You are probably reading this as you noticed that your crested gecko is always on the glass. Is this normal behavior? Is it safe for them to be on the glass? Does this behavior mean that they are sick?
It is usual for a crested gecko to stick on the glass. Some can climb the glass and go back to the ground to rest, while others sleep on the glass. If they refuse to go down to the ground, this can be a sign of heating or lighting issues or there is a lack of climbing surfaces.
There are still other reasons why your crested gecko is always on the glass. At the same time, you have to know how to discern their normal climbing behavior as opposed to something that is causing them discomfort. So read on to learn why cresties love to climb the glass!
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Reasons Why Your Crested Gecko Is Always On The Glass
You do not have to worry if you see your crestie hanging out on the glass. As we have mentioned above, this is part of their normal climbing behavior. Cresties love to climb!
This is made possible by setae that are found underneath their toes. These setae are hair-like and they help your crestie stick to the glass. The Van der Waals force is also responsible for the polarization between your crestie’s toes and the glass.
As crested geckos love to climb; sticking and even sleeping on glass are no exceptions.
However, there are some cases where staying too long on the glass proves to be a sign that there is something wrong with the enclosure. Take a look at the following.
1. Your Crested Gecko Feels Safe And Comfortable On The Glass
It is one thing for your crestie to climb the glass and then go back to the ground after a while, it is another thing when it decided to sleep there. However peculiar this might look, it simply means that your crestie feels safe on the glass.
Just like other geckos, crested geckos find a safe spot to rest in order to avoid being hunted by prey (even the ones in captivity).
Therefore, if you notice that your crestie is sleeping on the glass, then it has decided that that is its safe spot.
Just as long as your crested gecko is still lively and properly eating, except for the fact that it loves to sleep on glass, then you have nothing to worry about.
This is actually a sign that your crestie is healthy as it can stick properly on glass.
On the other hand, if you notice that your crestie is not properly sticking to the glass, then there is definitely something wrong with its enclosure or it might be sick.
You can read this article to know why your crested gecko is not sticking on glass.
2. Parts Of The Enclosure Are Too Hot Or Too Cold
This reason is very easy to spot as there is a change of routine on the part of your crested gecko. If you know that your crestie occasionally sticks on the glass, but at a certain point, it suddenly spends day and night on the glass, then there is something wrong.
Proper heating is a crucial element in the enclosure of your cresties. Being cold-blooded reptiles, heat helps them with their growth as well as digestion. The ideal range of temperature in the enclosure should be 70-80 degrees Fahrenheit.
Going down to 60 degrees Fahrenheit is still okay, but reaching 50 degrees Fahrenheit can prove to be unhealthy to your cresties when exposed to this temperature for a long time.
If you notice that after eating, your crested gecko stays on the glass, then this could mean that your enclosure is too cold.
Especially, if you do not have a basking area in the enclosure. Sticking to the glass and whatever heat that emits from it simply helps your crestie with digestion.
Also, if your crestie sticks on the glass, only this time, they prefer to stay at the back of the enclosure where light may not reach. This can mean that your enclosure is too hot.
Just to be safe, it is better to use a temperature gun to be sure that the proper temperatures in the enclosure are maintained, especially during summer when the usual temperature setting may prove to be hotter.
As you may have noticed, the position of your crested gecko on the glass is important to take note of. If it stays on the part of the glass where it is directly facing a window or a source of light, then your crestie is after more heat.
The same goes if it sticks to a part of the glass that is hidden from the light which means that it wants to stay cool.
3. Your Crested Gecko Does Not Have Enough Climbing Surfaces
It is possible that your crested gecko got bored of its climbing surfaces even if you already have a lot of vertical and horizontal climbing surfaces.
If you just have one climbing surface, then it is a good idea to switch its position just to give your crestie some variety.
However, it is better to have different vertical and horizontal climbing surfaces in the enclosure so as to encourage your crestie to use these surfaces as opposed to the glass.
4. Your Crested Gecko Is Avoiding Feeders Left In The Enclosure
If you feed live insects to your crested geckos, it is possible that one or two escaped into the depths of the enclosure when you were not looking. As a result, your crestie is now trying to avoid being hurt by the live feeders by staying on the glass.
Dubia roaches and crickets can harm your crestie, so if you are going to do live feeding, make sure that you are present in the whole ordeal.
At the same time, the presence of mites in the enclosure may also encourage your crestie to stay on the glass.
Always check the plants in your enclosure as well as the substrate to make sure that there are no mite infestations.
They are harmful to your crestie as they can cause anemia with all their biting and they can also carry diseases with them.
How To Discourage Your Crested Gecko From Staying On The Glass For Too Long
As much as possible, it is okay to let your crested gecko stay on the glass just as long as there is nothing wrong with the enclosure and if your crestie is perfectly healthy.
However, in order to prevent future injuries, it is good to discourage this behavior when it becomes excessive. You do not want your crestie to fall from a great height, right?
At the same time, there are instances when cresties hang upside down in the glass for an extended period which puts a lot of pressure on their tail.
This can lead to Floppy Tail Syndrome. It can be dangerous but it can also be prevented. Have a look at our article here to learn how!
Here are some things that you can do:
- Add more horizontal climbing surfaces. It is better if the climbing surfaces vary in height so your crestie can still feel that they are climbing higher surfaces while scaling an elevated flat surface.
- Manually put your crested gecko on the ground or on a climbing surface. For this, you really have to monitor your crestie so that when it already spent too much time on the glass, you can take it away from it.
Conclusion
It is completely normal for crested geckos to climb the glass of their enclosure and even sleep there. It is however important to do a temperature check to make sure that your crestie is not staying on the glass to cool off or to cool itself.
At the same time, you should check the enclosure if there are live feeders roaming around or even mites which are potential reasons why your crestie cannot stay on the ground.
Be wary of the position of your crestie when it is on the glass, make sure that it is not hanging upside down.
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