Crested geckos require a diet rich in calcium and low in phosphorus. Furthermore, they need access to essential vitamins and minerals.
Crestie geckos in the wild feed on insects daily; try mimicking this behavior by providing your crested gecko with food like fruit pulp or insects from time to time.
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Fruits
Cresteed geckos in the wild are frugivorous animals that feed on an assortment of insects and fruits, while in captivity they should be fed a commercially prepared fruit-based diet supplemented with live feeder insects for proper nutrition. Commercial food can provide more balanced nutrients than homemade powder diets which might not provide adequate amounts of minerals necessary to prevent metabolic bone disease (MBD).
Cresteed geckos require more than their typical powder diet; each night in a flat dish they should also receive an assortment of fruits and vegetables along with one teaspoon of fruit-flavored baby formal. When selecting fruit varieties that contain soft flesh for feeding purposes and ensure all seeds have been removed as these may contain cyanide poison.
Strawberries make an excellent treat for most geckos as they contain low levels of oxalic acid. Other suitable fruits for gecko feedings are bananas, pomegranates and passion fruits (but avoid oranges as they contain high acidity levels).
Vegetables
Crested geckos are omnivorous animals, so their diet should consist of both protein-rich insects and vegetables for optimal health. Vegetables provide vital vitamins and minerals essential for life.
Cucumbers, green beans, snap peas and broccoli are some of the top choices for crested geckos as they are highly hydrating, low in calories, packed with fiber and rich in nutrients such as Vitamin C – while broccoli also boasts high calcium content.
Bell peppers provide crested geckos with another nutritious food source, rich in vitamin C and with a satisfying crunch that many crested geckos enjoy. Prickly pear leaves and hibiscus flowers have also been eaten by wild gargoyle geckos (Bauer and Sadlier 1994).
Owners can offer live insect prey such as crickets or dubia roaches as an option in captivity for their crested gecko cresties, such as crickets or dubia roaches, for feeding purposes. Or they can opt for premixed food products like Zoo Med crested gecko diet that has been developed and tested by an animal nutritionist.
Greens
Crested geckos require a varied diet in order to remain at their optimum. Vegetables offer an ideal balance of proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals essential for bone development, immunity support and overall vitality.
Crested geckos in the wild would engage in daily hunting and foraging activities to find fruits, vegetables, insects and meat to eat; although some crested gecko owners report their pet eating other foods such as dairy products, meat and eggs – this should not be encouraged as part of its diet.
When feeding your crested gecko fresh fruits and vegetables, be sure to mash or blend them for easier digestion. Also avoid offering foods high in oxalic acid which bind to calcium in their diet to form oxalates that can lead to metabolic bone disease (MBD).
Insects
Crested geckos are omnivorous reptiles, eating both insects and fruit as part of their diet. If they suddenly stop eating it could indicate serious illness.
Crested Gecko diet should consist of live insect feeders such as dubia roaches, hornworms or black soldier fly larvae (reptiworms). These offer great nutritional value while being easy to store since they don’t spoil quickly.
These insects make ideal feeders for cresties, offering high protein content and an optimal Ca:P ratio. Other feeder insects like grasshoppers or worms may have too much calcium or phosphorus; hence their consumption should be done sparingly.
Feeder insects provide your pet with nutritionally valuable insect snacks; to maximize nutritional value it’s wise to provide some dark leafy greens and whole grain snacks in their meal, such as dark leafy greens. This method mirrors how wild lizards obtain vital vegetable nutrients, making this an effective way of improving their bug snacks’ dietary value.
