WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – Kara King from the Sedgwick County Zoo brought Johnny, the crested gecko, to KSN’s Wild Side on Tuesday.
“He has a little crest of scales above each eye; they all do, and that’s how they get their name,” said King.
According to King, they are arboreal, which means they live off the ground in branches. In the wild, they eat fruit and insects and, occasionally, small mammals and amphibians.
They originate from hot, humid forests in New Caledonia.
“They actually thought that they were extinct for a really long time until they found some, I believe, in 1994 and brought a few species back, and they are in the pet trade now,” said King.
If you choose to keep a crested gecko as a pet, its environment should mimic those of New Caledonia.
Johnny is about seven years old, but crested geckos can live up to 20 years.
Goats to chew away at Wichita’s Oak Park
International Red Panda Day
International Red Panda Day is coming up on Saturday, Sept. 21, and the SCZ is celebrating.