Harmless · Native to New Caledonia · Kept as a pet

Crested gecko

Correlophus ciliatus Guichenot, 1866

Also called eyelash gecko
Data updated October 2026

Yellow crested gecko climbing among green leaves at night, with spiny crests over the eyes and along the back
Fig. 1 — Adult among leaves at night, showing the crests over the eyes and along the back.
Orange-red crested gecko on dark green leaves
Fig. 2 — An orange-red adult; the crests run from the eyes down the neck.

At a glance

A tree-dwelling gecko from the rainforests of southern New Caledonia, named for the fringed crests above its eyes. It was thought extinct until it was rediscovered in 1994, and it is now commonly kept as a pet.

01

Identification

A medium-sized gecko with a fringe of soft spines above each eye that continues back along the sides of the head and neck. It has no eyelids and cleans its eyes with its tongue. The toes carry sticky, fringed pads, and the tail is semi-prehensile. Color ranges through yellow, orange, red, brown and olive, often with pale markings. A lost tail does not grow back.

  1. 01Eyelash crests. Fringed spines above the eyes, running back along the head and neck.
  2. 02Sticky toe pads. Wide, fringed pads for climbing smooth leaves and bark.
  3. 03Tail does not regrow. Many wild adults have only a stub.

Commonly confused with

Both relatives also come from New Caledonia. The mossy gecko lacks the eyelash crests; the giant gecko is much larger and heavier.

02

Size

01 ft2 ft3 ft4 ft Typical adult · about 9 in (23 cm)

Adults measure about 8 to 10 inches (20–25 cm) including the tail.

03

Range & habitat

Crested gecko among broad green leaves at night
Fig. 3 — Crested geckos live among leaves and branches of the forest canopy and understory.

The crested gecko is found only in southern New Caledonia, a French territory in the southwest Pacific. It lives in lowland and mountain rainforest, in both the canopy and the understory.

04

Diet

Crested geckos are omnivores. They eat soft fruit, nectar and pollen as well as insects, and occasionally small vertebrates.

Feeds on

  • Soft fruit
  • Nectar and pollen
  • Insects
  • Small vertebrates (occasionally)

05

Behavior & seasons

Crested geckos are nocturnal tree-dwellers. They climb with sticky toe pads, balance with the tail, and leap between branches and leaves.

Adults are solitary outside the breeding season.

06

Reproduction

Adults come together mainly to breed. Females lay eggs.

07

Conservation

The crested gecko was thought extinct until its rediscovery in 1994. It is listed as Vulnerable. Threats include habitat loss from logging and development, illegal collection, and invasive species, including predators and the little fire ant.

08

In captivity

Crested geckos are kept in tall, planted enclosures with branches for climbing. They do well at moderate room temperatures, without the hot basking spot that many lizards need, and are misted to raise humidity. Many keepers also provide low-level UVB. The usual diet is a powdered, fruit-based complete food mixed with water, plus live insects.

They can live about 20 years in captivity. More pet care guides →

Keep reading

Sources

Data updated October 2026 · How we build these pages