great plants for crested geckos<\/a> as well as a waterfall feature, or even a small pool of water inside the tank.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhile this can be aesthetically pleasing, you do not want to put your crested gecko at risk. The gecko might fall into the pool and drown. However, if you must add a shallow water feature into the bioactive vivarium, you want to add a lot of clutter into the water to make it easy for the gecko to wade and move in the water to safety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Can you soak crested geckos in water?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n If you would like to soak your crested gecko in water, then it is recommended that the container be filled only about an inch deep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Crested geckos can’t hold their breath and do not have any adaptations for swimming. If their tank was flooded with a much deeper amount of water, they could drown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is not necessary to soak or give your gecko a bath. However, if you must for some reason, the best way to give them a bath without placing them in water is to use a damp paper towel or tissue which will remove dirt from their scales without causing this stress of being placed into shallow amounts of water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Arboreal vs aquatic lizards<\/h2>\n\n\n\n Crested geckos are usually arboreal, but they can be found on the ground. In their natural habitat, they spend most of their time in trees and bushes where there is more food than on the forest floor. They will go down to eat insects or other small prey that live on the ground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Most pet lizard owners may confuse a swimming gecko with crested geckos. Actually, they are different. The aquatic gecko, green basilisk lizard is able to swim. It is also called the double-crested basilisk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The double-crested basilisk is a type of lizard that can be found in Central and South America. They are also called aquatic geckos for their ability to swim. These types of lizards swim well and can remain submerged in water for as long as 10 minutes without suffocating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Can You Force Your Gecko to Swim?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n It is not a good idea to force your leopard gecko to swim because it is a stressful activity for them. Being arboreal creatures, they will feel that their life is threatened when you put them in water and force them to swim.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There may be other consequences of forcing your crested gecko, or even a leopard gecko to swim. These include the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The gecko will develop fear towards you: Forcing your crestie to swim is almost the same as trying to kill him\/her. The gecko will start to avoid you, or run away every time you try to get hold of it.<\/li> Injuries and tail loss<\/a>: If you try to force the lizard to submerge in water, it will go into defensive mode. Extreme wiggling of its body to set itself free can cause injuries and even tail drop or tail loss.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\nIn these situations, the heart rate of your crested gecko will elevate, making it breathe fast and appear distressed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Return the pet in its tank and allow him\/her to hide within the vivarium until they feel safe again to come out and explore the environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n Crested geckos can swim, but it is not something that they would ever do on their own, or at least in a natural environment. They are ground animals and stay mostly close to the surface of the forest floor for safety reasons. The only time you will find them near water is when they need to drink it from a puddle or pond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, if you place them in the water for short periods of time (no more than 30 seconds), some may swim laps around the bowl, off your hand, or even onto any surface that is nearby.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nREAD NEXT: Can Crested Geckos Live Together? Factors and Numbers to Keep<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"What will happen if you put your crested gecko in the swimming pool? While it is not obvious that the lizard will immediately suffocate, there may be some serious risks involved in putting a crested … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":414,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nCan Crested Geckos Swim? | Being Reptiles<\/title>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n