Crested gecko diet should consist of commercial food (such as Repashy) and fresh fruits, with live insects such as dubia roaches provided as treats.
These can be gut-loaded with vitamin supplements and offered to crested geckos that accept them. You could also offer freeze dried crickets if that works better for them.
Contents
Fruits
Crested geckos are predominantly frugivores, yet require sources of protein for survival. These sources can come from insects in their natural habitat or from commercial crested gecko food mixes like Repashy or Pangea specifically tailored towards their diet.
Cresties can find nutrition in fruits such as berries, cantelope, figs and mangoes that should be offered several times each week, either cut into bite-size pieces or blended together into a smoothie-type mix. Blueberries in particular provide plenty of antioxidants with few calories – an ideal choice to offer their reptile friends!
As part of a varied diet for your reptiles, offering crickets or insects will add protein. When feeding these insects to them, be sure to gut-load them first for 24 hours then dust with calcium supplement to prevent metabolic bone disease in these reptiles.
Vegetables
Crested geckos in the wild consume a wide range of fruits and insects, as well as leaves and some berries; they also consume plenty of insects themselves. Complete commercial diets such as Fluker’s are fantastic because they provide crested geckos with all of the vitamins, minerals, proteins, and other essential nutrients they need for a long, healthy life.
Vegetables are important sources of iron, calcium and fiber which help crested geckos maintain their bowels, maintain healthy skin and muscles as well as support their immune systems.
But if you make homemade purees from vegetables, be wary not to feed too often as some contain oxalic acid which binds calcium and prevents its absorption. Aim to provide small doses like three times per week in small amounts; or offer ready-to-eat mixed vegetable powders like those available at many pet stores and online such as Amazon.
Insects
Crested geckos in the wild are opportunistic feeders and will take in any variety of foods. Pet owners must be wary when feeding their reptiles insects to avoid parasites or contaminants such as in-home wild insects as well as prepackaged dehydrated or freeze-dried insects available online retailers.
Crickets are one of the more commonly-fed insects for crested geckos, providing moisture, protein, and fat content as part of a varied diet. Unfortunately, improper feeding could create potential choking hazards.
Phoenix worms provide crested geckos with an excellent source of protein-rich nutrition. Though harder to locate than other feeder insects, phoenix worms should still be purchased online from retailers for your crested gecko as an online treat! Waxworms may also make good treats due to their higher fat content.
Meat
Crested geckos in the wild may eat anything that they find, including foods which may not be great for them; pet owners can limit their diets accordingly to avoid unnecessary weight gain or organ disease.
Utilizing a diet rich in fruits and vegetables is an effective way to provide your crestie with essential nutrition without adding additional sugars and preservatives that could potentially be harmful. Be wary when selecting citrus fruits like oranges and tangerines since these contain high concentrations of oxalic acid which could prove toxic if consumed too freely.
As a protein source, dubia roaches or crickets provide an ideal protein source. Although these insects contain calcium and phosphorous-rich diet, only 30% should comprise their diet while the rest should come from vegetables and fruit. It is essential that geckos receive an assortment of insects and worms in their diet to get all of the necessary vitamins they require to thrive and gut loading can also be an excellent idea when providing meals to their pets.