Crested geckos grow healthy and happy when fed about 3 times per week. Some gut-loaded insects are great for them, including gut-loaded waxworms, crickets, and mealworms. But, to supplement their diet, some sweet baby food made from fruit can make the gecko’s diet even better. But what fruits can crested geckos eat?
Fruits that crested geckos can eat include banana, grape, plum, dates, peach, fig, watermelon, strawberry, pear, blueberry, apricot, and mango. Offer fruits only as a treat to prevent calcium deficiency problems in crested geckos. Avoid citrus fruits as they can be harsh to the lizard’s gut.
Can you feed crested geckos fresh fruit?
You can feed your crested gecko fresh fruits, preferably those that are soft and contain high levels of calcium but low phosphorus content. Offer fruits as a treat to supplement their insect diet and avoid very acidic fruits such as citrus because they can harm the gut of your crested gecko.
Most fruits contain high fiber and water content, which makes them a great food for digestion. Vitamins too are great for the overall health of your crested gecko. Here are the benefits of feeding crested geckos fresh fruit:
- It makes the gecko’s diet diverse and healthy.
- Fruits are a great way to supplement an insect diet with fiber.
- Crested geckos need vitamins and minerals as well, so feeding them fruit can make up for those things that insects lack.
However, be careful with the type of fruits you choose to feed your crested gecko. Some fruits are safe, while others can be risky for your reptile pet’s health. As a rule of thumb, avoid highly acidic fruits like the citrus family because they can damage the gut of your crested gecko.
What fruits do crested geckos eat?
Fruits will provide nutrients vital not only to keep their gut healthy but to keep the gecko in good general health. Feeding crested geckos fresh fruit is a great way for them to diversify their diet and get some vitamins into them too.
Watch out for which fruits are safe and what ones may not be as much, so they don’t end up harming your pet instead of helping it.
Here are the best types of fruit to feed crested geckos:
1. Banana
One of the best types of fruit to feed your crested gecko is banana. Bananas are a great source of vitamin B, which helps build a healthy nervous system and better eyesight. They also contain potassium, which will help maintain a healthy blood pressure levels that you want especially when breeding or feeding babies.
Give your crested gecko slices of banana as a reward every once in a while because they’re tasty and the crestie can easily develop a taste for them and refuse to eat other foods.
It is important to note that bananas have a high potassium content which can inhibit calcium absorption. That is why it’s a good idea to give bananas in moderation and not as the only fruit source of your crested gecko on a regular basis.
2. Fig fruit
One fig serving can make the perfect fruit dish for a crested gecko. They are high in vitamin C, which will help them stay healthy and fight off infection. Figs are also a good source of calcium, magnesium, copper, potassium, and iron. These minerals help keep your crested gecko’s bones strong.
The high fiber content in fig fruit will also help your lizard with digestive health. Provide a few pieces of a chopped fig fruit once or twice a week to supplement the usual insect diet of the crested gecko to help them with any digestion problems.
Fig fruits also contain a high calcium content which is important for the bone health of the crested gecko. The fruit also contains sorbitol which helps in the absorption of calcium.
Figs should be offered along with other types of fresh fruit to prevent the crested gecko from becoming addicted to a single fruit.
3. Watermelon
Watermelon is a great fruit for your crested gecko to eat. This watery and refreshing treat will help keep them hydrated in warm weather, as well as feeding their body with some much-needed fiber. Watermelons are very high in water content and contain electrolytes that help regulate blood pressure and hydration levels.
The watermelon also contains potassium which can help maintain healthy blood pressure levels when breeding or feeding babies. Other minerals include calcium, magnesium, copper, iron – all important minerals that play a role in the crested gecko’s bone health.
In terms of vitamins, watermelon contains vitamin A which helps improve eyesight.
Watermelons offer plenty of nutrients but they should be offered alongside other fresh fruits so the crested gecko doesn’t become addicted to them and refuse other fruits.
4. Strawberry
One strawberry serving should be enough to supplement the crested gecko’s diet. Strawberries are a great source of vitamin C and E which will help keep them healthy from within, as well as helping their skin stay in top condition with antioxidants that also protect against infection.
Strawberry fruit is very high in potassium, which can inhibit calcium absorption when fed regularly or exclusively. Make sure you offer other fruits alongside strawberries so your crestie doesn’t develop a taste for one type and refuse others.
You can serve strawberry slices to your crested gecko, but if you like, mash the fruit with small portions of other fruits to improve variety.
5. Pear
Crested geckos can eat pears as a way to diversify their diet. Pears also have high levels of vitamin C and K which help maintain healthy skin as well as being important in the prevention of infections.
The pear is an excellent source of copper, potassium, calcium magnesium – all minerals that play a role in the bone health of your crestie lizard. They are also loaded with fiber to supplement their insect diet or while preventing digestion problems.
You can give pears to your pet every once in a while but make sure it’s not the only fruit he eats. Simply chop the pear into small pieces to make it easy for the lizard to eat. If you think there’s a risk of impaction, mash the pear together with other safe fruits for crested geckos.
6. Blueberry
Blueberries are very high in antioxidants, which will help your crested gecko fight off infections. They also contain vitamin C, folic acid, and vitamins A & E to maintain skin health as well as the levels of iron and calcium that they need for healthy bones.
It’s best if you give blueberries sparingly because too much blueberry fruit can cause impaction problems with the crestie lizard. You should offer blueberries alongside other fruits so it doesn’t become an addiction for them or lead to any digestive issues like diarrhea due to lack of fiber from variety.
It is also good to mash the blueberries before presenting them to crested geckos, as there’s a high risk of choking if you present them otherwise.
7. Apricot
Apricots are a good fruit for your crested gecko to eat. They are high in vitamin A and fiber, which helps keep their digestion healthy, as well as maintaining a strong immune system.
One apricot should provide enough of these nutrients but make sure you offer apricots only sparingly because too much can lead to impaction problems with the geckos. You could also mash apricots together with other safe fruits that they like so it becomes more diversified and fun for them.
If apricots are given every day without any variety, then there’s an increased risk of metabolic bone disease (MBD) developing because apricots contain high levels of potassium, which inhibits dietary absorption of calcium in lizards.
8. Mango
Mango is a very important fruit for crested geckos to eat. It contains vitamin A which helps improve eyesight, but due to the high amounts of potassium, you should not give crested geckos this fruit every day or even as the main source of food.
You could mash mango together with other fruits like strawberries and bananas. Make sure there aren’t any big chunks in the serving to prevent choking the crested gecko.
You also want to give mango fruit as a treat for your crested gecko, so offer it just once in a while because it contains high sugar content as well as a lot of potassium. Potassium can cause calcium deficiency in lizards like crested geckos and lead to weak bones or even MBD.
9. Grape
Crested geckos can eat grapes but only as an occasional treat. Grapes have a bad calcium-to-phosphorus ratio but have a low oxalic acid level. Grapes aren’t that popular as a fruit for crested geckos but can be given as a treat. It’s recommended to give fruit, including grapes, only as a treat to your crested gecko.
Crested geckos can eat grapefruit, but it’s recommended that you don’t feed them grapes every day. If they do eat grapes too often without any variety then the potassium levels in grapes will cause an imbalance of minerals and lead to MBD or osteoporosis.
One crushed grape should be enough for your pet crested gecko per week, so offer this fruit sparingly as a treat.
If your crestie lizard does show signs of metabolic bone disease (MBD) due to consuming high doses of grape alone over time, then ensure that there is sufficient calcium intake through insects or other foods like yogurt or cheese which are both high-calcium sources – otherwise, the MBD may worsen leading to permanent damage.
Grapes are also rich in vitamin C and K, which are great for the skin health and blood health of your crested gecko respectively.
10. Plum
Crestie geckos can eat plums but only as a treat that’s served once every while. They contain vitamin C, folic acid, and vitamins A & E to maintain skin health as well as iron needed for healthy bones.
One plum should be enough but make sure you mash it up before giving it to the crested gecko because there’s a high risk of choking if you don’t break down the plum first before serving it.
It is also good practice to mix plums with other fruits so that they do not develop an addiction or any digestive issues like diarrhea due to lack of fiber from variety in their diet.
Since plums have quite a bit of potassium, feeding cresties on plums daily can cause calcium deficiency problems, most notably, metabolic bone disease.
11. Dates
Dates can be given to your crested gecko as a treat. Dates are high in sugar, but this is not an issue when it comes to feeding them because they should only eat one date every few days at the most.
Dates are good for their coat and skin health so make sure you offer your crestie gecko dates occasionally for added benefits. However, make sure your crested gecko is active enough to help break down the calories in the dates.
Since dates have quite a bit of potassium, feeding cresties on plums daily can cause calcium deficiency problems such as metabolic bone disease or osteoporosis.
12. Peach
Peaches are a very important fruit for crested geckos to eat. They contain vitamin A which helps improve eyesight, but due to the high amounts of potassium, you should not give crested geckos this fruit every day or even as the main source of food.
You could mash peach together with other fruits like strawberries and bananas. Make sure there aren’t any big chunks in the serving to prevent choking the crestie.
If you do choose this peach treat for your pet lizard then be mindful that peach contains quite a bit of sugar (12mg per 100g) so offer it sparingly. Peach also has 11% calcium content, which is great if you’re trying to improve their bone health.
Conclusion
These fruits are great for your crested gecko but provide them sparingly. Some fruits, especially those high in acids like oxalic acid, should be avoided. They can cause gut health problems for your gecko.
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