Geckos are tiny lizards found in hot climates all around the world. In many of the countries, different species of native geckos have become dear members. We often call them house geckos.
Geckos are about 1,500 types. They can grow from 1.6 cm to 60 cm. They all have some similarities, including stunning tails, a simple diet, and hairy skin.
Geckos are cold-blooded animals. That is why they need to live in warm places so that they can survive. Except for Antarctica, Geckos are found on every continent around the globe.
What kind of food do geckos eat?
I think you are interested to know what is the diet of a gecko or what do Geckos Eat?
The greatest bugs that you can feed your Gecko are the crickets and the mealworms. Nevertheless, you may also feed them beetles, sow insects, silkworms, tomato hornworms, cockroaches, butterworms, and waxworms to your gecko.
Waxworms and superworms ought to be given as a treat to geckos as they are high in fat. However, a lot of food may lead to obesity in your gecko, therefore providing this food is enough once a week.
Butterworms should also be given as a treat as they are fatty and contain bad calcium. Some geckos were known to get hooked on butter worms and refuse to eat all other foods.
You should buy food that is alive for your Leopard Gecko from any Reptile Centre.
All meals should be given in real-time and you should never ever feed dead insects which have been dried out. You should also not feed them any fresh fruit or vegetables.
Geckos have big appetites and they will eat almost any insect that comes right in their surroundings.
Over-feeding them, or going for the wrong type of meals, may have extremely bad consequences on their health which is serious.
How to feed my Gecko?
Adult geckos should generally be fed with 5 to 10 crickets while infant geckos can require as much as 20 little crickets every day.
Dusting calcium powder to the insects increases your gecko’s diet with essential nutrients.
Insects and dusting powder could be placed in a case that is plastic protected, carefully to thoroughly coat the bugs. Calcium powder can also be kept in the gecko’s cage at all times.
Whenever a gecko reaches maturity, you can start introducing pink mice involved with its diet to let it gain enough weight that is ideal. A little, superficial water dish should also be provided to make certain your gecko has continual access to clean drinking water.
How often do Geckos eat?
Geckos younger than one year ought to be fed every day.
Adult geckos who are healthy must be fed on alternative days.
Sickly geckos must certainly be fed once a day till they regain their energy.
Food must be given in the latter part of the day or early in the evening to your gecko. It is because this is the time Geckos are going to start hunting in the open time. If the gecko you are having is a nagging problem eater, just feed your gecko normally. However, it is recommended to keep a meal with worms in its tank so that it can eat later when it wants.
What should be the size of food for my Gecko?
Baby Geckos should be fed crickets around the size of 1 to 4 inches while juvenile Geckos should be fed with crickets that are around the size of 3 to 8 inches. Adult geckos should be given small adult to adult size crickets as their food.
As a thumb rule, your gecko should not be fed insects that are bigger than the space between the eyes of the gecko as their food.
What is the appropriate quantity of food for my Gecko?
Your gecko should be given two insects for every inch of their body length. It’s the same for all geckos whether it is an adult, juvenile, or a baby. Please remember that adult geckos should only be fed on every alternative day.
What precautions are to be taken with respect to their diet?
You should avoid feeding wax worms to your gecko as the main food item because waxworms can make the gecko feel ill and exhausted which could ultimately result in more complications.
In deciding what to feed geckos, the size of insects does matter, whether it’s hornworms or mealworms.
Smaller geckos cannot handle eating insects that are too large in size. Therefore, always provide them food items that are smaller than the width of the mouth of your gecko. Finally, some insects such as fireflies can also cause harm to your gecko and should never be fed.
Geckos and their obesity
It’s your responsibility not to overfeed your Gecko so that it does not become fat.
Over-feeding the Gecko can cause it to swallow the food and they will become lethargic as well.
If you observe any of these problems with your Gecko, you should immediately reduce the food quantity and do not feed any fatty insects like Wax Worms and Butterworms to your pet gecko.
As the geckos carry fat in their tales, they will not normally gain weight very fast but still, it can lead to their health issues.
As a general rule, a gecko’s tail must always be broader than the body of the gecko. Similarly, the stomach of a gecko should generally be flat except immediately after eating the food.
What if my Gecko doesn’t eat food?
Please don’t panic if your gecko refuses to eat food due to some circumstantial problems.
Normally a gecko will not eat food if the temperature of its tank is too cool. Just increase the temperature of the tank and it will have the food.
Another condition may be that your gecko is thirsty and so you have to refill the water dish in its tank.
Another situation may be stress which can also be a major factor that can affect the appetite of your gecko.
However, if your gecko does not have any of these conditions, you should contact a veterinarian.
Conclusion
To conclude, it can be said that geckos should not be consuming any food that is of human beings. These reptiles are insectivores and care only to consume insects and bugs.
It might appear that your gecko is really missing out as he cannot partake in individual meals like other pets. But, this is simply not the case. Your gecko will undoubtedly be happier, and healthier eating insects and worms being served as a treat that is unique. Enjoy looking after, and providing nutrition that is very good to your gecko!
