A proper diet is the cornerstone of health and longevity for any pet, and geckos are no exception. As a dedicated gecko owner, ensuring your scaled companion receives a nutritious and varied diet is paramount to their well-being and happiness. This comprehensive guide will delve into the fascinating world of gecko nutrition, covering everything from their natural diets in the wild to the best feeding practices for pet geckos.
Geckos in the Wild: A Diverse Menu
Geckos are incredibly adaptable reptiles, inhabiting a wide array of environments across the globe, excluding only Antarctica. From the lush rainforests to arid deserts and temperate woodlands, these creatures have carved out niches in diverse ecosystems. This adaptability extends to their diets, with wild geckos consuming a variety of foods to obtain the necessary vitamins, minerals, and nutrients.
Many gecko species are primarily insectivores, meaning their diet mainly consists of insects and arachnids. These opportunistic hunters will prey on any small, moving invertebrates they can find, including:
- Spiders: A readily available source of protein and nutrients in many habitats.
- Worms: Earthworms and other types of worms provide essential moisture and nutrients.
- Grasshoppers: A crunchy and protein-rich meal, especially abundant in grasslands and meadows.
- Scorpions: Some geckos, particularly in desert regions, are equipped to handle the sting of scorpions, making them a part of their diet.
- Caterpillars: Soft-bodied and nutritious, caterpillars are a seasonal food source for many geckos.
- Crickets: A staple insect in many gecko habitats, offering a good balance of protein and chitin.
Alt text: Wild gecko hunting for insects in its natural habitat.
As geckos mature, some species may even become carnivorous, expanding their diet to include smaller vertebrates. This can include:
- Smaller Geckos: In some cases, larger gecko species may prey on smaller ones.
- Snakes: Small, non-venomous snakes can become a meal for larger gecko species.
- Small Mice: Pinkie mice or fuzzies can be part of the diet for some larger geckos in the wild.
- Young Birds: Occasionally, geckos may opportunistically prey on nestling birds.
Interestingly, some gecko species, like the popular crested gecko, exhibit omnivorous tendencies. These geckos supplement their insectivorous diet with nectar and fruits found in their natural rainforest habitats.
Feeding Your Pet Gecko: Mimicking Nature
While providing fresh water in a shallow dish is essential for all pet geckos, their specific dietary needs – what and how often they should eat – depend on their age and species.
Juvenile geckos, experiencing rapid growth, require more frequent meals, often needing to eat two to three times daily. Adult geckos, on the other hand, have slower metabolisms and typically only need to be fed every day or every other day.
The key to a healthy pet gecko diet is to replicate their natural diet as closely as possible. Consulting with a veterinarian experienced in reptile care is always recommended to determine the best feeding plan for your specific gecko species.
Essential Insects for a Healthy Gecko Diet
Insects form the cornerstone of most pet gecko diets. Offering a variety of insects not only ensures nutritional balance but also provides enrichment through varied textures and tastes. Here are some excellent insect choices for your gecko:
- Dubia Roaches: Considered by many reptile keepers to be one of the best feeder insects, Dubia roaches are nutritious, easy to breed, and don’t smell or make noise.
- Crickets: A readily available and widely accepted insect, crickets are a good staple food. Choose crickets appropriately sized for your gecko.
- Red Worms (Red Wigglers): These worms are packed with nutrients and are readily consumed by many geckos.
- Silkworms: A softer-bodied insect, silkworms are high in protein and calcium, making them a very nutritious option.
- Mealworms: While readily available, mealworms are higher in fat and should be offered in moderation as part of a varied diet.
- Superworms: Similar to mealworms but larger, superworms are also higher in fat and should be used sparingly.
- Waxworms: Very high in fat and addictive to geckos, waxworms should be treated as occasional treats only due to their low nutritional value.
- Fruit Flies: Flightless fruit flies are ideal for very small or juvenile geckos.
- Earthworms: Larger earthworms can be offered to larger gecko species as a nutritious meal.
Alt text: Variety of feeder insects including crickets, mealworms, and Dubia roaches, suitable for feeding pet geckos.
Gut Loading and Supplementation: Enhancing Insect Nutrition
Commercially raised feeder insects, while convenient, can sometimes lack the full spectrum of nutrients that geckos require. Therefore, gut-loading is a crucial step in maximizing the nutritional value of feeder insects. This involves feeding the insects nutritious foods for 24-48 hours before offering them to your gecko. Excellent gut-loading options include:
- Commercial gut-loading diets
- Fresh vegetables like carrots, sweet potatoes, and leafy greens
- Fruits like apples and oranges
- High-quality grain-based pet food
In addition to gut-loading, calcium and vitamin supplementation is vital, especially calcium, to prevent metabolic bone disease, a common and serious condition in reptiles caused by calcium deficiency. Dust feeder insects with a calcium supplement, such as Repashy Calcium Plus, immediately before feeding. A multivitamin supplement can also be used periodically to ensure a complete nutritional profile.
Important Feeding Practices:
- Supervise Feeding: Always monitor your gecko during feeding times and never leave uneaten insects in the enclosure. Insects can bite or irritate geckos, especially while they are sleeping, potentially causing stress or injury.
- Offer Appropriate Portions: Feed only what your gecko can consume within about 15 minutes, typically around 4-6 appropriately sized insects per feeding for an adult gecko.
- Size Matters: Insects should be no larger than the space between your gecko’s eyes, or roughly half the size of their head, to prevent choking or impaction.
Fruits for Geckos: A Sweet Treat in Moderation
For gecko species that naturally consume fruits, such as crested geckos, day geckos, and tokay geckos, offering fruit can be a welcome addition to their diet. Suitable fruits include:
- Papaya
- Pears
- Blueberries
- Mango
- Guava
- Cherries (pitted)
- Pineapple
- Plums (pitted)
- Grapes (halved or quartered)
- Apples
- Watermelon
- Bananas
Alt text: Selection of fruits like blueberries, mango, and banana, suitable for supplementing the diet of fruit-eating geckos like crested geckos.
Moderation is key when offering fruits. Fruits are high in sugar and should be considered treats, not a staple food. Insects should always form the primary component of their diet to ensure adequate protein intake.
Mice for Geckos: Use Sparingly and with Veterinary Guidance
While some larger gecko species can consume “pinkie” mice (newborn mice), this is generally not necessary for their nutritional well-being. Mice are very high in fat and should only be offered sparingly and under the guidance of a veterinarian. Overfeeding mice can lead to obesity and other health problems. Consult your vet to determine if pinkie mice are appropriate for your specific gecko and how often they can be offered.
Gel Foods for Geckos: A Convenient Option in Specific Cases
Commercially prepared gel foods are available for geckos and can be useful in certain situations, such as feeding juvenile geckos, sick or recovering geckos, or as a primary diet for species like crested geckos, which readily accept them. However, gel foods should ideally be used with veterinary approval. While convenient, they may not always provide the same enrichment as live insects.
The Best Food for Geckos: Live Insects Reign Supreme
While convenient pelleted, gel, canned, or frozen diets might seem appealing, they often lack the nutritional diversity and enrichment that live insects provide.
Live insects offer several key advantages:
- Nutritional Superiority: Live insects, especially when gut-loaded, provide a more complete and balanced nutritional profile compared to processed diets.
- Natural Hunting Behavior: Geckos are natural hunters, and feeding live insects allows them to engage in stalking and hunting behaviors, providing mental stimulation and preventing boredom.
- Enrichment and Exercise: Chasing live prey encourages activity and exercise, contributing to your gecko’s overall physical health and well-being.
Dried insects, while requiring no live insect upkeep, are also not ideal as a primary food source. They lack essential nutrients found in live insects and should only be offered as occasional treats, if at all.
Live insects should always be the cornerstone of a healthy gecko diet.
Foods to Avoid: What Geckos Should NOT Eat
Offering inappropriate foods can pose serious health risks to your gecko. Always research your specific gecko species and consult with a reptile veterinarian to confirm safe and appropriate food choices.
Generally, avoid the following:
- Wild-caught insects: While tempting to collect wild insects, they pose a significant risk of pesticide exposure. Insecticides can cause severe neurological and gastrointestinal issues, and even death in geckos. It’s best to rely solely on commercially raised insects from reputable sources.
- Fireflies (Lightning Bugs): Fireflies are highly toxic to geckos and should never be offered under any circumstances.
- Fruits and Vegetables for Insectivorous Geckos: Strictly insectivorous geckos, such as leopard geckos, are not equipped to digest plant matter. Feeding them fruits or vegetables can lead to digestive problems and serious health issues.
How to Feed Your Gecko: Best Practices
Understanding your gecko’s natural feeding patterns is crucial for successful feeding. Geckos can be either diurnal (active during the day) or nocturnal (active at night).
- Nocturnal geckos should be fed in the evening or at night when they are naturally active.
- Diurnal geckos should be fed during the day when they are awake and alert.
Proper Handling and Feeding Techniques:
- Insect Housing: Keep live insects in a separate container, like a cricket pen, with gut-loading food and a water source, such as a gel-based water supplement.
- Dusting: At feeding time, transfer the appropriate number of insects into a separate container and dust them with calcium or multivitamin supplement powder. A plastic bag or cricket shaker can be helpful for even coating.
- Feeding Container or Enclosure Feeding: Place the dusted insects in a shallow dish within the terrarium, or release them directly into the enclosure. If feeding directly in the enclosure, ensure your gecko cannot accidentally ingest the substrate while hunting. Solid substrates like reptile carpet or paper towels are preferable to loose substrates like sand or soil to minimize this risk.
- Use Feeding Tongs (Optional): Insect tongs can be helpful for handling insects and offering them directly to your gecko, especially for picky eaters or to ensure they are eating.
Alt text: Owner using insect tongs to feed a dusted cricket to a pet gecko.
Feeding Geckos FAQs
What do leopard geckos eat?
Leopard geckos are insectivores and thrive on a diet of insects such as crickets, Dubia roaches, mealworms, superworms, and waxworms (as treats).
What do crested geckos eat?
Crested geckos are omnivores. Their diet should consist of approximately 50% insects and 50% fruit or commercially prepared crested gecko diet (CGD). Fruits like pears, blueberries, and bananas are good options.
What do baby geckos eat?
Baby geckos have similar dietary needs to adults of their species but require smaller-sized prey and more frequent feedings (2-3 times daily). Food items should be no larger than half the size of their head.
References
Pollock DVM, DABVP, Christal. LafeberVet. Basic Information Sheet: Leopard Gecko. 2012.
Mede CVT, Erica. Chicago Exotics Animal Hospital. Crested Gecko Care (Rhacodactylus ciliatus)
Mede CVT, Erica. Chicago Exotics Animal Hospital. Leopard Geckos Care (Eublepharis macularius) (Rhacodactylus ciliatus)
Veterinary Information Network. A Quick Reference Guide to Unique Pet Species: Day Gecko (Phelsuma spp.) Pet Care. 2011.
Kramer DVM, Marc. A Quick Reference Guide to Unique Pet Species: Leopard Gecko Pet Care. 2011.
Veterinary Information Network. A Quick Reference Guide to Unique Pet Species: Rhacodactylus Gecko (Rhacodactylus spp.) Pet Care. 2011.
Buono DVM, Michele. A Quick Reference Guide to Unique Pet Species: African Fat-tailed Gecko (Hemitheconyx caudicinctus). 2011.
WRITTEN BY
Lauren Jones, VMDVeterinarian
Dr. Lauren Jones graduated from the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine in 2010, after receiving her bachelor’s degree…
