Listed below are the 11 best types of geckos to consider being kept as pets. While they are all geckos and are small in size, that’s pretty much where the similarity tends to end.
Every different type of gecko has different needs that need to be taken care of.
Crested Gecko
The New Caledonian Crested Gecko, or simply, crested gecko, is one of the hardiest, low-maintenance, beginner-friendly crested geckos to have as pets.
These are great for novice reptile pet owners who don’t have much experience with reptiles as pets.
Their original habitat resides in the rainforests of New Caledonia, so naturally, they are used to a tropical climate with very high humidity.
One thing to note, however, is that whilst crested geckos have a nice, calm temperament once they have settled in properly in their new surroundings, they still prefer solitude.
They may get skittish when handled frequently – so, avoid handling them (i.e., picking them up and removing them from their enclosures) unless you absolutely have to, or unless your crested gecko has shown that it is okay with being handled sometimes.
Tokay Gecko
Tokay geckos are the second largest type of geckos. They are known for their vibrant colors – usually a nice, vibrant blue-gray color with bright orange and blue spots.
Now, these geckos are not suitable for beginner reptile owners or houses with small children.
A tokay gecko is known to be very feisty – their aggression needs to be tamed over time with regular interactions in a proper manner.
The regular interactions do come with a risk of painful bites – which is precisely why if you have never handled a reptile before, or if there are children in your house, a tokay gecko will not be an ideal pet for you.
The tokay gecko is native to Asia and the Pacific islands. A very interesting thing about the tokay gecko is that it gets its name from its vocalization.
A tokay gecko is very vocal and makes a sound that is very close to the utterance of syllables “To-Kay”.
If you are an experienced herpetologist, you will find that once you help your tokay gecko settle in, its care is pretty straightforward.
African Fat-Tailed Gecko
The African Fat Tailed Gecko is one of the most popular types of geckos to keep as pets. They are small in size and are beginner-friendly.
They are suitable to keep as pets even if you don’t have a lot of experience with the pet care of geckos.
The African fat-tailed gecko is known to have a docile temperament, and it usually does not make a lot of noise. This gecko also does not need a lot of taming, unlike the tokay gecko.
Unlike the crested gecko and the tokay gecko, which are both arboreals (reside in trees), the African Fat Tailed Gecko is a ground-dwelling reptile with its origins in the regions of West Africa and Cameroon.
Chinese Cave Gecko
A Chinese cave gecko is one of the gecko species with a majestic and vibrant aesthetic to it – bright yellow stripes on a black body, and black stripes on a white tail.
This vibrancy in colors, however, is not the only reason behind it making for a good pet. A Chinese cave gecko, not unlike the crested gecko, is very hardy and beginner-friendly.
In fact, it may be a little more social than a crested gecko, as it can tolerate moderate handling much more comfortably than a crested gecko does.
Moreover, a Chinese cave gecko does not require any special heating or lighting.
The Chinese Cave Gecko, as its name suggests, is native to the island of Hainan in China. It usually prefers to dwell in dark places, often close to bodies of water.
Gargoyle Gecko
The Gargoyle Gecko, also known sometimes as the knob-headed giant gecko, is again a native of the New Caledonian islands, like its gecko cousin crested gecko.
The gargoyle gecko, however, is only found on the southern end of New Caledonia, and its existence is under threat due to rampant deforestation in the wild.
While it belongs to the same region as crested geckos, the gargoyle gecko is actually known to be friendly, unlike its cousin crested gecko which prefers solitude.
A gargoyle gecko is hardy and adapts well to life as a pet – and this makes it a beginner-friendly pet to have. You may even consider having a gargoyle gecko as a pet even if you have small children in the house.
Giant Day Gecko
The giant day gecko gets its name from its large size, and it is native to the regions of tropical and subtropical forests in the northern parts of Madagascar.
The giant day gecko has a very vibrant color – generally a bright green color, and rarely, a bluish-green color on its body.
Unlike the general trend of lifespan increasing in captivity for other geckos, for the day gecko, its lifespan actually tends to decrease when kept as pets.
While in the wild, a day gecko may live well up to 15 years, in captivity its lifespan reduces to somewhere between 6 and 8 years.
Moreover, the Giant Day Gecko is a very high-maintenance pet and is absolutely not suitable for novice or beginner reptile pet owners.
Common house Gecko
This particular gecko is native to South and Southeast Asia. Like most of its other cousins, the common house gecko is also nocturnal – it stays in hiding during the day and actively comes out at night to forage for food and hunt insects.
While their small size may make them easier to house indoors, common house geckos have a very short lifespan when compared to their other cousins.
With proper care, a common house gecko may live up to 5 years. The common house gecko is a very fragile pet and does not do well with handling – so, it is not suitable for novice reptile pet owners or people with children in their houses.
Flying Gecko
The flying gecko, also known as parachute gecko or gliding gecko, is native to Southeast Asia. It is an arboreal gecko that can glide for up to 200 feet (60 feet) and control its landing smoothly.
The flying gecko makes for a great pet. Its caretaking is straightforward and relatively hassle-free when compared to its other cousins like the giant day gecko which is excessively high maintenance.
The one drawback, however, is that in captivity, the lifespan of the flying gecko is only 5 to 8 years – that too only when top-notch care is provided at all times.
New Caledonian Gecko
The New Caledonian Giant Gecko, also known as the Leach’s Giant Gecko, is native to the New Caledonian islands – much like its cousin geckos: the crested gecko and the gargoyle gecko. In captivity, the New Caledonian Giant Gecko may live for up to 20 years with proper care.
The New Caledonian Giant Gecko makes for a great pet for people who want a large but relatively low-maintenance gecko as a pet.
The only thing that may cause a little discomfort to you is the size of the housing enclosure that you will need to provide.
A New Caledonian Giant Gecko is the biggest one in the gecko family, and accordingly, it may easily need an enclosure of 40-gallon or more volume. Once this has been taken care of, the care of a New Caledonian Giant Gecko is pretty straightforward.
Frog-eyed Gecko
The frog-eyed gecko, sometimes also referred to as the common wonder gecko, is a species of geckos native to the arid parts of Asia and it has a special adaptation to desert life.
The frog-eyed gecko is ground-dwelling and it does not like being handled frequently.
This species of gecko is again not exactly recommended for novice reptile pet owners as it can be a little too high in maintenance.
For instance, when you house a frog-eyed gecko as a pet, you may have to spot clean its enclosure as often as every day, and a full deep cleaning once every 4 weeks.
Only go for a frog-eyed gecko if you have at least some experience in taking care of a gecko as a pet.
Leopard Gecko
A leopard gecko is again a ground-dwelling gecko, unlike its arboreal cousins. It is native to the rocky and dry grasslands and desert regions of Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Nepal, and India.
It is one of the first and most widely domesticated species of lizards.
The leopard gecko is one of the most popular beginner-friendly geckos to keep as pets for even novice reptile pet owners.
Affectionately referred to as leos, the leopard geckos are of a docile demeanor and are easy to tame – this makes them a relatively friendly species of geckos to have as pets.
They also require minimal care when compared to their cousin geckos.
Pictus (Ocelot) Gecko
The Ocelot gecko is native to the island of Madagascar. They coloration greatly varies and their size ranges from 15-20cm in length when fully grown.
Ocelot geckos are nocturnal and primarily insectivores. In captivity, when fed with a proper diet they can live up to 8 years.
If you are looking for a beginner gecko pet. Then ocelot geckos are a great choice. They don’t require much making them less intense.
Are Geckos Good Pets For Beginners?
There is no simplistic yes or no answer to this question.
There are some species of geckos, like the crested gecko, the leopard gecko, and the Chinese cave gecko, which are relatively hardy, low-maintenance, and very beginner-friendly.
However, there are other species like the gargoyle gecko, the giant day gecko, and the common house gecko, that are relatively high-maintenance and should not be adopted as pets by novice reptile pet owners.
It all boils down to the care required by a certain species of geckos.
So, the best way to figure out if a certain species of geckos will be good for you to bring home as pets is to do extensive research on the kind of care they need, their environmental and other fundamental requirements, and to talk to experienced pet owners who have had pet geckos for quite some time.
How Expensive Is A Gecko?
This, again, is a question with no simplistic answer. Depending on the type of gecko species you opt for.
You can get a pet gecko for $15 or you may have to spend an amount as big as $3000 for the rarer ones. So, it is a wide range of prices, and it really depends on the kind of gecko species you are looking for.
Other than the cost of the gecko itself, there is also the monthly expense of keeping the pet gecko healthy, comfortable, and happy. This monthly expenditure can again go from anywhere between $50 to $300 per month.
How Long Do Geckos Live?
The range of lifespan of geckos in captivity is from 5 years to 20 years. Some of the high-maintenance geckos can only live between 5 and 8 years, that too only if top-notch care is given to them at all times.
On the other hand, there are some hardy and low-maintenance gecko species that can easily live for anywhere between 10 and 20 years even with relatively minimal maintenance and care.
Either way, getting a gecko home should be taken as a long-term responsibility and you should mentally prepare yourself likewise for the financial, caretaking, and other responsibilities that come with owning a pet gecko.
Conclusion
Crested geckos are not the only species of geckos that are kept as pets – there are many others. Some are low-maintenance and hardy, while others need a lot of care and are very high in maintenance.
Either way, if you are a reptile enthusiast, you will know that a gecko is worth all the effort as it makes for a very unique and interesting pet to have.
Before you get a gecko home as your pet, however, it is recommended that you do extensive research about the care they require, and talk to experienced reptile owners for better guidance in choosing which gecko species should you opt for.
