Crested gecko

Crested geckos live in forests.

They live high up in the trees.

Crested geckos live only in New Caledonia: on the big island, Grande Terre, and on the Île des Pins. On Grande Terre they have been found in places scattered across the southern half of the island, and more recently in the north.

They live in coastal forests, wet forests and mountain forests, between 150 and 1,000 meters above sea level, and they climb up into the treetops.

The IUCN describes an endemic of Grande Terre and the Île des Pins: on Grande Terre known from widely scattered localities across the southern half (Canala to Rivière Bleue) and recently found in the north at Néhoué, possibly also in intervening forest. It occurs at 150 to 1,000 m in coastal forest, closed humid forest and montane forest. Its extent of occurrence is estimated at 5,861 km² but its area of occupancy at only 44 km², at about 10 locations. It is arboreal and forages in the canopy.

Crested geckos eat fruit and small bugs.

Crested geckos are omnivores: they eat both animals and plant food. Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo says they eat invertebrates (small animals without backbones, like insects), fruit, and sometimes very small vertebrates, which are animals with backbones.

They do their feeding after dark. During the day they stay hidden in tree holes or thick leaves, and at night they climb out to look for food high up in the treetops.

Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo lists invertebrates, fruit and occasionally very small vertebrates in the diet. The IUCN notes that the species forages at night in the canopy.

Crested geckos sleep in the day.

They hide in holes in trees and in thick leaves.

At night they climb and look for food.

Crested geckos are nocturnal, which means they are active at night. In the daytime they rest in cracks and holes in trees or hidden among thick leaves. At night they come out to find food in the treetops.

They are excellent climbers. Their toe pads grip surfaces with ease, and their tail helps them hold on and balance.

The IUCN describes the species as nocturnal and arboreal, sheltering by day in tree crevices and holes or among dense foliage and foraging at night in the canopy. Specialized toe pads allow climbing on near-vertical surfaces, and the semi-prehensile tail aids grip and balance (Beardsley Zoo). Like many geckos it can drop its tail when threatened; in this species the tail does not regrow (Potawatomi Zoo).

Crested geckos are at risk in the wild.

Rodents, cats and tiny ants that came to the islands harm them.

Crested geckos live in only a few places, and their forests are shrinking, so they are listed as vulnerable. Rodents, feral cats and a tiny ant introduced to New Caledonia are threats, and so are forest fires.

All of the land reptiles found only in New Caledonia are protected by law, but some people still catch crested geckos illegally to sell abroad. Many thousands of pet crested geckos have been bred in human care.

Sadlier, Bauer, Jourdan and others assessed Correlophus ciliatus as Vulnerable B1ab(iii,v)+2ab(iii,v) (Global; assessed 11 December 2017, published 2021; trend decreasing) for its restricted range and continuing decline in habitat and mature individuals. Main threats are rodent predation (Thibault 2017) and illegal collection at accessible sites, with habitat loss to wildfires, the introduced little fire ant Wasmannia auropunctata and feral cats. It is legally protected in Province Sud (2009) and Province Nord (2008) and occurs in Parc Provincial de la Rivière Bleue and the Pic du Grand Kaori reserve, with no active management.