Crested geckos are omnivorous animals in their natural environment and feed on both plant-based fruits as well as insects for protein sources. You can offer your crested gecko an assortment of safe fruits three or four times each week to keep their diet varied and varied.
There are various commercial, freeze-dried powder foods available that you can combine with water to form a complete meal for your crestie. Pangea offers several fruit based MRPs with different levels of insect protein content for this purpose.
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Freeze-Dried Worms
There are various freeze-dried food items designed specifically to meet the dietary needs of crested geckos. A popular selection is high-protein mealworms; these insects provide essential sources of protein but should only be fed occasionally due to their hard exoskeletons and high fat content. Other suitable treats for crested gecko treats are hornworms and silkworms.
All of these worms can be found at most pet stores. Before feeding to your crestie, ensure to dust them with calcium and vitamin D3.
Crested geckos are opportunistic feeders in nature and will consume any insects they come across. To replicate their natural diet, offer live insects and powdered food three to four times each week as a meal alternative.
Silkworms
Crested geckos are omnivorous animals in their natural environments, so their diet needs to include both fruit and insects for proper stimulation of both physical and mental wellbeing. You can feed your crestie a balanced combination of both by cutting up fruits and vegetables for them or purchasing pre-mixed foods that provide all their needs in one convenient package.
Feeder insects such as feeder insects can be used as treats for crested geckos, with specific ones providing more effective treats than others. Avoid feeding your crested gecko hornworms (essentially hairless caterpillars that can grow up to three or four inches), which contain too much chitin as well as moisture that could potentially cause diarrhea in their digestive system.
Mealworms, commonly available at most pet stores and online insect suppliers, offer another excellent food choice. Mealworms contain less chitin while providing more protein; however, they should still be fed sparingly as they still contain high levels of fat content.
Butter Grubs
Crested geckos in the wild are opportunistic feeders and will consume an assortment of plant and animal materials including insects. One study discovered that more than 70% of their diet consisted of insects! When kept as captive pets, crested geckos can be fed live insects, fresh fruits and vegetables as well as premixed diets for feeding purposes.
No matter the source, providing crested geckos with a balanced diet is paramount to their wellbeing. Although frugivorous in nature, crested geckos should still supplement their food source with protein sources as well as vitamins, minerals, and fiber sources for maximum success.
Silkworms and butter grubs provide crested geckos with an excellent source of protein. Offer them several times each week as treats for optimal health, as hornworms may be difficult for some reptiles to digest. Before feeding any worms to your crested, dust them lightly with calcium powder; this step ensures an ideal calcium:phosphorous ratio in their system.
Premixed Foods
crested geckos are mostly frugivores (fruit eaters), yet still need sources of protein to survive in their natural environments. Their preferred food source for protein in nature are insects; you can find several mixed food items online and at local pet stores which provide both fruits and insects to meet this need.
These complete diets are powders you mix with water to feed to your crested gecko, serving as their main food source. They typically include fruit and insect protein sources as well as additional supplements like vitamins, minerals, probiotics and bee pollen for added nutrition.
Home-blended mixed foods can also be created at home by blending fruits and vegetables. Be careful when choosing vegetables like rhubarb, beets and spinach as these contain high concentrations of oxalic acid which is toxic to reptiles. Avocado is another fruit which should be avoided as its persin chemical has proven hazardous for reptiles as well as many other animals including them.
