Golden geckos make for a lovely addition to any pet reptile collection. These small and delicate reptiles boast beautiful gold-colored scales and are often seen as symbols of good fortune.
Omnivorous in nature, they should be fed a variety of live insects. Crickets make up the bulk of their diet but waxworms, mealworms and super worms can also be included. Before feeding the insects, gut load them first then dust with calcium supplement and multivitamin powder twice weekly for added nutrition.
Contents
Protein
A golden gecko’s diet should consist of a variety of protein sources. This could include insects like crickets, mealworms and wax worms as well as fruits.
Some keepers also provide vegetables to their crested geckos, as these foods are high in calcium and vitamins. Vegetables like escarole, endive, alfalfa, and dandelion greens are especially beneficial to these lizards.
Some lizard keepers feed their crested geckos a powdered diet that’s fortified with proteins, calcium and other essential nutrients for growth and wellbeing. Commercial powdered foods are an ideal substitute to baby food as they’re specifically tailored to meet these lizards’ dietary requirements.
Calcium
Geckos typically feed on feeder insects, which are low in calcium. To ensure your geckos get enough nutrition from these insects, dust them with a high-quality powder before giving them their food.
Calcium is essential for skeletal development, bone formation and other functions. This makes calcium even more essential for baby and juvenile geckos whose bones are still growing.
The correct calcium to phosphorus ratio (Ca:P) is essential for absorption and retention of this mineral, so it’s important to provide calcium-rich foods alongside a quality multivitamin supplement.
Vitamins
In addition to protein and calcium, golden geckos require a range of vitamins. A reliable vitamin supplement will guarantee your pet gecko receives enough of these essential nutrients.
Crested geckos require less vitamin D3 than other species of gecko, yet they still need this essential mineral. Without enough Vitamin D3, your gecko may develop metabolic bone disease, leading to brittle bones and other serious health issues.
To guarantee your gecko gets enough essential minerals, supplement their diet regularly with a balanced vitamin powder. This can be accomplished either by dusting insect prey or mixing the supplement into fruit puree that your gecko enjoys.
Minerals
Golden geckos are frugivores, meaning they feed on plants, fruit and insects. This type of diet provides them with more calcium, vitamins and minerals than many fruits and vegetables can offer.
For these geckos, a varied diet of crickets, mealworms, waxworms and super worms is the best option. Be sure to gut load all insects with calcium and liberally dust them with vitamin powder once a week for added health benefits.
Geckos can occasionally enjoy some fresh tropical fruit such as mangos, papayas and bananas. Offering your pet a high quality gecko diet will guarantee they get all the essential nutrients for optimal health and happiness.
Insects
When it comes to the golden gecko’s diet, insects are the go-to food source. Not only are they easy to spot and provide plenty of nutrition, but they’re also easy to transport.
Crickets are a favorite food choice for geckos, but other insects can also be fed to your pet. Just make sure that you gut load any insects before giving them to your lizard.
Feeder insects are an excellent source of protein, calcium and vitamins for your gecko. Since they contain very little fat, you can use them as a mainstay diet.
Cockroaches make excellent feeder insects for geckos, though their chitin content makes them more challenging to keep as a feeder. Mealworms make an excellent alternative but should first be gut loaded prior to feeding your lizard.
