Crested geckos feed on an assortment of foods in their natural habitat, and as a result have not been studied extensively for their diet.
Many cresties are raised on commercial crested gecko food (CGD). CGD consists of powdered flakes mixed with water, and should typically be fed every evening as part of their dinner regiment; any uneaten food should be removed the following morning.
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Fruits
Crested geckos love fruit! In the wild, crested geckos are scavengers who spend their days hiding among short trees or bushy foliage and then foraging for food at night – fruit being packed full of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber can help stimulate metabolism while serving to provide necessary energy sources for these creatures.
Before feeding a crested gecko any type of fruit, several factors should be kept in mind. First and foremost are calcium:phosphorus ratio and oxalic acid content – many fruits have high oxalic acid contents but low calcium concentrations while some fruits may offer a moderate or even suboptimal Ca:P ratio such as mangoes, pears, strawberries, figs or prickly pears that might make good choices.
If you decide to incorporate fruits in your pet’s diet, serve them only occasionally as treats – once or twice every month is optimal – otherwise use only powdered food recommended by your veterinarian. Can and frozen fruits may contain additives and high levels of sugar.
Vegetables
Crested geckos need vegetables rich in calcium, vitamins and minerals for proper nourishment. Vegetables high in oxalates or antinutrients should be avoided; broccoli, kale, Swiss chard, brussel sprouts as well as asparagus turnips carrots and green beans are excellent choices.
An effective vegetable supplement should be utilized in order to ensure all essential vitamins and minerals are met, helping prevent deficiencies of magnesium, iron and iodine as well as any possible vitamin A deficiencies. A multivitamin may also prove helpful.
Commercial crested gecko diets available today feature an assortment of insects and fruit compounds, with Arcadia StickyFootGold and Lugarti CGD offering high levels of insect proteins while Pangea and Repashy have higher concentrations of fruit components (eg Pangea and Repashy).
Insects
Crested geckos are adept hunters that take great joy in searching out prey. Hunting also helps their digestive tract, and young cresties may need hand-fed with long handle feeding tongs until they learn this technique of hunting live insects themselves.
Dubia roaches, black soldier fly larvae (also referred to as calciworms or Phoenix worms), silkworms, earthworms cut up into chunks and nightcrawlers cut up are excellent feeder insect choices; simply dust with high-grade calcium powder before feeding for maximum success!
Gut loading refers to introducing dark leafy greens and whole grain into their bug food or purchasing premade gut loaded feeder insects containing nutritious protein-rich bugs – they’re an excellent complement to their vegetarian diet!
Meat
Crested geckos are predominantly frugivores, yet some owners like to supplement their pet’s diet with live insects. Unfortunately, this will increase obesity while depleting essential vitamins and minerals from your reptile’s system. Instead, purchase nutritionally complete crested gecko diet (CGD) from Pangea or Repashy instead.
CGD provides crested geckos with the essential proteins, vitamins, and minerals they require, with an excellent ratio of calcium to phosphorous.
Other protein sources for crested gecko species may include dubia roaches, red runner crickets, black soldier fly larvae (commonly known as “calciworms or Phoenix worms”) silkworms and mealworms. All of these insects should be gut loaded with dark leafy greens, whole grain vegetables and vegetables 12-24 hours prior to being fed back into your crested gecko’s habitat and should also be dusted with high-grade calcium powder before feeding to your crested gecko.
Fresh fruit should be offered to your crestie as treats on an ongoing basis, no more than twice per week. Papaya, guava and mango are recommended; citrus fruits such as lemons may contain too much acidic juice that could damage its stomach lining.
