Feeding a Crested gecko: diet, supplements, food refusals
Crested gecko : The practical staple is a complete fruit-gecko powder mixed with water, offered 3 to 4 times a week, plus calcium-dusted insects once or twice weekly. Fruit purée alone is unbalanced.
Our products don’t ship to you yet, but the PDF practical guide is instant: Your First Terrarium: Leopard Gecko, Bearded Dragon, Corn Snake, Ball Python (€15)
In short: 18 to 22 cm including tail as an adult, 15 to 20 years of lifespan, beginner level. A small nocturnal arboreal lizard, docile yet quick, readily leaping from branch to branch after dusk. It thrives at room temperature without heating in most homes, but once its tail drops, it never grows back.
The Crested gecko diet, precisely
A fruit-and-insect eater: complete fruit-gecko powder mixed with water 3 to 4 times a week, plus calcium-dusted insects once or twice weekly; fruit purée alone is unbalanced. Temperature governs digestion: a Crested gecko kept below its 25-27°C basking spot digests poorly and eventually refuses food — faced with a refusing animal, check the thermometer before the menu.
Gut-loading and supplements: the invisible part
A cricket is only worth what it ate: feed your insects for 24-48 h (fresh vegetables, bran) before offering them — that is gut-loading. Add calcium + D3 dusting at nearly every juvenile meal, every other one for adults, plus a calcium dish available at all times.
Water and hydration
The 50 to 80% humidity is part of hydration: regular misting alongside a clean water dish changed daily. Dehydration shows in skin folds and sunken eyes: that means the exotics vet, not the mister alone. The full profile is on the full Crested gecko profile.
Frequently asked questions
What does a Crested gecko eat?
A fruit-and-insect eater: complete fruit-gecko powder mixed with water 3 to 4 times a week, plus calcium-dusted insects once or twice weekly; fruit purée alone is unbalanced.
Why is my Crested gecko refusing food?
Check temperatures first (basking spot at 25-27°C): too cold means no digestion. Then shedding and settling-in stress — but measured weight loss calls for the exotics vet.
The guides that apply to you
- How much does a bearded dragon cost per month? Electricity, insects, the real budget
A bearded dragon costs 40 to 70 € per month: insects, greens, electricity, UVB consumables. The line-by-line breakdown and ways to save.
- Should you vary the insects you feed an insectivorous reptile?
Insect variety for insectivorous reptiles: why sticking to crickets alone falls short, and how to rotate prey without complicating feeding.
- Frozen prey for snakes: buying, storage and thawing
Frozen prey for snakes: where to buy pinkies and rats, prices from 0.50 to 4 € each, freezer storage and safe thawing.
- Feeding a Corn Snake: Prey Size and Frequency
What does a corn snake eat? Mouse size, feeding frequency by age, frozen or live prey and refusal to eat: the complete guide.