Crested geckos and gargoyle geckos both come from New Caledonia, an ideal east of Australia. They are both very popular geckos for reptile owners around the world.
A crested gecko vs a gargoyle gecko, which one is the right pet for you? It’s important to understand what sets these two geckos apart, enabling you to make the best reptile pet selection.
Lifespan
Crested Gecko
In the wild, crested geckos can live up to 15 years of age. In captivity, they will live between 15 and 20 years with the optimum habitat conditions. Choosing a crested gecko is a long term commitment.
Gargoyle Gecko
As with crested geckos, gargoyle geckos will also live for up to 20 years in captivity, making them a long term pet commitment.
Verdict
Both geckos have long life spans, which means you need to commit yourself to their ongoing care for up to 20 years.
Weight
Crested Gecko
Crested geckos are only 1.5 to 2 grams when they hatch. They are juveniles at 16 grams and adults can weigh up to 55 grams.
Gargoyle Gecko
Gargoyle geckos are heavier than the crested gecko, weighing up to 3 grams when hatching and up to 80 grams at adult weight.
Verdict
Gargoyle geckos are heavier than the crested gecko, making it harder for them to be as nimble and efficient when climbing, though they do still enjoy climbing around their enclosure.
Size
Crested Gecko
When it comes to size, the crested gecko can reach up to 9 inches at adult size. This is measured from the tip of their tail to the tip of their snout.
Gargoyle Gecko
Gargoyle geckos are around the same length as the crested gecko with their average size approximately 8 inches.
Verdict
The crested gecko and the gargoyle gecko are both the same in size, though bear in mind that the gargoyle is heavier in weight.
Coloration
Crested Gecko
When crested geckos are born, they are bright red or orange in color, making it difficult to determine what color they will be when they reach adulthood.
There is a wide choice of morphs, providing an array of colors you can choose from.
Gargoyle Gecko
The gargoyle gecko includes a number of earth tones, which include browns, tans, yellows and creams, and a choice of morphs offering vivid colors.
Verdict
The gargoyle gecko has more elaborate colors and patterns than the crested gecko.
Activity
Crested Gecko
Crested geckos are most active at dawn and dusk, staying active most of the night. They do most of their exploring and feeding during nighttime hours.
Gargoyle Gecko
Gargoyle geckos are nocturnal and they are active and very amusing to watch as they explore and feed at night.
Verdict
You will see more of your crested gecko than a gargoyle gecko.
Crested geckos tend to relax, sleep and hide in easy to view areas of the enclosure, while gargoyle geckos are often only seen once things have quietened and darkened before they come out to start feeding and exploring their habitat.
Diet
Crested Gecko
Crested geckos love insects, with crickets and feeder roaches being a top choice with gecko owners. They will enjoy a waxworm or mealworm now and then.
Live food should always be dusted in a calcium and Vitamin D3 powder with gut loaded insects.
Gargoyle Gecko
Gargoyle geckos enjoy a very varied diet of insects, fruit, and vegetation. Crickets are a top choice that are dusted in calcium and Vitamin D3 powder.
Verdict
Both geckos enjoy a varied diet to help them stay happy and healthy.
Brumation
Crested Gecko
When the temperatures drop and the days get darker for longer, crested geckos do go into brumation, which is a type of hibernation.
In captivity, a crested gecko living in ideal conditions shouldn’t have the need to brumate.
Gargoyle Gecko
As with crested geckos, these geckos are used to higher temperatures and when temperatures drop, they will brumate to protect themselves. Ensure you keep optimum temperatures and living conditions to reduce the need to brumate.
Verdict
Both geckos will brumate, but this shouldn’t be necessary in the captive environment.
Personality
Crested Gecko
Crested geckos are friendly geckos and are very easy to tame. They tolerate handling and should be given their alone time as well. Taming is easy with your constant presence, feeding favorite foods, and slowly getting used to your touch and handling.
Gargoyle Gecko
Gargoyle geckos are individuals and while one may be friendly, the other won’t. It’s a good idea to start your handling process once your gecko has had time to settle into their new habitat.
Don’t stress the gecko by forcing it to be handled. Work slowly to have a happy companion.
Verdict
Both geckos are easy to tame and handle with patience and consistency.
Aggression
Crested Gecko
The crested gecko is not aggressive by nature, but they can be territorial, with both males and sometimes females getting into a fight. Females are usually friendly towards each other.
It’s not uncommon for your crested gecko to get a bit aggressive when it reaches about 18 months of age or 20 grams when it goes through hormonal changes.
Gargoyle Gecko
Gargoyle geckos are known to be aggressive towards each other, which is why you want to ensure there are no signs of aggression before housing them together.
Always have a backup enclosure ready, even geckos that have lived together for years can take a disliking to each other.
Verdict
It’s always safer to house your geckos separately unless you are sure that you have only one male in the enclosure.
Handling
Crested Gecko
Crested geckos are probably one of the easiest reptiles to handle. It’s important to remember that these geckos can get stressed with incorrect handling. Be gentle and take care. Handling should be enjoyable for you and your gecko.
Gargoyle Gecko
Gargoyle geckos are docile and easy to handle. They are very slow moving and less jumpy than other species, making them ideal for beginner gecko owners.
Verdict
Both geckos are considered very easy to handle.
Enclosure
Crested Gecko
It’s important to provide a tall enclosure that allows your crested gecko to climb. For an adult, you need an enclosure of at least 18” x 18” x 24” high.
If you are bringing home a juvenile crested gecko, you can start with a smaller enclosure, but you will want to meet the 18” x 18” x 24” minimum requirement by the time your gecko reaches adult size.
Here is a list of best enclosure for crested geckos.
Gargoyle Gecko
A 5 gallon enclosure is the bare minimum for a gargoyle gecko. Juveniles do best in a 10 gallon, while adults need a minimum of 20 gallon.
Verdict
Both geckos require a decent enclosure size which enables them to explore, climb, and hunt for food.
Light, Heating, and Humidity
Crested Gecko
Crested geckos have very specific lighting, heating, and humidity requirements.
Even though they are most active at dawn, dusk and during the night, you will want to provide some daylight for twelve hours, ensuring you create a good day/night routine.
Temperatures in the basking area should be between 82ºF and 85ºF, with the cool side being 70ºF and 75ºF. Night temperatures should range between 65ºF and 72ºF.
Crested geckos love high humidity levels of between 60% and 80%. You will need to mist daily to maintain the optimum humidity levels for your gecko.
Gargoyle Gecko
Gargoyle geckos thrive in high temperatures between 78ºF and 82ºF during the day with nighttime temperatures dropping to the low 70’s. These geckos can tolerate temperature dropping into the 60’s at night.
They enjoy a relative humidity of between 50% and 70%.
Verdict
Both geckos have very strict temperature and humidity requirements with crested geckos having higher temperature and humidity needs.
Health
Crested Gecko
Crested geckos are very hardy, but they are still prone to illness and disease. Ideal habitat conditions, regularly tank cleaning, and a well-balanced and nutritious diet can help your gecko stay healthy.
Gargoyle Gecko
Gargoyle geckos are also very hardy geckos but are also prone to illness and disease. The right temperature, humidity, diet, and clean habitat will all play a role in keeping your gecko healthy in the long run.
Verdict
Both are hardy geckos and with optimum living conditions, they should remain happy and healthy.
Best Suited for Beginner
Crested Gecko
Crested geckos are one of the leading choices for first time reptile owners due to their ease of care and handling.
Gargoyle Gecko
Gargoyle geckos are also a great choice for beginners. They are so easy to handle and meet their particular requirements to keep them happy and healthy.
Verdict
Both are excellent choices for beginners.
Can They Be Kept in Groups?
Crested Gecko
Crested geckos can be housed in small groups, but only one male per enclosure. Males are more lightly to fight over territory. You can keep pairs or even three, as long as only one of them is male.
Gargoyle Gecko
Male gargoyle geckos cannot be kept together, as the chances of them fighting is high. The male is likely to fight when there are females present. You can keep several females with one male in a single enclosure with ease.
Price and Availability
Crested Gecko
Crested geckos are readily available and affordable in price.
Gargoyle Gecko
While you can find gargoyle geckos, they tend to be more expensive.
Verdict
Gargoyle geckos are more expensive than crested geckos.
Crested Gecko Vs Gargoyle Gecko in Summary
Overall, both crested geckos and gargoyle geckos are easy to care for and handle, making them ideal beginner pets.
Crested geckos tend to be cheaper than the gargoyle, they are more active and visual than the gargoyle.
If you are looking for a heavier gecko with enhanced coloration, then the gargoyle gecko is the right choice for you.