Sex

The sex of crested geckos needs to be determined as soon as possible. It is usually possible around 5-6. months of life. There are two basic factors for gender recognition. The first of these are the hemipenal pockets that appear at the male root of the tail. As soon as you see such "balls" in your pet, you are clear with your sex (n. 1). Hemipenal pockets can appear to males at a later age, so it is good to check another sign of sex - preanal pores (n. 2), which also have only males. These pores are very small, so when checking, I recommend using a magnifying glass or a very high quality camera with a good zoom. These pores and hemipenal pockets of female pagekons do not have.

Male

Female

Note: As I mentioned, determining gender is important because two males cannot stand in one terrain.

Vitamins

Two vitamins are the most important for the ciliate pagekon - calcium and vitamin D3. During each insect feeding, I coat the insects in a mixture of calcium + Supplement with D3 (ZooMed Repti Reptile Calcium Supplement with D3, Repashy Superfoods Calcium Plus etc ..), the same applies to feeding porridge. Commercial mixed porridges (Repashy, Pangea) already have vitamins in them, so there is no need to add other vitamins.

Females should be able to increase their calcium intake to avoid descaling.

Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD)

Metabolic bone disorder (hereinafter referred to as MBD) is, together with gout, one of the most common diseases in captive-grown ciliate pagekones.

MBD in crested geckos generally takes the form of disfigured bones, especially in the spine, hips and tail. Weak jawbones are also a sign of MBD, as are swollen limbs.

MBD is not actually a single disease, but rather a term for describing several health disorders that interfere with the function of bone metabolism. Therefore, it is important to identify mainly the nutritional or renal causes of MBD.

crested-gecko-with-MBD-swollen-legs-and-

Dehydration

Crested gecko kept in captivity can relatively easily suffer from dehydration, which in extreme cases can lead to the death of the animal. There are two ways to prevent this. Either leave a bowl of water (of appropriate size) in the terrarium, not ideally moisten the terrarium twice a day. The ideal case is to have a bowl in the terrarium and at the same time moisten the terrarium with water. Live plants (potos, etc.) are suitable for maintaining suitable humidity and the possibility of attaching droplets that lice lice. In very severe cases of dehydration, place the pagekon in a smaller plastic box in which the water level will be close to the pagekon's abdomen. Leave the pagekona in the box for at least 15-20 minutes to absorb any moisture. Keep an eye on him at all times!

Signs of dehydration:
- wrinkled geckos skin
- skin feel dry to touch
-sunken eyes
-lethargic
- tail looks kinked

Shedding problem

If the crestie is healthy and grows normally, it must also be stripped of its old skin. Ideally, he can handle this task on his own, even eating the undressed skin. Proper moisture is important for proper and comfortable skin removal. Undressing problems cause insufficient blood flow, which can result in the loss of fingers or fingertips. If you see a piece of unstained leather on your pagekon, carefully try to peel it off, if that doesn't work, give your pagekon a water bath by closing it in a plastic box in which there will be stacked paper napkins, which you will spray with water. Leave it there for about 20 minutes and try to peel the skin again, if this does not help, repeat the procedure.

Stuck shed

Obesity

As with humans, obesity in cresties is also unhealthy. In particular, overweight in females affects low egg production, including other health problems. One of these problems is poor passage of stool. Recognizing an obese pagekona is not difficult. One of the visual signs is excess skin or folds on the sides of your gecko between the front and back legs and excess skin on the neck. Your pet will look "bloated".

The solution? - I definitely recommend reducing the food rations for your pagekona. Don't be afraid to reduce your food rations to half the original dose.

- A healthy adult pagekon should weigh between 40-60 grams.

Crested gecko sauana

Parasites

Crested geckos are susceptible to a large number of parasitic organisms - parasites.
Coccidia - worms in the intestines
Amoeba - symptoms are especially rapid weight loss, can be treated (metronidazole).
Nematode - visible worms in the stool, the stool smells more than usual. Can be treated - fenbendazole

Stress

As with humans, stress has an effect on health. We can minimize stress by suitable shelters, which will provide the pagekon with a safe background (cork tunnels, caves, coconut shells, pipes and more). One of the consequences of stress is reduced food intake, which is associated with weight loss.

Floppy tail

Floppy tail syndrome in crested geckos is when the gecko's tail literally flops in an abnormal direction,

Floppy tail can sometimes, but not always, happen as a result of MBD (metabolic bone disorder) caused by calcium imbalance. As long as you are feeding the appropriate crested gecko diet this shouldn't be an issue. Sometimes it happens simply because your gecko is hanging out on the glass too much

Symptoms:

Tail hangs over gecko’s back or to the side when upside down
Difficulty defecating or laying eggs

Treatment:

FTS can be prevented or managed by cluttering the terrarium with lots of hiding spots and other décor, which will discourage the gecko from sleeping upside down.