Long time snake owner, looking to get into rhacs

[TreF68]

Hello everyone,

I am new to the forum. I have been interested in reptiles all my life. Right now I have a ghost San Felipe rosy boa, and a salmon argentine x colombian boa constrictor. I have been very interested in crested geckos and gargoyle geckos for a couple of years now, and with a reptile expo coming to my area at the end of April, I think i will take the plunge.

I do have a couple of questions though.

I am interested in both crested geckos as well as gargoyle geckos, but have no clue which would be better for me. I would like one that would do well with handling. I know that handleability can be very specific to each individual animal, but is there a general attitude each species has? Other than looks, what is the difference between the two species?

Cresteds seem to be more abundantly available, as well as generally cheaper in price. Is this because they are more popular or what?

I would first put my gecko in an appropriate sized enclosure, but would eventually like to put in a 12 wide x 18 x 18. Is this enough room for one gecko, and at what age or size would it feel comfortable in it?

I think that's all my questions, I look forward to chatting with you guys.

Thanks

 

[darkridder]

Both are very species to handle, however I think gargs are a bit easier to hold. Cresteds prefer to walk and leap, but as they o s they will often lick your hands and chirp, gargs are pretty chill and will usually sit like a rock in your hands. However if one gets loose.....a crested is FAR easier to catch. Cresteds are climbing machines, garbs can run like the wind. I had one get loose I had to tear my bedroom apart trying to catch her. However she simply got spooked by something and was scared from her rock position.

There are slight differences in the way they are to be housed. Bot require the same temps however gargs require more branches. They do not climb as well as cresteds do, so if thy want to climb up they needs branches and plants vrs a crested can just easily go up the glass. Gargs are not the best glass climbers. But be sure if you use bendy vines and branches they are fairly thick, gargs are very heavy bodied.

I have never seen a 12 x 18 x 18, I have seen 12 x 12 x 18 and 18 x 18 x 18 before. If you truely have found something 12 x 18 x 18 that is just a little over 16.5 gallons which is fine for a crested, and OK for a garg but something closer to 20 gallons would be better for them as they are a little larger.

Price wise, gargs are very easy to come by, and you can find them as low as 50-60 for plain janers, but obviously just as with cresteds, the more color and better patterns will cost more. You ca get a run of the mill crested for about $35, so if price is your issue, then go with a crested. If you want something prettier, you can usually find what would be consider breeding material crested baby or juvie for around $100-$300+, and a good garg will run you around $150-$300+ depending on the line. Things vary like who the breeder is, how far back does the color and morph go in the breeding line, the amount of color the gecko is showing at the time. But honestly none of these things really make a difference unless you plan on breeding. If it is something you may consider doing in the future, you may want to invest in a higher quality animal, if this is going to be a forever pet, there is nothing wrong with a cute standard little flame crested gecko, or a little grey retic garg, they are just as cute.

 

[acpart]

I have both and in my opinion it's often a matter of personal preference. I saw my first crestie at someone's house and loved the way they feels so I got one. I like him a lot but did discover that in some undefineable way, cresties don't move me, so I will probably have only the one. A few years ago at a show I saw some gargs and was smitten. I love the orange/red stripes with the gray and black background. I have 2 gargs now and am hoping to try breeding this season.
Just take a look at what's out there and see what "floats your boat".

Aliza

 

[TreF68]

Thanks for the great responses.

The reason I have a 12x18x18 is because It actually is a 24x18x18 exo terra that I Siliconed in a piece of opaque plexi glass to seperate it. Each door of the enclosure can open independantly, giving me access to just one side. My idea is to have a gecko on either side. I hope this is a male and a female, because I would like to breed them eventually. If thats the case, I can remove the plexiglass (though it will be a pain lol) and they can have the whole enclosure during breeding season.

I do like the look of both gargs and cresteds, but there is something about a high orange striped garg that tickles my fancy. I also love the very pale, light ones with a couple dark stripes.

I wont be picking one up until the end of April, so it gives me plenty of time to figure out exactly what I want.

The 12x18x18 would initially be too large for a baby crested wouldnt it? I would probably find a sterilite tub until it was large enough for the final enclosure.

 

[acpart]

From what you write it sounds as if we have very similar taste in gargs.

Aliza

 

[darkridder]

The problem is with a split tank, it could result in the animals getting stressed. Males often will pace and will refuse to eat when they are in the breeding mood, so with the constant view of the female he may get stressed out.

And that size tank would be far to large for a young crested or garg. With almost every lizard species it is best to house smaller individuals in smaller enclosures and upgrade as needed. And for both species it pretty much works the same way, a med-large kk or 2 gallon tank until 8-10g then upgrade to a 10 gallon. Once 20g upgrade o the final tank.

And the nice thing is you do have plenty of time, which also allows you to add to your fund. Take the time to view the adds on faunaclassifideds, kingsnake, and pangea to get an idea on the going prices for the colors and morphs youre interested in. And of course check faunaclassifieds BIO to insure you are getting from a good source, of if you cant find them listed to an inquiry on them. Or ask around, like myself I know several great garg breeders, and happy to point people in the direction of people who breed cresteds like they are looking for, so sometimes if you simply ask around to people who are active in that part of the trade they can help you find what you are looking for.

 

[TreF68]

The problem is with a split tank, it could result in the animals getting stressed. Males often will pace and will refuse to eat when they are in the breeding mood, so with the constant view of the female he may get stressed out.

I thought of that, so the the plexiglass is actually a black color. you can't see through it. Also, i siliconed all the way around the edges, so there is no way they could slip through. its even water tight. the only thing is they may hear each other, which they probably could do with two tanks near eachother.

I think i have pretty solidly decided on a Garg. thanks for the help guys. Also, @darkridder, I appreciate the info on specific cage sizes to get while my gecko is growing. Very helpful