Baby Crested Questions.

[TMF]

I recently acquired juvie/adult cresteds. They are quite simple to keep. In the pack I got a bundle deal at the show, I received 2 baby crested geckos...which I have some questions on.

I have them in separate kritter keepers to watch their eating habits and I'm getting fairly worried. When I received them at the show, they were both about 4-5 days old which in itself had my girlfriend worried. The guy told me they were eating CGD and Crickets like crazy, yet they keep refusing pinheads and we cant tell they have touched their repashy in about three days.

One is walking in circles which my girlfriend assumed was a shedding problem. She soaked both in luke warm water and since they were both shedding it helped them ease the shed off.

One still walks fine, the other that she thought was due to a shedding issue is still circling. Is there anything that could explain the crested being unable to walk? Could it be due to not eating their dusted crickets or something to that effect?

Thanks for any input you could give!

 

[DarthGekko]

If they were only 4-5 days old they may not have been eating at all! Cresties shed after hatching but may not eat for 4-5 days because they are still living off the yolk from the egg. Give them like 4-5 crix and leave some cgd in a shallow soda bottle cap or the cap from a gallon of milk. Mist their KK's 2 times per day and give them plenty of places to hide. Also, I wouldn't touch them for about a month except to clean the cage once per week so you wont stress them out. You should watch for poops to see if they have been eating. Remember to change the cgd every 2-3 days. Good luck.

 

[Chewbecca]

The breeder sold you 4-5 day old hatchlings???

That's INSANE.
I'd follow Nate's instructions since he's a reputable breeder (I have one of his cresties to show for it!).
I'd be hesitant, though, to leave crickets in with them for too long.
I'd say if they haven't eaten the crickets in 1-2 days, take out the crickets and dispose of them.

 

[jblayza]

I wouldn't give them crickets at all. I don't even offer crickets till they are at least a month old, sometimes later. IMO crickets can stress them out if they are left in there too long and I'd rather get them feeding on the CGD first then worry about the crickets later. It is hard to tell if they are eating at that size as they don't eat much. I always start my hatchlings on cgd by dabbing some on their nose, they will lick it off and get the taste of the cgd. Another way I can tell is by offering a very small amount in a milk cap. I place just a drop or 2 in the cap and I can see the lick marks in the cap. When they begin to eat it all, I offer more until they eventually eat the whole cap full. That's what works for me, hope it helps.


-Jaime