Many crested gecko owners get surprised when they see their crested gecko changing colors. So can crested geckos change colors? Yes, they can. In this post, we will answer the question of ‘why is my crested gecko changing colors?’, discuss ‘firing up’, ‘firing down’, and color change with age.
Crested gecko fired up meaning
Crested geckos can fire up and fire down depending on the mood, humidity, being stressed or anxious and more. Fired up crested geckos will look their brightest, while fired down – their dullest.
Why is my crested gecko fired up?
Crested gecko mainly fire up because of their moods. When crested geckos are stressed, they almost always fire up and look very bright. Stress can be caused by new environment, shipping, bullying, handling, improper living conditions and more. Crested geckos also tend to fire up when you mist them or the tank.
When crested geckos are relaxed, they tend to turn pale. This also happens during the day, when crested geckos are naturally relaxing and sleeping.
And when getting active at night, they often turn a bit darker. Some people also believe that this is a natural way to camouflage at night, when it’s dark. This way, darker red and yellow colors start showing when a crested gecko gets active at night.
Do crested geckos change color with age?
Yes, crested geckos change color with age. Most hatchlings are born bright orange and red, and then the red coloration fades. Slowly, the coloration will change to be what it’s supposed to finally look like.
At around 15 grams, crested gecko’s coloration is close to what it will look like as an adult. That is around at around 12 months old, but can vary with each crested gecko.
If your crested gecko is a morph that features spots, then you will see the spots adding up with age. Crested geckos are born with no to only few spots, and they will start appearing later.
With age, crested gecko’s stripes and markings can also fade or become more defined. These include markings on the back. Luckily, these stripes don’t fully lose their color, and just become lighter. For example, if the markings were orange, they can turn dark yellow, or from brown to pale brown.
Crested gecko color fading
Please do not worry if your crested gecko has suddenly turned pale or grey. This is probably because your crested gecko is shedding.
Your crested gecko will turn grey few days before your crested gecko will start shedding. Few days after, your crested gecko will finish the shedding and its colors will turn back to normal.
If your crested gecko’s color is fading due to age, it won’t happen overnight. But if this happens, your crested gecko’s colors will fade to the lighter shade.
Crested gecko turning black
It is fine if your crested gecko is turning darker with shades of black. Again, your crested gecko will change its coloration with age. Unless it’s a crested gecko’s tail or toes turning black (necrosis), or black spots that are not part of coloration (fungal/bacterial infection) then it’s fine.
To read more care guides on crested geckos, please visit this page.