Crested geckos, or eyelash geckos as they are sometimes called, are incredible pets to own. They are ideal for beginners as they are easy to take care of and are docile. They were actually thought to be extinct until 1994.
They can live to between 5 and 10 years old with proper care and nutrition. Roughly they grow to between 5 – 8 inches long, or 12 – 20 cm’s long.
They are omnivorous and need to be fed a variety of insects, fruits, vegetables and commercial gecko food in order to thrive. It’s important that you know which foods your little friend will thrive on and which foods to avoid.
In this ultimate guide to feeding your crested gecko we will look at the variety of insects, fruits and vegetables that you can safely feed to your creator. Make sure to provide them with a good diet.
If you’re looking to find out if your crested gecko can eat a certain food, please use the table of contents to go straight to what you’re looking for.
What should be included in a crested gecko diet:
A commercial crested gecko diet is the easiest way to ensure they are eating a well-rounded and nutritious meals. If you cannot find this, then they mainly eat gut-loaded (this refers to insects who have been fed supplements and nutrients to support your crested gecko) insects such as crickets, meal worms, and waxworms.
However your local pet store should stock commercial crested gecko food. Crested geckos are also known to really enjoy mashed up fruits and vegetables such as peaches, bananas, apricots, nectarines, papaya, mangoes and passion fruit. They will also eat mashed up baby food!
The insects, or prey, should be smaller than the space between their eyes.
More details on specific foods are within the article.
A guide to crested gecko diet.
How to feed baby crested gecko:
Baby crested geckos need to be fed daily, and in the evenings. You should provide them with commercial crested gecko food, and supplement this with insects a few times a week. 2-3 times a week you should add in a variety of fruits and vegetables – such as banana, nectarines or papaya. They are even known to eat mashed up baby food!
You should dust insects with calcium and vitamin D3 supplement twice a week but not more than that.
If you own a baby crested gecko please checko out my guide for caring for baby crested geckos. It will teach you all that you need to know from diet to terrarium setup.
How to feed adult crested gecko:
Adult crested geckos eat similar foods to their babies, but they don’t eat as regularly. They will only need to eat 3-4 times, and should be fed a commercial crested gecko food. The rest of their diet should be supplemented with gut loaded insects, such as crickets and waxworms.
You can add some extra nutrients into your crested geckos diet by dusting them with calcium and vitamin D3 powder twice a week. 2-3 times a week you should add in fruits such as papaya, mango and passion fruit and they will eat mashed up baby food as well.
Which insects should you feed your crested gecko:
You should feed your crested gecko insects that aren’t bigger than the space between their eyes. They mainly eat crickets, feeder roaches and waxworms. There is some debate around whether they can eat mealworms, so it is best to avoid this within their diet.
Where to get insects for your crested gecko:
You should purchase your insects from your closest pet store. It is important that you don’t feed them wild insects as they can carry parasites or be covered in pesticides. Purchasing your insects ensures that your crested gecko gets the best possible nutrition and that they don’t get sick. They are easy to find, and you can also purchase your insects in bulk to avoid multiple trips.
How to keep and store insects for your crested gecko:
Its best to keep the insects you purchase in strong plastic containers that they can’t chew through or escape. This is especially important when you’re storing a large amount of insects.
Its highly recommended that they are kept out of sight as you may have guests over who are afraid of bugs. They should also be kept out of reach of children or other pets to avoid them being let loose by accident.
Other things to keep in mind is that some insects make noise and that they might smell so it is best to store them in a place where they won’t bother you.
Another helpful tip is you can purchase a ‘critter keeper’ – which is a smaller container that you can use to transfer insects for feeding to your crested geckos enclosure.
Can Crested geckos eat fruit?
One of the first questions a new crested gecko owner ask is can my crested gecko eat fruit? Well here is the answer:
Fruit is a very important component in a Crested Geckos diet, for a balanced diet you should feed your Crested Gecko with soft fruits that are low in phosphorus but high in calcium. Fruits such as Mango, Pear and banana are absolutely perfect for adding nutritional benefits to your pet’s diet.
Which fruit and vegetables can you feed crested gecko?
Your crested gecko will love eating different fruits and vegetables.
Since you can feed your crested gecko such a varied diet you can have fun switching it up and learning which foods are your little friends favorites. When feeding them its best to mash up the fruits or cut up the fruit so that they can eat it.
They can eat a number of different fruits and vegetables, and are known to like mangoes, bananas and even mashed up baby food. They may prefer to eat their fruits and vegetables in a smoothie form and this way you can include different fruits and vegetables in one meal.
Below is a comprehensive list of all the foods they can and can’t eat. Of course this doesn’t cover everything, but this list may help guide you.
Vegetables that crested gecko can eat:
Here is a list of some of the popular vegetables that your crested gecko may eat. It is important to note that they should be given a varied diet and vegetables only make up a part of this diet.
Can crested gecko eat broccoli?
Yes crested geckos can eat broccoli. It is high in protein, and makes an great food source. It should however be fed in moderation as it has a lot of goitrogenic compounds. These compounds effect the thyroid and can make it difficult for the thyroid to produce the necessary hormones within your crested gecko.
Can crested gecko eat carrots?
Yes, crested gecko should definitely eat carrots as a staple vegetable. It is low in phosphorus, and goitrogenic compounds. Carrots will need to be cut up fine, made into a smoothie form or mashed for crested geckos to eat.
Can crested gecko eat celery?
Yes they can eat celery. Celery is high in calcium, and can be a staple vegetable within your crested geckos diet. It is also low in goitrogenic compounds. It is however higher in phosphorus, but is still a great vegetable for your crested gecko to be eating.
Can crested gecko eat cucumber?
Yes crested geckos can eat cucumber and it is a great staple vegetable to add into their diets. It contains a lot of nutrition’s and is great to help keep your crested gecko hydrated.
Can crested gecko eat green beans?
Yes crested gecko can eat green beans. In fact it is probably one of the best vegetables to feed them, as it is packed full of protein and they have almost no downsides. You can chop them up fine to feed to your little friend, or you can mash itup. It can also be incorporated into a smoothie.
Can crested gecko eat lettuce?
Yes crested geckos can eat lettuce. Cos lettuce is the recommended lettuce to feed your crested gecko as it has a lower water content and is stock filled of vitamin A and has a lot of good fibre. Iceberg lettuce should be avoided as it has no nutritional value.
Can crested gecko eat corn?
Yes, but only very very occasionally. It is not poison for crested geckos but is not considered healthy for them to eat. It is best to avoid feeding it to them.
Can crested gecko eat dandelion?
Yes crested geckos can eat dandelion greens. It is one of the best flowers for them to eat. However it is highly recommended that you buy them from a store and not pick them. If you pick them they could be covered in parasites and pesticides. Dandelions are easy to find in most grocery stores or farmers markets.
Can crested gecko eat tomatoes?
Yes crested geckos can eat tomatoes, and it is even recommended that it be used as a staple vegetable. It is low in phosphorus, and has under 20 mg of oxalates per 100 grams of fresh vegetables. It is also low in goitrogenic compounds. Cut it up fine, mash it or make it into a smoothie form for your little friend to easily eat it.
Can crested gecko eat sprouts?
Yes crested geckos can eat sprouts, and they offer great nutritional value for your little friend. Make sure that it is washed thoroughly to remove any pesticides and cut it up fine so your crested gecko can eat is easier.
Fruits that crested gecko can eat:
Below is a list of some of the popular fruits that you can feed to your crested gecko. Just like vegetables they should only make up a part of your geckos diet.
Can crested gecko eat apples?
Yes, your crested gecko can eat apples! They are a great source of vitamins and will make a great occasional treat to feed to your crested gecko. When feeding it to them, it should be cut up fine, mashed or made into a smoothie form for them to enjoy.
Can crested gecko eat grapes?
Yes! Your crested gecko will enjoy eating grapes. They should be cut up, mashed or made into a smoothie form for your little friends to enjoy. It should also be kept as an occasional treat as it is higher in sugar content.
Can crested gecko eat strawberries?
Yes crested geckos can eat strawberries, but it should be kept as an occasional treat as it is high in sugar. They should be cut up fine, mashed or made into a smoothie form for your little friend to easily enjoy.
Can crested gecko eat blueberries?
Yes crested geckos can eat blueberries, but it should be kept as a very occasional treat as it is high in sugar. When feeding blueberries to your little friend, cut them up fine, mash it or make it into a smoothie form so your little friend can easily eat it.
Can crested gecko eat pineapple?
Yes crested geckos can eat pineapple, and it is considered to be a healthier fruit to feed to them. It is however high in acidity so should be kept as an occasional treat. You should also cut it up fine, mash it or make a smoothie so your little friend can easily eat it and digest it.
Can crested gecko eat peaches?
Yes your crested gecko can eat peaches, but they should be kept as an occasional treat. When feeding them to your crested gecko it should be cut up fine, mashed or made into a smoothie form for your crested gecko to enjoy.
Can crested gecko eat raspberries?
Yes, raspberries can be fed to your crested gecko. They should be kept as an occasional treat, and should be cut up fine, mashed or made into a smoothie form for your crested gecko to enjoy.
Can crested gecko eat bananas?
Yes your crested gecko can eat bananas and will definitely enjoy eating it. They can eat it up to twice a week. You should cut up the banana fine, mash it or make it into a smoothie form for your crested gecko is able to eat and digest it easier. They can even eat the banana skin.
Can crested gecko eat blackberries?
Yes your crested gecko can eat blackberries, but it should be kept as an occasional treat. When feeding it to your crested gecko it is best fed to them mashed up, chopped up fine or in a smoothie form.
Can crested gecko eat kiwi fruit?
Yes crested geckos can eat kiwi fruit, and it is considered to be a healthy food source for them. They can be fed it up to twice a week. It should be cut up fine, mashed or made into a smoothie form to help them eat and digest it easier.
Can crested gecko eat cherries?
Yes your crested gecko will enjoy eating cherries, but you must ensure you do not feed them the pits. They are a great occasional treat, and should be cut up fine, mashed or made into a smoothie form to feed to them.
Can crested gecko eat eggs?
It’s not recommended to feed crested geckos eggs, as it wouldn’t be a natural food for them to eat unless it is a small wild bird egg. You can enquire with your vet or local pet store about this. Eggs are high in protein. There isn’t sufficient evidence for it to be a recommended food to feed your crested gecko.
Can crested gecko eat spinach?
Yes crested geckos can eat spinach, but it is not meant to be eaten regularly. It is high in calcium, iron and vitamin A,C,E which are great nutrients but it is also high in goitrogenic compounds which can badly impact their thyroids. Its also high in oxalates which can block their ability to absorb calcium. It is therefore better to only feed them spinach on occasion.
Other fruits your crested gecko will enjoy:
Your crested gecko can also eat:
- mangoes
- papaya
- passion fruit
- pears
- melon
- plums
- apricots
These should all be fed in moderation as a treat, and should be chopped up fine, mashed or fed in a smoothie form.
Foods that you should never feed to your crested gecko:
Now below is a list of foods that you should never feed to your crested gecko. These foods can be very harmful.
Can crested gecko eat rhubarb?
No crested geckos should never be fed rhubarb. It is toxic to them. This includes the leaf and the stem.
Can crested gecko eat oranges?
No you shouldn’t feed crested geckos oranges because it is too high in acidity. They should never eat any acidic fruits – such as lemon, or limes.
Can crested gecko eat chicken?
Yes they can eat chicken, but it is not recommended at all as it is not a natural food source for them and it should never be fed to them raw. Chicken also contains too much protein for them to process. It is not suggested that they eat chicken at all.
Can crested gecko eat cabbage?
No crested geckos shouldn’t eat cabbage, as it is higher in goitrogenic compounds which can lead to hypothyroidism if it is consumed.
Can crested gecko eat kale?
No crested gecko shouldn’t eat kale. Kale is high in goitrogenic compounds and can harm your crested geckos thyroid.
Can crested gecko eat avocados?
No crested geckos should never eat avocados as they are toxic for them to eat. Never fed your crested gecko avocado, not even a little bit.
In conclusion:
Crested geckos are a really great pet to own as they are docile, easy to tame and it is easy to meet their nutritional needs. It is recommended that they eat a commercial crested gecko food.
You can include a variety of fruits and vegetables into their diet, and they are known to enjoy mangoes, papaya, kiwi and even baby food. Baby crested geckos need to be fed every day and adult crested geckos will only eat every other day – around 3-4 times a week.
You should include gut loaded insects, and twice a week you should dust them with calcium and vitamin D3 to ensure they get all the necessary nutrients in their diets.
When feeding them fruits and vegetables you should chop it up fine, mash it up or create a smoothie form for them to enjoy. Fruits and vegetables should make a minority part of their diet and should only be fed to them twice a week at the maximum.
With proper care and nutrition they can live up to 10 years. Have fun incorporating different insects, fruits and vegetables into their diets and experimenting with different foods they may enjoy that is safe for them to eat.
If you enjoyed reading and would like to check out some more of our crested gecko articles and guides check out this link.
