Crested geckos are adept eaters in the wild, devouring various insects and fruits as well as leafy greens and vegetables.
Bananas are an enjoyable treat for crested geckos and can be offered either whole or mashed into a smoothie for snacking on. As well as being delicious treats, bananas contain potassium-rich carbohydrates that provide energy-rich energy sources.
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Insects
Cresteed geckos are both omnivorous and frugivorous animals, feeding on both insects and fruit for protein intake in their natural environments. When kept as captive animals, however, a variety of insects should be used as food to ensure optimal growth and long life spans.
Crested geckos typically feed on mealworms, available both online and at pet stores. Other options for feeding crested geckos include cutworms, locusts, crickets, silkworms and moths; prior to adding any feeder insect into its food source for crested gecko it is essential that they have been gut-loaded (or otherwise).
A good gut load meal includes raw fruits and vegetables such as:
Fruits
Crested geckos found in the wild are opportunistic feeders and will consume whatever is available, with sweet tooths known to enjoy overripe fruits. It should be noted that their small mouths may struggle to break down tough immature fruits.
Fruit should make up 60-70% of your cresties diet in captivity. Be sure any fruit you feed them is soft enough for them to bite comfortably and free of seeds or pits that could cause impaction. Also avoid feeding any wild insects found both inside and outside as these could contain parasites or pesticides which could harm their health.
Vegetables may not be as appealing to cresties as fruits, but it is still important that they get some in their diet. When providing vegetables to your crestie it’s best to mash and blend up any hard exoskeletons which could potentially lead to impaction issues.
Vegetables
Crested geckoes in the wild feed on both animal- and plant-based foods. When kept as captive pets, crested geckoes may either receive commercial diet or an animal-oriented mixture of insects, fruits and vegetables for feeding purposes.
Fruit should form an essential part of a crested gecko’s diet. The optimal variety are those that feature an adequate calcium to phosphorous ratio, such as apples, kiwis, mangoes and pears. Avoid citrus fruits which contain toxic levels of oxalic acid that could harm reptiles; Rhubarbs and star fruit contain even higher concentrations.
Vegetables should be introduced into crested gecko diets via purees. Blend them with fruits provided and cook steamed or boiled until ready. Frozen peas, carrots and green beans can also be fed 1-2 times weekly as can steamed or boiled sweet potato for variety in diet.
Seeds
Crested geckos living in the wild enjoy a diet consisting of overripe fruits such as papaya, figs and berries to provide them with essential protein sources. Furthermore, these creatures ingest both the juice and seeds from these fruits for nutritional nourishment.
Replicating their wild diet in captivity may prove challenging due to limited access to necessary nutrients, as well as not providing as many insects and fruits that would typically be found there.
As there are commercial crested gecko foods available that you can provide your pet, there are various commercial crested gecko food products you can choose from when feeding him/her. Most come in powder form and need to be mixed with water in order to create a paste-like or smoothie-thick consistency before being given to your crested gecko. Most contain enough protein from vegetables, eggs, soy or whey protein sources and ground-up insects to provide adequate sustenance – although you should still gut-load and dust any live insects offered as well as provide calcium/vit D3 supplements – in order for him/her to thrive and thrive in their environment!
