Crested Geckos Potatoes/"Tater" & Degas: breeding plans?, toe problems, behavior

[potatoeschicka]

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Hello im the proud owner of a crested gecko and he seems to have trouble with climbung now and he doesnt seem to be able to put his nails in or out im worried please help

[lauraleellbp]

I'm not sure I understand what you mean- can't put his nails in or out? Geckos don't have retractable claws like cats do...

Do you mean his feet seem paralyzed, or just that he's not putting his toes down flat with the rest of his foot?

[Elizabeth Freer]

Checking in about the claw issue:

Some geckos with both claws and setae (the hairlike structures on the toepads) do alternate between clawed and "non-clawed" climbing depending upon the surface. "Flying" geckos (Ptychozoon kuhli) are one example.

[potatoeschicka]

What i meant was that he can not climb anymore he cant hang on to anything it seemed like he was able to retract his nails im ALMOST positive he was able to. like he used to be able to climb up the couch hanging on with his claws now he just slides right off

[Elizabeth Freer]

What i meant was that he can not climb anymore he cant hang on to anything it seemed like he was able to retract his nails im ALMOST positive he was able to. like he used to be able to climb up the couch hanging on with his claws now he just slides right off

There is a possibility that some shed has remained on his toes. You could place Potatoes in a perforated humidity chamber for on hour or so to see whether any unshed skin on his toes loosens up. Just take a plastic container with a lid, poke holes in it so your crestie can breathe, place a damp washcloth on the bottom, spray the container and the crestie. Then place this near a low wattage desk lamp for at least 20 minutes and check to see if there is any stuck shed with gentle motions with a q-tip. Or, alternatively, you can float this container in a basin of just warm water.

What are you feeding Potatoes?

[lauraleellbp]

Make sure to only use lukewarm water for a crestie (in the 70s F), not water that's warm to the touch.

Here's a good youtube on how to give a crestie a sauna like Elizabeth just explained:

Crested Gecko "Bath" - YouTube

What does your humidity cycle look like in your enclosure throughout the day? How often are you misting? Could you post up some pictures of Potatoes' enclosure?

[potatoeschicka]

I feed him crested gecko diet i got from petsmart and gutloaded dusted crickets a few times a week his humidity is kept at tropical like care sheets told me to keep him at i spray when i get up in the morning when i get home from school and before i go to bed and that keeps him at tropical i also have a heating pad in his cage.He has a 20"Lx10"Wx12"H glass terrarium with a screen cover a repticarpet plastic leaves type thing stuck to the glass wall half a cocanut a log type thing coverd in bark (from a tree). Potatoes is kept in the 70 range during the day and about 65 at night i got those temps. from a care sheet so give me some heads up if im doing anything wrong

[potatoeschicka]

I would have posted pics but idk how srry

[lauraleellbp]

Petsmart unfortunately does not carry and brands of foods that are actually healthy for crested geckos (though they do have some junk that is marketed at them). There are only two brands of foods that have been properly formulated to be healthy for crested geckos and those are Clarks and Repashy. You can find both of those online. The Repashy is usually easier to find, I get my own from Pangea Reptile Supplies Home Page.

You need an accurate (digital) hygrometer so you can actually start monitoring your humidity. Crested geckos need 80-90% humidity at night, drying down to 40% during the day. Both too much and too little humidity can cause them issues with shedding, as well as make them prone to other health issues such as respiratory problems. It takes a bit of trial and error to figure out how to properly manage humidity, and some people need to mist two or three times a day, while I personally only need to mist once a day since I live in a humid climate.

There's several different ways to post pics- I personally upload them to Image hosting, free photo sharing & video sharing at Photobucket and then copy and past the link with the [img] tags into the text box.

[potatoeschicka]

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Thanks a bunch where should i get one of those digital hygrometers? and what do they usually cost i want to provide the best care i can for him. i was wondering about the food also because i got him last november and he doesnt look like he has put on any weight since then if anything maybe a little smaller what is a healthy weight for a young crested i dont know the exact age but it is still unsexed so it is fairly young