In the wild, crested geckos eat mostly soft fruit and small insects. This diet is not always easy to provide in captivity, but it can be done.
In addition to crickets and dubia roaches, you can also feed your gecko soft fruit like bananas, peaches, nectarines, apricots, and papaya. You can even offer jarred baby food or mashed fruit.
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Fruit
Crested geckos are primarily insect hunters in the wild, but fruit does still play an important role in their diet. This is why it’s a good idea to incorporate fruits in your captive crested gecko’s diet.
The definition of a fruit is “the usually edible reproductive body of a seed plant; especially : one having a sweet pulp.” Apples, bananas, peaches, and tomatoes are all examples of fruits.
When feeding a crested gecko fruit, it’s a good idea to mix them up so they have different flavors. This will help to prevent boredom and will ensure that your lizard is getting a varied diet.
Fruits are important for a crested gecko’s health and are also a great way to provide enrichment. You can feed your gecko a few pieces of fruit each meal or a puree of different fruits.
Insects
Insects are an important part of a crested gecko’s natural diet. They are the main source of protein for these arboreal reptiles, and they are also a great way to provide your pet with vital nutrients.
In addition, insects are a great source of calcium and phosphorus, which are essential for a balanced diet. Insects also contain carotenoids and retinoids, which are needed for immune system function and night vision.
Because of their omnivorous nature, crested geckos need a variety of foods. However, you should only feed them foods that they would naturally eat in the wild.
Vegetables
In the wild, crested geckos eat a variety of fruits, insects, flowers and seeds. On rare occasions they will eat smaller reptiles and other small vertebrates.
In captivity, you can offer your lizards a mix of live insects, fresh fruit and vegetables. You can also opt for commercially-made food, but it is important to supplement their diets with a vitamin and mineral supplement.
Depending on the type of gecko you own, they may need to be fed three times a week or more often. Babies need to be fed more often or at least once a day, as their metabolism is very high.
A great fruit to offer your crested geckos is apples, pears and mangoes. These fruits are soft and easy for them to eat, and they contain a moderate calcium to phosphorous ratio. They should be chopped up or blended into a smoothie form for them to enjoy.
Meat
The crested gecko diet in the wild is based primarily on fruit and insects. Insects are a major protein source for crested geckos as they lack the skull morphology to eat skink lizards.
Insects are a good source of calcium, vitamin A and thiamin (vitamin B1). They also contain vitamins and minerals that help in the development of the crestie’s immune system.
Vegetables are also important in the crested gecko diet. They are high in fiber and are an excellent source of beta-carotene, vitamin C, and phosphorus.
Vegetables can be offered in a “smoothie” form blended with fruits and other vegetables, or simply as a regular treat for your crestie. The veggies should have a healthy calcium to phosphorus ratio and be bright in color, such as prickly pear leaves or hibiscus flowers.
