Just a thought

[beanersmysav]

Well I was thinking since Cresteds were thought to be extinct up untill like a decade ago there can't be a ton in the wild or I wouldn't think anyways. Are their more wild or Captive specimens do you think? I'd have to go with Captives but I could be wrong since I don't know exactly how large the wild population was.

[reptiguy420]

I dont know about that, all i know is i can stand right in front of my rack, and straight stare into every rubbermaid i have and not see one darn crested....then i realize every single one of them is staring back at me i just couldnt see them.The little guys are so stealthy, and they do know how to sit still.If you ever decide to go to New Caledonia to count cresties let me know, id love to go lol.

[Ptindy]

I am fairly positive that after over a decade of captive breeding there are many more specimens in captivity then the wild. Thousands and thousands upon thousands of crested geckos are produced annually.

[HeatherRose]

I believe something like 30 000 are produced annually in the US alone... can't help but wonder how many are on that little group of islands...

[beanersmysav]

jeeze 30,000 where do they all go? :-p and if I ever go to New Caledonia to count cresteds and other rhac species I'll be sure to let everyone know and laugh at them because they aren't going :) although I doubt I'll ever have the chance myself.

[DragnDrop]

Camouflage. :)
If you were to go to their wild stomping grounds, you'd probably be hard pressed to find them at first too. Once you've spotted a few, the rest will be easier. The early explorers would had trouble finding them because they blended in with the scenery so nicely. Those crests help them blend in when hiding in leaf litter and the like. Put some leaf litter in your tanks, let the cresties dig in and then try to find them. They also like to hide in tree hollows, making daytime sightings tricky if possible at all. Since they're relatively small, cryptic and nocturnal, you have to know what you're looking for to spot them easily. If you're exploring the island, you try to find all the species you can, but small guys often get overlooked when the bigger ones like leachies come out to play higer up in the trees. In Madagascar they ran into similar problems locating Uroplatus.

With captive breeding as popular as it is and the destruction of their wild habitat as well as the geckos themselves, there is a good chance we've got a good percentage of the population in captivity. Sad as it may seem, it might be the one thing that saves them in the end.

[beanersmysav]

I know how tough it is to spot them when I had moss in my cage (I took it out so I can find their eggs when they lay) They would dig in the moss but I must have a 6th sense as the first spot I turned over my male always seemed to be my female didn't dig as much.

I also think it's a good thing to have most of them captivity with all the crap that's happening in the world deforstation and what not. Other than hurricanes and natural disasters nobodies deforesting our houses :) Not while I'm here

[Ducksarefun]

"...With captive breeding as popular as it is and the destruction of their wild habitat as well as the geckos themselves..."


Do you mean something is killing them directly? Or their destruction as a result of habitat loss? I was just curious as to what threats they face.

[Manitoban Herps]

Good idea, we should raise money for us to go on a trip to New Caledonia :)

I think it is camo as well, I can never find my guy in his cgae, there very good hiders, and hald the time they are starting you in the face too :p

[DragnDrop]

Tourism is taking a big toll on the wildlife in New Caledonia. Deforestation to build resorts, roads and whatever else is needed. Fire ants are coming along as hitch hikers on the equipment and supplies. The ants are killing not only the geckos but other animals. With habitat destruction comes a major change in plantlife, some of which is food or shelter to the prey that the geckos rely on. The destruction is also digging up or killing gecko eggs in the ground as well as in tree hollows.

Let's just say, in general the destruction is caused by humans. Natural disasters are over in a short time, and even any destruction they cause can be dealt with if the species is well adapted. The mess we humans dish up is fast, furious and permanent destruction even if we didn't mean it to be so.