Crested geckos are one of the most widely kept captive lizards. Easy to care for and highly rewarding pets, many people consider crowned geckos one of their favourite companions.
These reptiles typically feed on insects in their natural environments, though fruits provide essential nutrition to stay healthy, hydrated and content.
Insects & Fruits
Crested geckos are frugivorous; they feed on insects as well as seeds and nuts. Unfortunately, their diet may not contain an appropriate mix of nutrients and minerals needed for them to stay healthy, leading to health issues like metabolic bone disease (MBD) or calcium depletion resulting in metabolic bone disease or calcium crashing – potentially serious conditions if left unchecked.
Crested gecko diets should consist mainly of insects and fruit-based compounds in paste or powder form. Insects provide both protein and calcium, and should be fed several times every week as part of their regular food.
Arcadia SFG contains a range of ingredients including papaya, mixed insect meal, apple, banana and honey that have been specially chosen to meet the nutritional requirements of fruit-eating crested geckos such as leachianus, chahoua and day geckos.
Another brand of Arcadia crested gecko food includes insects in proportion of 65% insect to 15% fruit, making this ideal if your crested gecko is less enthusiastic about insects than others.
Earth Pro Stickyfoot Gold comes as a dry powder that can be mixed to your desired consistency for daily feedings, providing essential vitamins and minerals as well as magnesium for strong bones and nerve health.
Fruits & Vegetables
Crested geckos are herbivorous creatures, feeding on soft fruits as well as insects such as crickets and mealworms. When kept as pets, fresh produce such as vegetables and fruit should be offered along with commercial crested gecko food powders.
As a general guideline, it’s best to feed your gecko a variety of nutritious fruits with low levels of sugar and high levels of nutrients, so they can access their essential vitamins and minerals naturally without artificial preservatives and additives.
Mangoes, peaches and berries make an excellent first food choice for young geckos to consume safely and digestibly. These sweet fruits offer ideal nourishment to young geckos that may struggle to eat solid foods such as spinach.
Sliced or mashed cucumbers make an excellent source of both fiber and vitamin C; feed them at least twice each week along with other fruits on this list.
Avoid feeding oranges to your gecko, as they contain high levels of oxalic acid which is detrimental to their health. Oxalic acid decreases calcium-to-phosphorus ratio in your pet and may contribute to metabolic bone disorders.
Maintain a calcium/phosphorus ratio below 2:1 to prevent metabolic bone disorder or other health complications in your gecko.
Vegetables & Fruits
Vegetables are an integral component of a crested gecko’s diet, providing vital vitamins and minerals while providing ample beta-carotene. Vegetables also help prevent metabolic bone disease – one of the primary threats facing crested geckos living in their natural environments.
Vegetable-like fruits like kiwi and mango make ideal snacks, providing valuable source of fiber, vitamin C and calcium. Offer these treats several times each week along with other fruits on this list for optimal gecko nutrition.
Dried fruit can also be an ideal treat, provided it does not contain added sugars and water content that could contribute to obesity in geckos. Too much of either can contribute to weight issues in some geckos.
If you opt for fresh fruits as treats for your reptiles or amphibians, be aware that they must be offered in small pieces. Apple slices and mashed apples make an excellent treat for adult geckos; while kiwis should only be given occasionally or every few weeks.
Crested geckos living in the wild typically consume a diet consisting of insects, small invertebrates (nestling birds and their young), soft seeds, pollen and rotting fruit – however this diet should not be fed to captive crested geckos as it lacks essential calcium and phosphorus nutrients needed for strong bones and nerves.
