House geckos are small, tropical lizards that make excellent pets. They require minimal upkeep and maintenance, making them a great choice for first-time reptile owners.
Their diet consists of insects such as crickets and mealworms, which should be dusted with calcium powder to guarantee your gecko gets enough of this important nutrient.
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Crickets
Crickets make an excellent food source for house geckos. These small insects can be purchased at pet stores and online retailers that specialize in reptile supplies.
They provide an excellent source of protein and have more nutritional value than many other foods. Furthermore, they can easily be ground into a fine powder or flour and used as a replacement for traditional meats.
Male crickets chirp to attract females and sometimes engage in “duels” of chirping with other males. The sound is produced by scraping a scraper located on one forewing along a row of 50 to 250 teeth on the opposite forewing. Chirp rates can range anywhere from 1,500 cycles per second for larger species to more than 10,000 cycles per second for the smallest.
Mealworms
Mealworms are a favorite food of many reptile owners and can be an excellent addition to any insectivore’s diet. They’re easy to handle, keep for a long time, and contain relatively few calories as well as high levels of protein and calcium.
House geckos often enjoy mealworms as they do not escape the feeding dish like some insects may. Unfortunately, mealworms lack a balanced mineral content for most insectivores, so to ensure your gecko receives adequate calcium levels, provide it with a supplement of 20+ grams per kilogram of mealworms.
Mealworms should be gut-loaded with oats or other nutritious vegetables, fruits and greens before being fed to your gecko. Doing this helps them absorb essential vitamins and micronutrients that they can then pass along when eaten by your gekko.
Waxworms
Waxworms are a staple house gecko food, and can be purchased online or from fishing bait stores. For optimal storage, keep them slightly refrigerated (or room temperature) in an airtight container that stays fresh for months at a time.
When storing waxworms, be sure to place them in a container with excellent drainage. This helps prevent the worms from drowning and allows them to pupate successfully.
Although they make for a tasty treat, geckos should not rely solely on them as their only food source. Not only are they high in fat which could lead to obesity and other health issues for your gecko, but they are not nutritious enough to meet all its needs; therefore it’s best to feed size-appropriate crickets or mealworms instead.
Fruits
Geckos can eat a variety of fruits, but it’s essential that they select nutritious ones. Fruits provide your gecko with numerous essential nutrients and help ensure they get enough calcium as well.
However, certain gecko species may not be able to digest certain fruits or vegetables as well as other reptiles. Therefore, it’s best to steer clear of soft and mushy fruits, as well as those with seeds.
Fruits contain oxalic acid, which may inhibit calcium absorption in your gecko. This is especially true for crested geckos; therefore, it’s best to limit their exposure to foods high in this acid.
Vegetables
Geckos are primarily insectivorous, not vegetarian. They get their nutrition from crickets, mealworms, waxworms and dubia roaches.
House geckos can eat vegetable-based diets tailored specifically for their species. However, it’s important to remember that certain vegetables may not be beneficial as they lack sufficient calcium-to-phosphorus ratios and may contain high amounts of goitrogens or other hazardous nutrients.
As a general guideline, it is best to offer your leopard gecko an balanced diet of commercially-raised insects and nutritious fruits. Furthermore, including other kinds of insects like Dubia roaches, butterworms, and super worms in their food as a treat can help stimulate their appetites while providing them with proper nutrition.
