JTB
New member
Hello,
As you know it's around mid September now and where I live the temperatures are starting to drop. My crested gecko has various bulbs over his enclosure (13w Jungle Dawn, 10% Arcadia compact UVB, 25w Exo Terra daytime heat lamp) that keep it warm throughout the day but no night time heating implements. This means that it drops to about 19*C at its lowest at night in the winter and is how I've kept him since when I got him on Boxing Day of last year.
Anyway, I have noticed a fall off in his appetite over the past few days. He's missed two nights of CGD and the one night he did eat he didn't eat as much as usual. He has also ate some insects in this time, but again only two crickets where he'd normally eat three. I thought this may be because I've been trying to get him to try Arcadia Fruity Insect JellyPot Gold and he's very fussy with his fruit-based foods, but last night I just gave him is usual food which he hasn't touched.
So, my question is, do you think that this is a normal cooler-month slow down? If so, should I just let him get on with it or get a small CHE to bump up the night temps? I've never had him through the autumn and winter before so I can't say. I'm also wondering whether it's because he's 37g now and not growing nowhere near as quickly as he was a while ago, so could it be that he just doesn't need as much food?
Last note, his only behavioural change has been that instead of hiding in his lithos or coconut he now chooses to sleep on his branch at the highest point in his enclosure where it's warmest.
Sorry for this post being a bit long winded! Just with it being my first year of owning him I want to cover all bases and rectify any issues where possible. Thanks!
As you know it's around mid September now and where I live the temperatures are starting to drop. My crested gecko has various bulbs over his enclosure (13w Jungle Dawn, 10% Arcadia compact UVB, 25w Exo Terra daytime heat lamp) that keep it warm throughout the day but no night time heating implements. This means that it drops to about 19*C at its lowest at night in the winter and is how I've kept him since when I got him on Boxing Day of last year.
Anyway, I have noticed a fall off in his appetite over the past few days. He's missed two nights of CGD and the one night he did eat he didn't eat as much as usual. He has also ate some insects in this time, but again only two crickets where he'd normally eat three. I thought this may be because I've been trying to get him to try Arcadia Fruity Insect JellyPot Gold and he's very fussy with his fruit-based foods, but last night I just gave him is usual food which he hasn't touched.
So, my question is, do you think that this is a normal cooler-month slow down? If so, should I just let him get on with it or get a small CHE to bump up the night temps? I've never had him through the autumn and winter before so I can't say. I'm also wondering whether it's because he's 37g now and not growing nowhere near as quickly as he was a while ago, so could it be that he just doesn't need as much food?
Last note, his only behavioural change has been that instead of hiding in his lithos or coconut he now chooses to sleep on his branch at the highest point in his enclosure where it's warmest.
Sorry for this post being a bit long winded! Just with it being my first year of owning him I want to cover all bases and rectify any issues where possible. Thanks!
