Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have noticed that cresteds in plain cages such as egg crates in kritter keepers are intent on escape ..but in a cage with proper hiding spots and climbing sticks they are difficult to get to come out.
Its very easy to put human ideas into our thoughts on geckos but I do take it to mean they feel secure and content to retreat into a cage rather than out of a cage.

Has anyone else noticed similar things? Just trying to expand my knowledge beyond the basics.

Yes and No. My gecko would be the no part. His viv is a 29 gallon and heavily planted with hiding sopts everywhere you look. I counted all the possible ones that could fit him and there were 11 different ones from different plants and wood furnishings. I usually drop the crickets right in front of him because I feel bad that he has to wait patiently for the chance of it coming around even though the cricket usually hides immediatly. Anyway, just though I should give so background info, heres why I say the no.

Spike (my crested gecko) will be hiding somewhere and run straight to the top corner of the cage waiting for me to open it. The he goes to the corner, puts only his tail and butt over the cage and poops, so he gets it all out I guess. Next he looks at me, jumps on my shirt, climbs up to my shoulder and we go along with the daily 20 minute or so handling routine.

Here is where I say yes. My friends gecko, Rocky, was very weak and only ate babyfood. It had about 2-5 hidng spots that it stayed in and it never wanted out. The viv was pretty planted also and had a large array of plants and different wood pieces. But it never came out or liked to.

So basically I'm thinking it depends on the gecko, each one can have a different personality.

I keep all my cresties with egg crates and I havent noticed this behaviour. I would assume that this would be an individual personality trait. When I open the cage to feed or to mist, some of my geckos just stand there while others go to a hiding spot.

You could be on to something, although I do believe that they are individuals with their own personalities. I have one crestie in particular that I got from SandFire as a baby, which I have made a pet out of, and although her cage, like all of the others, is full of branches, fake vines and cork logs etc., she comes to the top of her cage when I talk to her because (I assume) she knows that I'm going to take her out and carry her around the house, and let her leap onto my down comforter (or my hubby's expansive belly!) a couple of times. The others which I handle less frequently seem to prefer to stay in their cages, but then they are beautifully "decorated" if I do say so myself. I have do have some limited experience with sparser cages: my hatchlings are in critter keepers on paper towel with tree branches (sticks)(no real good hiding places), and they DO try to escape when I open the cage to add crix or clean it, which would lend credence to your hypothesis.
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Terri
4:8:5 crested geckos: Popcorn, Goldfish, Harley, Bear, Big Red, Olive, Smudge, Blackie, Belle, Brilliant, Tina, Brick, Avis & Subtle, Toni(y), Kermit & Zipper