Crested geckos are omnivorous creatures in their natural environments and feed on an assortment of foods like fruits, flowers, nectar, pollen, seeds, insects and even smaller reptiles and their unfertilized eggs. When kept as captive pets they can be fed both live or premixed foods.
Make sure that fruits and vegetables are well-washed before feeding them to reptiles, since some such as avocados contain persin – an agent toxic to reptiles that could result in disease outbreaks.
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Insects
Crested geckos are omnivores and require insects as part of their diet. At home crestie owners may prefer going the extra step and cultivating, gut-loading, dusting and prepping their own feeder insects, although quality premixed crested gecko foods may also be available at an affordable cost.
Avoid feeding wild-caught feeder insects to your crested gecko, as they could contain harmful diseases and parasites that can have adverse health impacts for him/her. Furthermore, these may contain pesticide contamination.
Feed your crestie insects no larger than the width of its eyes at first glance to reduce choking risk or digestive problems such as impaction. Most cresties like crickets, mealworms and hornworms; you should only give as many live or freeze-dried as it can consume within 15 minutes to reduce wastefulness and overfeeding. In general, give protein-rich food three or four times each week.
Fruits
Crested geckos are predominantly frugivores but also require sources of protein from insects in the wild; for captive environments they may be fed insect-based powders like Dubia roaches and crickets in addition to fruits.
crested geckos enjoy eating fruit such as raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, apricots, mangoes and bananas – particularly soft varieties with moderate calcium and low levels of phosphorus content.
Avoid citrus fruits such as grapes, which contain high levels of oxalic acid that could inhibit calcium absorption in the body. Kiwis contain copper that interferes with its ability to absorb zinc; so only feed these treats occasionally as treats.
When using fresh fruit, try mashing or blending into a smoothie-like consistency. Hard fruits like apples and pears should be cut into small pieces before being blended or mashed. All vegetables should be thoroughly washed prior to being fed – greens that are high in calcium content with low phosphorus levels as well as being free from antinutrients such as goitrogens are ideal choices.
Veggies
Crested geckos are omnivorous animals in their natural environment, eating both plant-based fruits and protein-rich insects for sustenance. You can easily find pre-mixed crested gecko food online and at pet stores that will provide your lizard with everything it needs for optimal health.
Add small amounts of vegetables to your lizard’s diet each week, such as carrots, sweet potatoes, squashes, green beans, peas and snap peas. Make sure they are steamed or boiled beforehand in order to lower his risk of food-borne illness such as salmonella poisoning.
As well as offering your crested gecko fresh fruit and veggie mix, make sure they receive access to an endless supply of water daily. Mist their enclosure using a spray bottle filled with dechlorinated water in order to provide him with all the essential hydration he requires. Since crested geckos excel at arboreal living environments, set up some plastic or silk plants in his enclosure in order to encourage them to practice climbing skills.
Mealworms
Crested geckos in their natural environment are frugivores, or herbivores who consume both fruit and insects. To replicate this behavior in your own home, offer safe fruits such as mangoes, peaches, or berries a few times each week to replicate this diet – with fruits making up 60-70% of their food source.
Papayas and kiwis can make excellent staple fruits for crested geckos, providing calcium, fiber and vitamins A and C. Kiwi fruits may also be served regularly due to their higher sugar content.
Hornworms (Caterpillars of the Manduca Genus) make an excellent food choice for crested geckos as they are abundant in both phosphorous and calcium while being free from antinutrients like oxalates and goitrogens – however small crested geckos may find them difficult to digest. As an alternative, there are pre-mixed crested gecko food options which provide complete gecko nutrition, plus added calcium; some include insects as well as vegetables or fruit while others focus strictly on fruits or vegetables only.
