Crested geckos in the wild primarily feed on insects; however, fruit also plays a significant role in their diets.
Berries provide crested geckos with essential nutrition. Blueberries in particular boast an exceptional Ca:P ratio and contain minimal persin levels, making them the go-to choice.
Contents
Fruit
Crested geckos are frugivores, and most pet stores sell an assortment of fruits for them to eat. Unfortunately, domestic fruits don’t contain as much protein, vitamins and minerals than their wild counterparts do, while being high in sugar content; thus limiting them as part of your crested gecko’s diet.
Most keepers recommend CGD (Crested Gecko Diet). It provides complete nutritional coverage with dried fruit, insect protein and other sources of essential minerals and vitamins; furthermore it has a moderate calcium/phosphorous ratio and designed to be highly palatable.
Fruit can be an irresistibly delectable treat for your crestie and help him to eat, but beware: most fruits contain phosphorous which leaches out calcium from his body – an unhealthy condition known as Metabolic Bone Disease that often proves fatal.
Mango, melon, strawberry and watermelons are all excellent fruits to offer reptiles as treats. Bananas and oranges should be avoided due to high levels of oxalic acid which is toxic for reptiles; organic fruit would be preferable as this reduces exposure to chemicals that have been sprayed onto it or absorbed through its flesh.
Vegetables
Vegetables are an integral component of any healthy diet for crested geckos and provide them with essential vitamins and minerals. Vegetables also serve as an excellent source of fibre which promotes digestive, immune, muscle, skin, eye, mucous membrane and retina health.
Cresteed geckos prefer vegetables low in oxalates and phosphorus, such as squash, acorn squash, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, carrots, kale, bell peppers, prickly pear leaves and hibiscus flowers (which were fed to gargoyle geckos by Bauer and Sadlier in 1994).
Mangoes provide another nutrient-rich treat for crested gecko lizards. With no high Ca:P ratio and an abundance of Vitamin A, mango is ideal as a reward. Serving it every month or so as an incentive should do just fine!
Greens
Crested geckos need a diet consisting of fresh fruits for proper nourishment. Many keepers provide fresh fruit as an enrichment experience and special moment between themselves and their pet, although too much fresh food could potentially be harmful if given on an ongoing basis.
Pangea Fruit Mix Gecko Treat is an ideal food choice for crested gecko food, providing ideal levels of calcium for optimal bone and egg production, along with all of the necessary vitamins and nutrients to support health in their growth.
Create your own crested gecko food by mixing meal powder with dubia roaches or crickets, cutting into smaller pieces, and selecting insects that do not exceed the distance between a crested gecko’s eyes to prevent impaction. Before feeding any insects to your pet, gut-load them with dark leafy greens and whole grains similar to how lizards obtain vegetables in nature.
Insects
Crested geckos in the wild eat insects and worms to maintain a balanced diet, while in captivity some enjoy feeding on powdered insect mixes like Repashy or Pangea Gecko Diet with Fig & Insects mixed with water to form a thicker consistency.
Other cresties do best with live insects like crickets (no larger than the distance between their eyes) or dubia roaches, which have grown increasingly popular due to their nutritional value and should be prepared with dark leafy greens and whole grain food 12-24 hours prior to being introduced into their habitat.
Some crested geckos may enjoy feeding on mealworms, waxworms and hornworms (caterpillars of the Manduca genus), though only occasionally. All feeder insects should be lightly dusted with high-quality calcium supplements every other feeding and provided with clean water at every opportunity – some keepers use misters to distribute dechlorinated water into their pet’s habitat while others prefer products like Fluker’s Frog & Tortoise Food Water Treatment or Repashy Hydration Enhancer as solutions.
