Crested Gecko

Crested Gecko Noises & Sounds: Why They Make Become Vocal

Do you have a crested gecko? Have you ever asked yourself whether it is normal for crested geckos to be vocal and make noises? 

It is entirely normal for crested geckos to be vocal and make noises. The most common reason that crested geckos make noises is for communication purposes like talking with other geckos or making mating calls to other geckos. They may also make noises to communicate their needs with their owners. 

Continue reading this article to learn about the noises that crested geckos make and how to distinguish the different noises from each other. By the end of the article, you will know if it is normal for crested geckos to be vocal and make noises and what noises they make most often.

Is It Normal for Crested Geckos to be Vocal and Make Noises?

It is typical for crested geckos to be vocal and make noises. Crested geckos are highly vocal reptiles. They love to communicate with their tankmates and owners throughout their day using varying noises. Crested geckos are also known for chatting with themselves throughout their day.

It is easy to tell your crested gecko’s mood based on the noises they are making. For instance, wails and whines are signs that your gecko is in pain and might need a visit to your reptile veterinarian. In contrast, chirps and barks are positive noises typically associated with good behavior. 

The noises that crested geckos make are frequent but not loud. Their noises are subtle but recognizable by crestie owners.

7 Reasons Why crested Geckos Make Noise

Crested geckos make noises for many reasons, like mating, sleeping, and panicking. Their noises directly reflect the crested gecko’s feelings and comfort level. If you can understand what they are saying, you can clearly understand their needs. In other words, the noises your crested geckos make can vary and symbolize different things for the crested gecko, so it can become essential to learn what every sound means. 

The best way to understand your crested gecko’s noises is to get to know your crestie, including its behaviors and personality. Understanding their mannerisms will help to understand their different noises.

While some crested geckos may bark throughout their day to indicate positive behavior, others could be entirely silent until they interact with their owners. Pay close attention, and you will have an easier time understanding your crestie’s way of communicating.

Attract Other Geckos

Attracting other geckos is a common reason why crested geckos make noises. The attraction noises geckos make can vary from loud screeches to quiet groans as they try to grab the attention of the other geckos in or outside their enclosures.

It is important to keep in mind that calling to attract other geckos is different than letting out mating calls. The crested gecko’s calls sound like whistles. These whistles are friendly and used for communication to locate each other. You may hear your crested geckos whistling day and night to chat casually.

Mating

Mating noises are very common noises exchanged by geckos within their enclosures. Female crested geckos often make squeaking noises when they are trying to attract male crested gecko’s attention.

It is the most common to hear these squeaking noises when you have a male and female in the same tank. However, you may also hear mating calls when you have only one crestie in a tank when they are in heat. 

Sleep Noises

Geckos make some noises at night while sleeping. They stand while sleeping, so they may make sighing noises as their bodies adjust throughout the night. The crested gecko is not active at nighttime so do not expect to hear much noise.

Nighttime Noises

The crested gecko is a crepuscular reptile, meaning they are more active in the evening and around dusk. Crested geckos are an explorative reptile at night, making them very active before the nighttime. It is normal for crested geckos to make noises before night while they explore their tanks and search for food. Crested geckos will then remain quiet through the rest of the night as they sleep.

Not all crested geckos make the same noises throughout the night. Others are highly vocal, waking up throughout the night, especially while they search for living food in their enclosures. They might climb terrarium walls, look for food or water, and crawl atop their furniture. All these things are usual for the crested gecko.

Daytime Noises

Crested geckos often make noises throughout the daytime to communicate with each other and attract prey.

Pain or Sick

Pain and sickness are common reasons why crested geckos make noises. They will make chirping noises to alert the owners of their distress. Pay close attention to their chirps because they can indicate that your crested gecko is not feeling well. They may need attention from your veterinarian.

Locate Prey 

Crested geckos often make noises to locate their prey. It is especially common for geckos to make noises at night to find their prey. They are crepuscular animals that hunt for their prey at twilight. You may still hear your gecko calling for prey during the daytime if they get hungry or you feed them in the middle of the day.

Do Female Crested Geckos Make Different Noises Than Males?

Female and male crested geckos make different noises. But generally, males and females make most of the same noises. Both male and female crested geckos will bark and chirp. 

Some noises are exclusive to gender, like barks. Barks are exclusive to female crested geckos who use barks to ward off males. Similarly, squeaks are wonderful for the female to communicate trust and desire toward the male.

6 Kinds of Noises Crested Geckos Make

Crested geckos make variations of clicks, making many different noises, like barking, squeaking, chirping, and hissing.

They are highly vocal animals with expressive attitudes that vary from reptile to reptile. You should expect that every crested gecko will have its own way of communicating, including a wide range of sounds and noises. Even family members will not produce the same noises.

Get to know your crested gecko so you can understand their changing behaviors and noises. When you grasp their mannerisms, you can understand how they are feeling. The different noises that your crested gecko makes give direct insight into how they are feeling about their surroundings, tankmates, and even their health. 

Clicking

Clicking is a common communication method for crested geckos. It has become the universal term for all passive and active gecko noise since virtually all noises a gecko makes are variations of clicks. They used clicking to locate their prey while hunting. Crested geckos also use clicking to alert other geckos of nearby predators, something that is extremely important for survival in the wild. 

You must get used to your gecko’s clicks so you can differentiate what they are trying to communicate. Learning to distinguish different clicks is especially important since many of their clicks sound similar to beginner crestie owners.

Huffing

Huffing is a defense mechanism used by crested geckos in uncomfortable situations. Huffing is a sign of stress for the crested gecko. It is important that you pay close attention to the noises your crested gecko is making, so you can accommodate its surroundings and calm them down when they feel overwhelmed.

Hissing

Crested geckos will hiss when they feel threatened by their surroundings. If your crestie is hissing, it could mean they feel unsafe with their surroundings. Be cautious of your actions and evaluate your crested gecko’s surroundings to see if there are any things you can change to make your crested gecko more comfortable. 

Squeeking

Squeaking is a common noise that females make during the mating process. They make these noises to attract a male crested gecko’s attention. The male crested gecko will have its attention piqued by this noise. They will look at these noises as welcoming calls to any advancements that the male crestie might make.

Chirping

Many crested geckos will chirp when they are trying to convey discomfort. If you hear your crestie chirping, they are likely in distress or pain or feel uncomfortable with their tank conditions. Female crested geckos often chirp when frightened or to defend themselves.

Barking

Crested geckos will bark to ward off unwanted attention. Females often bark at males when trying to defend themselves from unwanted advancements.

If your crested gecko barks at you, it could be a case of mistaken identity. Allow them a moment to accommodate themselves to your presence, and they will eventually become comfortable with you. 

It is crucial that you keep in mind that you should never force yourself on your crestie, or they can become severely uncomfortable.

Conclusion

Crested geckos are communicative animals who make noises throughout the day and night. The most common noise you will hear from your crestie is typically clicking, a noise used for general purposes in the crestie community.

Cresties also use noises like barks, chirps, and other noises to communicate their needs. 

If you can get to know your crestie, you will have an easy time understanding their emotions and have an easier time taking care of them.

Learn every crestie’s behaviors, so you can separate them from each other and tend to them as needed. You can have several cresties, but they will each have their own personalities, making it easier to interpret their unique emotions and needs when you can tell the difference between them.

Chris

Chris is a reptile enthusiast, breeder, and blogger from the Milwaukee, WI area. After breeding hundreds of bearded dragons to supply local pet stores and owning many other types of reptiles, he is now focused on sharing knowledge to help owners properly care for their little reptiles friends.

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