Crested Gecko Price (Factors + Cost Breakdown)

Wondering about the crested gecko price and cost breakdown? Then, this guide is for you!

The price of crested geckos depends on a number of factors. Among these are age, gender, morph, and availability.

Generally, these reptiles cost between $50 and $500, depending on the morph. However, this price is just a fraction of the cost of keeping a crested gecko. Putting up and maintaining the right enclosure costs money, as well. Other costs include buying plants, substrate, supplies, and other gecko accessories.

Read on to understand the general cost of setting up and maintaining crested geckos.

What Determines the Price of a Crested Gecko?

The Morph

Crested geckos come in different colors and patterns. While the more uncommon morphs fetch higher prices, the more readily available geckos go for low prices.

Imaginative breeders are creating many more unique morphs. In addition, selective breeding has introduced new exotic morphs, such as the Lily White.

Of course, the more unique a morph is the higher its price. This is because creating a special morph calls for effort and ingenuity from the breeder.

All factors considered, the morph takes the lion’s share in determining the initial price of a crested gecko.

Also, the resale value of a crestie with a unique morph is higher because these geckos are always in demand.

More on the different morphs later on in the article…

Local Availability

Expect to fork out more money if the crested gecko you want is not available in your region.

However, because of the increasing demand for crested gecko pets, more and more breeders are coming up all over the place.

In the US today, you can find a reliable breeder in your region. However, you’ll find it easier to look for online breeders.

Choose wisely the online pet shop you want to deal with because not all of them are who they say they are.

Although some are experts in handling pet sales, not all specialize in crested geckos. As such, you’d want to deal with a breeder with good customer reviews.

If the demand for cresties in your area does not outstrip the local supply, the prices of these reptiles should not be too high.

However, you’ll dig deeper into your pocket if your pet has to be sourced from another region or imported from overseas.

Although availability as a pricing factor is an important consideration, it shouldn’t be overestimated.

Gender

Because it is hard to tell the gender of baby geckos and juveniles, these reptiles are sold ‘unsexed.’ You’ll not be sure of the sex of the hatchling you purchase.

The gender will be revealed to you after a few months when the reptile is old enough to show its sexual characteristics.

Because of this uncertainty, hatchlings and young geckos fetch less price than adult males or females.

Of course, other factors come into play in pricing a baby crested gecko, such as the effort required to raise it to a fully grown reptile.

As adults, females are pricier than their male counterparts. This is because you need female cresties to start a crested gecko breeding line.

Also, it is easier to maintain female geckos, considering you can keep a number of them in the same enclosure.

It is a tall order to make two males stay in the same enclosure.

The two will be fighting over just about everything, and you may have to spend considerable money treating them for the injuries they inflict on each other.

Age of the Crestie

As noted above, hatchlings and juveniles are cheaper than adults. Apart from the gender issue, the lower price is because young ones demand much attention.

For example, it takes more time and effort to feed, medicate, and care for young geckos than adults.

The assumption is that adults are more or less mature and can pretty much take care of themselves. But, on the other hand, young crested geckos have to be monitored every step of the way.

That’s why they fetch a lower price than mature geckos.

Loss of Tail

The loss of the tail is inconsequential to a crested gecko. This reptile can lead a healthy life with or without a tail.

In fact, a crestie can deliberately drop its tail to escape a threat.

However, a crested gecko with a tail fetches a better price than one without. This is because the complete gecko is more aesthetically appealing.

This does not mean, however, that your gecko becomes useless when it loses its tail. On the contrary, seasoned keepers know there’s much to a crestie than just the tail.

What’s the Average Cost of Crested Geckos?

While ordinary crested geckos cost about $50, those with rare morphs can go for up to $500. Rarer variations like the Black Night can go for between $3000 and $5000.

Generally, hatchlings and juvenile geckos are cheaper than adults. Female adults are considered more costly than males.

The primary determinant of a crested gecko’s price is the morph. If the morph is harder to get, it is more costly for that particular reptile.

Newer morphs are usually on the higher end of the price spectrum. However, as breeders keep producing this morph to meet demand, the supply rises, bringing the price down.

Although ordinary crested geckos can also be expensive if unavailable locally, they rarely rise beyond the $500 price tag.

Here’s a table depicting the price of various crested geckos based on age, gender, and common morphs.

 

Crested Gecko	Average Price Range
Hatchling, Baby, or Juvenile	$40 – $100
Ordinary Adult Male	$100 – $300
Ordinary Adult Female	$250 – $500
Flame	$70 – $300
Solid	$70 – 300
Two Colors	$70 – $500
Spotted Morph	$80 – $300
Dalmatian	$70 – $400
Pinstripe	$100 – $450
Harlequin	$100 – $500

How to Recognize Common Crested Gecko Color Morphs

Breeders of crested geckos manipulate the morphs in two ways: firing up and firing down. Fired—up morphs have darker colors than fired-down morphs.

This can be confusing if you purchase your crested gecko from an online pet shop.

The salesperson should be able to explain the difference between what you see in the photo and the actual color of the gecko you’ll receive.

Some first-time crestie keepers get confused by the color morphs. Many end up getting the wrong color representation.

Ordinarily, crested geckos develop darker morphs in the evening and at night, because they are more active at this time than during the day.

Normal Crested Gecko Morph

Wild crested geckos have regular coloring. However, their color morph is characterized by a light base color, which could be yellow, red, orange, brown, or gray.

These cresties also have a contrasting dark color that starts at the base of the back of the head and extends to the tail.

Crested geckos with normal color are the least expensive. A baby or juvenile gecko can go for as little as $40, while the grown-ups cost $100.

Solid Crested Gecko Morph

These are also known as patternless cresties. They look like typical crested geckos but without the contrasting dark color at the back.

Solid morph cresties come in various colors, such as red, orange, yellow, black, olive, lavender, and cream.

The cost of a solid crested gecko depends on the color of the reptile and its clarity. Geckos with sharp colors are usually more expensive than dull ones.

Two-Colored Gecko Morph

Bi-colored gecko morphs have two colors: a light one and a dark one. In some cases, these geckos may have two bright or dark colors.

They don’t have any patterns on their backs.

Spotted or Tiger Crested Gecko Morph

These cresties have a brown, yellow, orange, or olive color. From the base of their heads, dark uniform stripes run to the reptile’s tail.

Brindle Crested Gecko Morph

This crestie morph has a color pattern similar to the tiger gecko. The difference is that the stripes on this gecko’s back are broken; they aren’t uniform.

Flame Crested Geckos Morph

The color on the gecko morph looks more or less like that on the bi-color crestie morph. However, the contrasting pattern on the flame gecko is usually orange, cream, or white.

Harlequin Crested Gecko Morph

A harlequin crested gecko morph is like that of a flame morph. The only difference is that while the flame gecko’s pattern runs on the back, the harlequin’s runs on the pet’s legs and sides.

The harlequin crested gecko morph has a dark red body with a yellow or cream pattern on the sides and legs.

Pinstripe Crested Gecko Morph

This color morph is in high demand amongst keepers of crested geckos. As such, pinstripe crested gecko morph is a bit costly.

This gecko has a dark color and two white scales that form stripes along its back. This crested gecko may come in just about any color.

Some of them have flame and harlequin patterning on parts of their bodies.

Dalmatian Crested Gecko Morph

This gecko morph features a light base color. This morph can be in any popular colors you encounter in crested geckos – red, yellow, orange, and green.

Dalmatian crested geckos have dark spots on their bodies. The more spots a gecko has, the pricier it is.

What’s the Initial Cost of Crested Gecko Supplies?

Apart from the initial cost of the crested gecko, you should factor in the price of its supplies. It’s easy to keep and maintain a crestie if you are ready for it.

Consider the cost of the enclosure, dishes, temperature equipment, humidity equipment, transportation, and setup once everything gets to your home.

The enclosure and everything you need should be ready before you bring the reptile home. Some experts opine that the enclosure should be in place about two weeks before the crestie arrives.

This enables the enclosure and everything in it to go through a complete nitrogen cycle, thus stabilizing the habitat in readiness for your pet.

Here’s a table depicting the price of some of the things you need to consider for your created gecko’s enclosure:

Supply Item	Estimate Price
Enclosure	$100 – $200
Digital Scale	$10
Feeding Dishes	$15
Light Bulbs	$15
Substrate	$15
Disinfectant Cleaner + Bottle	$15, $5
Plants or Hides	$20
Thermometer	$30
Hygrometer	$35
Heaters	$60
Transport Cage	$20
Total Initial Cost of Supplies	$440

How to Get the Best Value for Your Crested Gecko

Because of the increased demand for crested geckos as pets, the prices of these animals keep changing.

This means you may be disadvantaged if you’re not armed with important information about what you exactly need.

However, you can apply a few tips to get the best value for money. Here’s a look at a few tricks you can use.

Visit Reptile Trade Fairs and Shows

Reptile trade fairs and exhibitions give you an excellent opportunity to acquaint yourself with the latest trends in the world of geckos.

You will not only be acquainted with the price of the latest gecko morphs, but you’ll also know the price of normal cresties.

Reptile trade expos open your eyes to the best options for the best-crested geckos. In addition, you get to know how readily available the geckos and their supplies are.

Purchase an Unsexed Crested Gecko

Unsexed crested geckos are cheaper than adult males or females. So by buying an unsexed crestie, you save money.

However, you should be ready to roll up your sleeves and put in the work needed to raise the youngster to a fully grown adult.

Go for a Male Crested Gecko

This is an excellent option if you don’t plan to breed your cresties. Gain, you’ll find the price of a male crestie cheaper than that of a female.

Remember, you can’t keep two males in the same tank. So if you plan to have more than one male, you may have to consider other logistics, such as an additional tank area.

Purchase a Common Crested Gecko Morph

Newly developed gecko morphs tend to be pricy. However, as breeders produce more of those morphs, they become more common, and the price lowers.

If you’re looking to save some money, you may want to avoid the cresties that are the rave at the moment.

Go for the more common gecko morphs, as these are likely to be more reasonably priced.

Conclusion…

Seasoned reptile keepers know that crested geckos are less expensive to maintain than some geckos. Also, cresties are relatively cheaper to buy, especially if you go for the common morphs.

With the rise in the number of crested geckos in captivity, the prices of these animals are coming down every day.

Breeders are doing their best to produce more cresties to meet the rising demand.

Everything considered, keeping crested geckos is easy to start because the prices are favorable.