Cooling period (off-season), crested gecko care
Breeding-age females need a genuine off-season to recover calcium and fat reserves. The hobby standard is a resting period from roughly November through February, during which males and females are housed separately and no breeding occurs. The rest is the part that matters. A deliberate temperature drop is common but debated: many established breeders keep temperatures steady all year and still see good fertility.
Level: advanced. Part of: Breeding.
- If you do cool: drop ambient temperature to 68 to 72°F during the day and 62 to 66°F at night for 2 to 3 months.
- Reduce photoperiod to 10 hours.
- Continue feeding on a normal adult schedule (3×/week CGD). Reduce or stop insects.
- Separate males and females. Never leave a pair together year-round.
- Resume normal temperatures and pairings in late February or early March.
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