Feeding your gecko

Most geckos are insectivores so therefore their diet consists of insects. In the wild a gecko would eat whatever insects he could catch, depending on the season, therefore getting a wide variety of nutrients. In captivity you will of course need to buy live insects for him to eat.

Most of the insects that are fed to pet geckos are mass reared. Traditionally, locusts, black and brown crickets, meal worms and wax worms have been fed. Mario worms and calci worms can also be obtained. This diet is of course not as varied as in the wild. So, in captivity their diet is greatly simplified as we can only offer them insects that are commercially available to buy.

All the above insects are very low in vitamins and minerals. When you buy your crickets or other insects from the supplier, they are often hungry and have eaten their cardboard containers. This further reduces their mineral content. You can boost the mineral levels by ‘gut loading’ the insects. This is a process in which the insects are fed fresh food and vegetables to allow the nutrients in their feed to then be consumed by the reptile and essentially the gecko will benefit from the nutrients. Dusting the insects with calcium/vitamin D3 powder before feeding them to your gecko will also help, although the dust can sometimes fall off before consumed so gut loading the insects with specific calcium high insect feeds can be beneficial and will help your gecko receive adequate amounts of these nutrients in the diet. To be on the safe side ensure you research which foods are safe to feed to the insects that you intend to feed to your gecko.

Don’t be afraid to catch other insects, for example moths or spiders to feed to your gecko. These will be packed full of nutrients and will be better for him than the commercially produced live food, although care should be taken when catching wild insects. If you catch insects from your garden make sure that it hasn’t been treated with chemicals.

The frequency with which you feed your gecko will depend on his age and stage of development. It is important not to put too many live insects into his house at one time. If your gecko does not consume his prey straight away, then they may inflict bites on his skin, which in turn can cause pain and damage. They can also irritate your gecko causing him to become agitated and unhappy. So, if he is not hungry take the live food out and try again later. There is nothing worse than having your dinner sitting on your head!

All geckos need water to drink. It is important that the water is clean and regularly changed. Without water his body will become dehydrated and this can lead to many conditions, including constipation. It may sound unusual, but if your gecko were to become constipated it could severely affect his health.

Humidity is also an important consideration when setting up your gecko’s house. When water evaporates it forms an invisible gas called water vapor. Humidity is a measure of the amount of water vapor that is present in the air.

In hot dry areas, like deserts, there is not a lot of water vapor in the air which means that deserts have low humidity. Rain forests are also hot but they have lots of water vapor in the air and so they have high humidity.

The level of humidity required for your gecko will depend on his particular species and the type of environment he needs to live in. You can use a gadget called a hygrometer to measure the level of humidity in your gecko’s house to ensure that it is suitable for him.