Crested geckos have recently become a pretty popular pet reptile. They are super small, easy to care for, and generally have a low maintenance cost. Are you curious how much one of these little guys will cost you?
Crested gecko price point usually falls between $50 and $100. This price varies based on age, gender, and morph. Special morphs can cost thousands of dollars! The price of a gecko is just a small part of their cost of care. Geckos need enclosures, food, supplements, and regular vet visits, which all cost money! Â
In this article, we will discuss the actual price of crested geckos, as well as the cost of keeping them overall!
Hopefully, after reading this you can make an informed decision about whether getting a crested gecko is the right choice for you or not.
How Much Do Crested Geckos Cost?
While the actual cost of a crested gecko is a small part of your overall cost of owning a crested gecko, it’s still important.
If you go to a normal et store, such as PetCo or PetSmart, you will notice that all of the geckos are the same price. These prices are generally the same because most of the geckos at these stores are of undetermined sex and are also young. This means they generally make good pets but not great stock for breeding. The cost of these geckos is usually somewhere around $50.00.
If you are buying from a breeder, specialty reptile store, or from a reptile expo, you might pay a little more. But, the health of the animals coming from a breeder might be better than the ones you find at Petco! It’s hard to define the crested gecko price range because the price depends on a few different factors.
Factors That Affect Crested Gecko Price
If you just want a gecko for a pet, not for breeding, you will usually want to purchase an un-sexed, adult that doesn’t have a special coloring. Any other specifications beyond this will start to cost you!
Age
The age of a gecko will make a difference in the price. Younger hatchling geckos are usually a bit less expensive than adults. Adults are hardy and have a lot less risk of health issues. While hatchlings are adorable, they are much harder to care for and shouldn’t be taken on by inexperienced owners!
Sex
The gender or sex of a gecko will also affect the price! If a breeder is unsure of the gender, the gecko will usually be cheaper. On the other hand, a mature female gecko will usually be more expensive for her breeding potential.
Morph
The last factor that will greatly affect the price of a crested gecko is the morph.
Morphs are different colorations than what an animal would have in the wild. Morphs come from selective breeding and can display as pretty patterns and magnificent colors in reptiles. Some morphs are more highly sought after than others, especially among true reptile collectors. If you’re on a budget, steer away from fancy morphs!
What Is The Most Expensive Crested Gecko Morph?
There are 12 official morphs of crested geckos. The most expensive morphs are also the rarest morphs. Here is a video style guide to some of the different crested gecko morphs:
Consider Adopting Your Crested Gecko!
Personally, I find $5000 a little expensive for a reptile! But, everyone has their interests, and I am a little biased.
As a veterinary technician who worked with rescue pet reptiles, I can assure you the most budget and eco-friendly way to get your gecko is to adopt one! Our adoption fee for crested geckos was $30.00, no matter the age sex, or morph.
Adoption fees at shelters are always low and you can be sure you’re adopting an animal that needs a home. Instead of funding a potentially unethical breeder, you could give your gecko the home they always deserved!
Even though adoption is the cheapest option you might need to wait a while for a crested gecko to show up at your local shelter. If this is the case, you might want to consider reaching out to a nearby reptile rescue, trust me, there are plenty! Here’s one of the little crested geckos that was able to find new home through the shelter:
What Is The Cost of Owning A Crested Gecko?
There are so many budget-friendly ways to get a crested gecko. But, after purchasing your new pet, you will also have to spend a good amount of money on supplies and care. An initial investment of anywhere from $100 – $200 will be necessary if you’re a beginner with no supplies.
What Do Crested Geckos Need For An Enclosure?
The smallest terrarium a crested gecko can live in is a 10-gallon terrarium. However, if you want to give your gecko some extra room for climbing you can invest in a 20 or 30-gallon tank.
This terrarium will be the most expensive purchase you make and can range anywhere from $70 – $180. It’s important that you purchase a terrarium that can be set up vertically and that has a mesh side or top for your gecko’s environmental needs.
Crested geckos are an arboreal species, which means that they do a good amount of climbing.
You will also need to purchase substrate for your gecko to climb and sleep on. My favorite way to set up a gecko enclosure is with a nice knobby natural branch. This can be purchased or found depending on where you live. You will also want to add either live greenery or fake greenery. This gives you gecko places to hide, sleep, and even to drink drops of water from. Live plants and greenery shouldn’t cost you more than $30 to start.
You may also need to purchase a heat lamp, UVA/UVB lamp, and a temperature and humidity gauge. Your gecko will have specific environmental requirements. You will probably need to supplement your environment with additional heat light and humidity to keep your gecko healthy. This sort of equipment can cost around $50.
Even though your gecko may get all the hydration they need from regular misting and good humidity levels, you should still provide them with a shallow water dish in their terrarium.
What Do Crested Geckos Eat And Drink?
While you can offer your gecko a commercially available powdered diet, I’ve found that many geckos will only eat live food!
Crested geckos are insectivores and need insects to survive. Some of the best things you can feed your gecko are crickets, mealworms, small roaches, and waxworms! Luckily, these bugs are inexpensive ($3 – $10) and you can usually buy a small tub of them at your local pet store.
Because reptiles can become calcium deficient in captivity, it’s never a bad idea to supplement your reptile’s food with calcium powder. This is as simple as buying a reptile calcium supplement and sprinkling it on their worms! One container of the supplement costs around $30 and should last you a while.
Geckos, like snakes, drink water and need that water to be chlorine free. Reptiles are sensitive to chlorine so please make sure you are offering them filtered or spring water in their enclosures!
How Much Does It Cost To Take Your Gecko To The Vet?
The only recurring charges you will face after your reptile’s enclosure is set up are food and vet bills!
We’ve already established that food is not too costly. A veterinarian visit on the other hand could be.
Contrary to popular belief your reptile should get a veterinary exam at least once a year. Veterinary exams are important for recognizing and treating disease, infection, parasites, and nutritional deficiency. These things are all common sicknesses that can affect your crested gecko.
An initial exam can vary greatly among hospitals and geographical locations but can cost anywhere from $30-$100. But, be prepared, if your gecko isn’t doing well, there will be extra costs for medication, treatments, and checkups. Plan to set aside about $500 per year for your gecko’s vet expenses. If you aren’t able to do that, I encourage you to save up and get a gecko only when you’re ready!
What Is The Overall Price Of Getting A Crested Gecko?
Crested geckos themselves aren’t expensive unless you get a breeder female or a fancy morph. For a crested gecko, you will need an enclosure, a light, a heat lamp, and a substrate to go inside. Once you buy those things you will need to provide fresh water and live food. You will also need to visit the vet with your gecko and pay any additional medical bills.
Overall the cost of getting your first crested gecko could be anywhere from $200-$500 at the least! Having a pet can be expensive but if you’re willing to make the investment, it’s so worth it!
