The African fat-tailed gecko is an insectivorous reptile. It feeds on insects such as crickets, locusts, cockroaches, calci-worms and mealworms.
Gut loading feeder insects before offering them to your gecko is essential in providing it with all of the nutrition it requires from its diet.
Contents
Insects
African fat tail geckos (Hemitheconyx caudicinctus) are insectivores that feed on insects and vertebrates. Native to West Africa, they can live up to 20 years in captivity.
Crickets are the preferred insects for feeding fat tail geckos as they contain plenty of essential nutrients, protein and calcium. Dubia roaches and meal worms also offer plenty of nutrition but require feeding via food bowl due to being unable to jump. Before giving these insects to gecko pets for optimal results. Always gut load first!
Geckos tend to eat less during shed season; however, you should still provide food but remove any uneaten insects from their enclosure. You could also provide a heating mat or bulb so one end remains warm while another remains cool to help them self-regulate their temperature more effectively.
Fat tail gecko’s are best fed only live insects as dead ones may cause internal issues.
Fruits
African fat-tailed geckos are insectivorous animals and should be offered a selection of crickets and mealworms as their main diet items. Additional items, such as waxworms, roach nymphs and silkworms may also be offered, though only in limited amounts and as supplements. Small frozen mice may occasionally be accepted as treats but should not form part of their daily intake.
Gut loading your feeder insects – feeding the insects a high-nutritional diet 24 hours before offering them to your gecko – ensures that she will receive all of their vitamins and minerals.
Your gecko’s habitat should include rocks, logs and plants to provide hiding spaces for him. Lizards tend to seek comfort in hiding when feeling stressed or nervous; you should also provide him with fresh water daily so as to prevent bacteria build-up in his cage.
Veggies
African fat-tailed geckos have become increasingly popular as reptile pets due to their ease of care, however for optimal performance they must be fed the appropriate diet – as strict insectivores they require only insects for food and drinking water as anything else could lead to internal complications that would require extensive healing time for recovery.
Geckos typically feed on live crickets, mealworms and roaches/dubia cockroaches as food sources, though waxworms/hornworms may be consumed occasionally as long as they don’t become the sole source of sustenance. Dried or freeze-dried insect meals should be avoided to provide essential vitamins and minerals to their diets.
Supplement your gecko’s diet with vitamin powder rich in D3 and calcium powder to increase its health. You can dust their food or perform something called gut loading; this involves feeding high-quality fruits, vegetables and grains along with supplements for 24 hours before giving to them as part of their regular diet.
Supplements
Gecko digestive systems are relatively short and alkaline, which makes it challenging to break down cellulose. Supplements such as black soldier fly larvae or meal worms may help your pet better digest his/her meals.
These insects can serve as food supplements to add protein, calcium and other vitamins into your gecko’s diet. While they provide plenty of phosphorus as well, use caution when feeding these items to your gecko.
African fat-tailed geckos are typically solitary creatures in their natural environment and should never be kept together as pets. When housing two geckos together, be sure to ensure they are of similar size so as to avoid bullying from either or both gecko’s perspective. A tank must provide hiding spots for each gecko, with decorations or hides added for extra privacy if desired; keeping this type of enclosure clean is particularly essential since respiratory infections are possible with this species of enclosure.
