Giant day geckos make fun and rewarding pets to own, though it’s important to note they can be picky eaters.
In general, you should offer your pet insects and fruit every other meal along with commercial nectar substitute. All foods should be gut-loaded with multivitamin and calcium powder before feeding to ensure optimal health for both their gut and the animal’s.
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Insects
Giant day geckos are omnivorous animals and in the wild consume insects, small invertebrates, and sweet fruit. Additionally, their senses of smell and sight help them hunt and communicate; males use head swaying while rapid tongue flicking from females is one form of display communication.
Giant day geckos that live in captivity often feed on crickets, locusts, and waxworms as their preferred foods as these insects provide plenty of protein for them to chew on and digest easily. All such insects should first be gut-loaded prior to feeding with Vitamin D3 powder applied at least twice every week as part of their vitamin regiment.
To give captive geckos a balanced diet, a variety of plant-based foods should also be provided, including apples, berries and other soft fruits as well as leafy greens like kale or collards that must be chopped into smaller pieces before feeding to them. Tropical fruits like bananas papayas or mango are great additions.
Fruits
Crimson giant day geckos in the wild typically consume live insects and fruit. While they can easily be coaxed into eating crickets, silkworms or super worms, offering other species such as wood roaches or soldier fly larvae will increase your success of getting them feeding on crickets or silkworms is best.
Captive water dragons will readily consume fruits such as berries and sweet melon, though domestic or tropical varieties should only be offered as supplements to their insect-based diet rather than being considered mainstays.
Vegetables are an integral component of a Giant Day Gecko diet and should be offered at least three times each week. High quality vegetables include those rich in color that do not contain excessive levels of phosphorous and oxalates; strange-looking varieties like hibiscus flowers are particularly healthy!
Finally, provide your pup with plenty of vitamin-rich greens such as escarole, endive and alfalfa for maximum nutritional benefit. They make great options that can even be blended together into smoothies!
Vegetables
Gecko diets should consist of at least half vegetables. Vegetables contain essential vitamins and nutrients, making them much healthier than fruits, which tend to be high in sugar content. Furthermore, vegetables contain beta-carotene which is converted to vitamin A in the body for better cell functioning as well as bone health.
An ideal vegetable should contain calcium, low in phosphorous and no antinutrients such as oxalates or goitrogens; for this reason escarole, endive and alfalfa greens make great choices to include several times each week in meal planning.
Mango and papaya fruits should be offered several times each week to provide your lizard with essential vitamins. Sliced thinly or mixed in with vegetable mixes is recommended.
Black soldier fly larvae
Giant day geckos make an engaging pet for anyone seeking an active and entertaining reptile companion. Watch as these charismatic reptiles devour insects for food, lick baby food from their enclosure walls during the day, and move about in search of prey.
Since they’re diurnal, they spend most of their day high up in trees or off of the ground. Their bright emerald colors help them blend into tropical environments while drawing potential mates towards them.
Black soldier fly larvae have become an increasingly popular food choice for giant day geckos and other lizards, as this stage marks their nutritional peak, providing plenty of vitamins, minerals, and proteins.
Feeding black soldier fly larvae to your giant day gecko will provide them with essential Vitamin A for their eyes and immune systems. You can feed these raw or in a smoothie. Also offer vegetables rich in calcium such as escarole, endive, and alfalfa to ensure optimal nutrition.
