Do Crested Geckos Eat Other Geckos?

While it’s not their primary food source, crested geckos sometimes show cannibalistic behavior.

Here’s the detail explanation;

• Opportunistic feeders: Crested geckos are generally not aggressive hunters, but they will take advantage of easy prey items. If a smaller gecko, especially a hatchling, enters their territory, they may see it as a meal.
• Survival mode: When food is particularly scarce, a crested gecko might be more inclined to cannibalize another gecko.
• Territorial conflicts: In overcrowded enclosures, a dominant gecko might injure and potentially eat a weaker one to keep control over space and resources.

However, this does not happen very often.

As I mentioned above, they only do this when they are very hungry or when they want to protect their home from other lizards.

That’s why: never house adult crested geckos with juveniles or geckos significantly smaller than themselves. The risk of one eating the other is too high.

Hope this makes sense!

How you can prevent this?

To stop cannibalism among captive crested geckos, you need to provide enough space, proper housing, and a steady food supply.

Here are the steps to follow:

1) Provide Enough Space

Crested geckos love to climb and perch, so they need plenty of room.

Give each adult gecko an enclosure of at least 20 gallons (75 liters).

This space allows them to move around, explore, and establish their own areas, which helps reduce conflicts.

2) Create Proper Housing Conditions

Design the terrarium to suit their climbing habits.

Include lots of vertical space with branches, vines, and hiding spots for them to feel safe.

Ensure the enclosure has good ventilation, and keep the temperature between 72-80°F (22-27°C) and humidity between 70-80%.

3) Provide a Steady Food Supply

Feed your geckos regularly and offer a variety of foods.

They can thrive on a diet of commercially available crested gecko food (CGD) along with live insects once or twice a week.

Dust the insects with calcium powder for added nutrition.

Avoid putting too many feeders in the enclosure, as it can cause stress and competition for food.