What to feed baby house geckos
How to Care for a Baby Gecko | Baby Lizard Care
By Laurie Hess, DVM, Diplomate ABVP (Avian Practice)
Geckos are one of the most popular lizard species kept as pets. Baby geckos can make adorable additions to any family and when housed and fed properly can grow up to be hardy adults that live many years. The key is to educate yourself before you get them so that you can set them up right from the start.
More than 2,000 species of gecko, varying in color and skin markings/patterns, are recognized around the world. Among the most common pet lizard species are leopard geckos and crested geckos. Less commonly kept geckos include day geckos and Tokay geckos.
When they are born, hatchling geckos are typically 3 to 4 inches long. Adult female leopard geckos grow to 7 to 8 inches, while males grow to 8 to 10 inches. Adult crested geckos of both sexes typically are 4.5-5 inches long.
Many pet stores and breeders sell baby geckos so that owners can bond with their pets at a young age and watch them grow. Baby geckos, however, do not have fully developed skeletal and immune systems and are therefore more susceptible than their older counterparts to developing certain diseases. Thus, they must be fed and housed appropriately when they are first purchased to try to prevent the development of common juvenile diseases.
Once their enclosures are set up properly and a feeding regimen has been established, baby geckos can be relatively easy to care for.
Making a Home for Your Baby Gecko
Geckos are typically housed in 10- to 20-gallon glass aquariums. Plastic storage boxes, such as those for storing sweaters, also may be used, as long as the box is at least one-foot high to prevent the lizard from jumping out. Twenty-gallon tanks are better for larger adults or if more than one gecko is being housed in the same tank.
Tanks larger than 20 gallons may be harder to keep warm and humid enough and may enable the gecko to avoid sitting under heat and ultraviolet (UV) lights.
All enclosures must have a secure mesh top to prevent escape and to promote good ventilation. A small, upside down, plastic box with a cut-out door, filled with moist moss or vermiculite, can be used within the enclosure as a hide box to help maintain the humidity high enough to enable the gecko to shed its skin properly. Live or artificial plants can be added to the enclosure, as well, to help maintain humidity and to satisfy the gecko’s desire to climb.
Baby Geckos Need Warmth and Humidity
All types of gecko, regardless of species, need supplemental heat in their enclosures. Heat may be provided with an over-the-tank heat bulb or an under-the-tank heat mat placed at one end of the tank. Hot rocks are not recommended, as they can get very hot, and reptiles often don’t move off them before they get burned.
Gecko tanks should have a temperature range with a warm end and a cool end. The ideal temperature range for a gecko depends on the species. Leopard geckos should have a warm zone (containing the hide box) that is about 90°F and a cool zone that is no lower than the low 70s°F.
Crested geckos do better at slightly lower temperatures, with the warm zone in the upper 70s to low 80s°F and the cool zone no lower than about 70°F.
Tank temperatures should be monitored daily with “point and shoot” temperature guns, available in most pet stores, or with traditional temperature strips or thermometers that stick on the inner walls of the tank. The amount of heat provided may need to be varied seasonally depending on the ambient temperature of the room in which the lizard is housed.
Humidity must be monitored, as well, with gauges called hygrometers. Ideally, humidity should be maintained between 50-70 percent to ensure that lizards are hydrated and shed their skin properly. Daily misting of the tank helps to keep humidity adequate.
Most gecko species are nocturnal in the wild, being active at night, so they are not exposed to a great deal of sunlight. Consequently, some reptile breeders and veterinarians feel that geckos do not require UV light. Provision of UV light to geckos is, however, controversial, and certain veterinarians (including this author) feel that geckos do better and are less likely to develop common skeletal diseases, such as metabolic bone disease, when they are exposed daily to a few hours of UV light from a full-spectrum UV bulb, particularly if they are housed completely indoors.
While geckos in the wild may live on sand or soil, these substrates are generally not recommended in a pet gecko’s enclosure, as the animal may inadvertently ingest them and develop gastrointestinal impactions or obstructions. Paper-based bedding, such as recycled paper pellets typically used for guinea pigs and rabbits, or shredded newspaper, are better, since they are digestible if consumed.
For a more natural look, pieces of reptile carpet, sold in pet stores, may be used as bedding; however, reptile carpet must be changed frequently, as it gets soiled with food and feces quickly.
What to Feed to a Baby Gecko
Leopard geckos are carnivores; they don’t eat plants or other vegetable matter but rather live insects such as mealworms and crickets. Crested geckos eat small amounts of fruit in the wild in addition to insects.
Baby geckos can be offered small crickets and mealworms daily. Insects, in general, should be no bigger than the width of the gecko’s head.
When lizards get closer to adult size, they can be fed insects every other day and be offered larger insects, such as waxworms, superworms, and Dubia roaches.
The insects you are feeding to your gecko should be fed a diet that has been fortified with calcium, vitamins, and minerals (a process called gut-loading) before being offered to the geckos so that the lizard is getting balanced nutrition. If you are raising your own insects for feed, the insects also should be lightly coated with calcium powder three times a week, calcium powder with additional vitamin D3 twice a week, and a mineral supplement once a week, before being fed to the gecko.
Insects can be provided to baby geckos in small shallow dishes into which geckos can climb to eat them. If a baby lizard is too small initially to climb into the dish, it can be hand-fed one insect at a time until it grows large enough to eat on its own. Only the number of insects a gecko will eat in one sitting should be offered at a time, or leftover insects may chew on the lizard’s skin.
In addition, geckos should be fed fresh water daily from a shallow dish from which they can drink. The dish of water will also help to increase ambient humidity as the water evaporates.
Crested geckos, like leopard geckos, also eat insects, but they can be fed a product called Repashy Superfoods Crested Gecko Diet as their main diet to reduce the need for insects. This diet is mixed with two parts of water, and the gecko is offered as much of this mixture as it will eat out of a shallow dish in one sitting three times a week. The mixed diet can sit in the enclosure for up to 24 hours before it should be removed. Crested geckos eating Repashy may be offered insects once a week along with small amounts of fruit (such as banana or mango) or fruit baby food from a jar as a treat.
How to Hold a Baby Gecko
Baby geckos can be very skittish, so handling them when they are little can help acclimate them to touch and make them less afraid. However, until they are at least three inches long, they can be injured when they are handled, so it is better to let them grow a bit before picking them up regularly.
Also, for the first two weeks after they are introduced into a new enclosure, it is best not to handle them so that they can adjust to their new home. After that, 5 to 15 minutes a day of handling should be enough to get them used to being held but not too much to stress them.
In addition, reptiles absorb bacteria, other germs, and toxic chemicals through their skin, so it is essential that anyone handling a gecko does so only with clean hands. Conversely, since reptiles carry disease-producing bacteria, such as Salmonella, on their skin that can be transmitted to people during handling, it’s also critical that individuals handling geckos wash their hands thoroughly after touching them.
Finally, since geckos naturally “drop” or release their tails to escape when their tails are grabbed by predators, geckos should never be handled by their tails, or they might break off. Many geckos will regrow their tails if they break off, but the area of the break is susceptible to developing infection, and the new tail may have a completely different color and shape than the original tail.
Therefore, it is better to gently hold a baby gecko in the palm of a flat hand while using the other hand to prevent it from jumping or running away.
The "hand walking" method, in which the gecko, sitting on one extended upright palm, is offered the other extended palm directly in front of it to allow it to hop or jump to the second palm, over and over (think Slinky), also can be used to encourage baby geckos to get used to handling.
What Illnesses Do Baby Geckos Get?
Unfortunately, too many gecko owners do not educate themselves about what their lizards require in terms of housing or nutrition before they bring them home. For example, gecko owners are often not aware they have to gut-load insects or dust them with vitamin and mineral supplements before feeding them to their pets. As a result, baby geckos (particularly those that are housed indoors without access to any UV light that aids in making vitamin D3 in the skin to help absorb calcium from food) can develop metabolic bone disease.
In this condition, the calcium to phosphorus ratio in the lizard’s body is typically less than the ideal 2 to 1 ratio. Consequently, their bones never ossify but remain soft and spongy and may fold or fracture. They become weak and stop moving and eating. When untreated, these animals often die.
Gecko owners who see any of these signs in their pets should bring them to the veterinarian as soon as possible to start treatment with calcium and vitamin D. With early therapy, these animals can make a full recovery.
Another disease common in baby geckos is life-threatening gastrointestinal (GI) impaction and obstruction with sand bedding. These little lizards inadvertently consume bits of sand as they ingest insects, and sand gradually accumulates in the GI tract until an obstruction ensues. These pets stop eating, become weak, strain to pass stool, and eventually stop passing it altogether. Lizard owners who see these signs should have their pets treated by a veterinarian immediately.
With subcutaneous fluids, enemas, and oral laxatives, many of these lizards can be saved.
A final disease that occurs commonly in baby geckos is retention of shedding skin from lack of humidity. Geckos that are kept at too low humidity get dehydrated and retain patches of skin around their toes (where it can constrict circulation, leading to loss of digits) and around their eyes (where it interferes with their vision and their ability to catch insects). As a result, they stop eating, lose weight, and often die. Early intervention by a veterinarian to extract shed skin stuck in eyes, to rehydrate the pet, and to start force-feeding until the animal eats on its own, can make the difference between life and death.
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What Do Baby House Geckos Eat?
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A House GeckoGeckos are one of the most common lizard species kept as pets. Baby house geckos may be a pleasure to have in any family and may develop into tough adults if cared for properly.
The key is to learn as much as possible before obtaining them so that you can start them off on the right foot.
The world’s largest lizard species, the gecko, has more than 2,000 different varieties. Leopard and crested geckos are among the most popular pet lizards. Day geckos and Tokay geckos are two lesser-known species of Gecko kept by hobbyists.
When newborn leopard gecko hatchlings are 3 to 4 inches long, they’re tiny. Adult female leopard geckos reach a length of 7 to 8 inches while males grow to 8 to 10 inches in length. Crested geckos of both genders usually grow to 4.5 to 5 inches in length when they emerge as adults.
Baby geckos are available for sale in pet stores and breeders so that owners can get to know their pets at a young age and watch them develop. Baby geckos, on the other hand, have immature cartilaginous and immune systems that make them more vulnerable to sickness than adult geckos. To avoid the formation of frequent juvenile illnesses, they must be fed and cared for appropriately when they are purchased in order to attempt to prevent them from developing.
Baby house geckos should be fed a combination of tiny prey items. With the inclusion of fruit flies and other small flies, silkworms, occasional mealworms, and other insects, cricket feedings may form the majority of their diet. Before feeding a gecko, load it with a gut load. Twice to three times per week, dust the prey with a calcium supplement, and once a week, add in a multivitamin.
During the night, feed your typical house geckos. Daily feeding is necessary for juvenile geckos, but adult geckos may be fed every other day. Feed your household gecko as much prey as it can consume in ten minutes. Provide a tiny shallow water dish with fresh water on a daily basis, even though typical house geckos may drink from condensation. You can use this bowl for soaking if required.
Roaches Are Eaten by Baby House GeckosSmall crickets and mealworms can be fed to baby house geckos every day.
Insects should not be bigger than the width of the gecko’s head in general. When lizards approach adult size, they may be fed insects twice a week and receive larger creatures, such as super worms, waxworms, and Dubia roaches.
Before feeding your gecko insects, make sure they’re fed a diet that’s been supplemented with vitamins, calcium, and minerals. Before feeding a gecko with insects that you have raised yourself, lightly dust them with calcium powder three times a week, vitamin D3 twice a week, and a mineral supplement once a week.
Insects may be placed in tiny shallow dishes into which newborn geckos can climb to eat them. If a baby lizard is unable to reach the dish on its own, it can be fed one bug at a time until it is old enough to feed itself.
The number of insects that a gecko can consume in one sitting should be served at a time, or else the lizard’s skin may be chewed. Furthermore, daily fresh water should be provided to the lizard in a shallow dish from which it can be drink.
The evaporating water in the dish will also aid to raise ambient humidity.
The house gecko (also known as Mediterranean gecko) is a wonderful reptile for novices and experienced reptile keepers because it is inexpensive to purchase and can be really easy to take care of. These tenacious little lizards are named after their propensity to hide and live indoors, making them ideal pets for a home enclosure. The average lifespan of a house gecko is five to ten years, but you may take action to look after your gecko properly and guarantee she has a lengthy life.
Step 1Every day, give your gecko fresh water. Once a day, fill a tiny, shallow water dish for your gecko with fresh, chlorine-free water. The water dish should be kept on the chilly side of the tank. You may use it for bathing yourself or your gecko, and most geckos drink water droplets from daily misting rather than their water bowl.
Always offer dechlorinated water to your gecko as distilled water lacks the necessary nutrients and minerals for them.
Avoid giving your gecko untreated tap water since it may be detrimental to its health.
Offer your gecko a high-protein diet. Your baby house gecko, or juvenile gecko, must be fed five to six times each week. Adult geckos require three to four feedings each week. Insects like crickets, waxworms, mealworms, roaches, and silkworms should be fed to your gecko.
Do not confine your gecko’s food to too little space. Please make sure the insects are longer than the width of your gecko’s head. Remove any remaining insects from the aquarium floor since they might irritate your gecko’s skin and eyes if chewed on.
Gut loading insects is also useful for keeping your gecko healthy. Gut load the insects with a balanced diet about 24 hours before offering them to your gecko. Then, give your gecko the gut-loaded bugs. Do not offer wild-caught insects to your gecko because they may carry ailments.
Step 3Supplement the food of your baby house gecko.
Dust your gecko’s food with a calcium supplement before feeding him. The frequency with which a juvenile gecko should be dusted differs from that of an adult. To avoid over-supplementing the diet, check with your veterinarian about how much supplement to dust on your gecko’s food.
Choose a calcium supplement with vitamin D3 and apply it twice to three times each week instead. If your veterinarian recommends one, use a calcium pill that does not contain extra phosphorus.
How To Take Care of Baby House Geckos? A Crested GeckoSetting Up An EnclosureThe majority of pet dealers sell geckos in 10 to 20-gallon glass tanks. If you use plastic storage boxes, such as those for sweaters, that are at least 1 foot tall, the lizard won’t be able to jump out. Twenty gallons is ideal for bigger individuals or when more than one gecko is kept in the same
Larger gecko tanks may be more difficult to maintain warm and humid enough, allowing the gecko to avoid being under heat and UV lights.
All enclosures must have a tight mesh top to prevent escape and encourage ventilation.
A little, inverted plastic box with a cut-out door filled with moist moss or vermiculite may be placed within the enclosure as a hide box to help keep the humidity high enough for the gecko to shed its skin properly. To help keep humidity and satisfy the gecko’s need to climb, live or artificial plants can be placed in the enclosure.
Adjusting The TemperatureSupplemental heat is needed for all species of gecko, regardless of their kind. Heat can be provided with an over-the-tank heat bulb or an under-the-tank heating mat placed at one end of the tank. Hot rocks are not advised because they may become extremely hot and reptiles often don’t move away from them before being burned.
A temperature range is needed in a gecko tank, with a warm end and a cool end. The required temperature range for a gecko species is determined by their kind. All leopard gecko habitats should have a warm zone of 90°F and a cool zone no lower than the low 70s°F.
Crested geckos are more comfortable at slightly lower temperatures, with the war zone ranging from the upper 70s to low 80s°F and the cool zone being no less than 70°F.
Point-and-shoot temperature guns, which are available in most pet stores, or standard temperature strips or thermometers that stick to the tank’s inner walls should be used to check temperatures on a daily basis. Depending on the ambient room temperature, the quantity of heat supplied may require adjustment seasonally.
Humidity levels must also be measured with hygrometers, which are called humidity gauges. To ensure that lizards stay hydrated and shed their skin properly, the humidity level should stay between 50 and 70 percent. Daily misting of the aquarium helps to maintain humidity at a proper level.
Because many gecko species are nocturnal in the wild and active at night, they are not exposed to a lot of sunlight. Due to the idea that UV light doesn’t impact baby house geckos, some veterinarians and reptile breeders argue that because they aren’t harmed by it, no lizard is.
Geckos having to use UV light, however, is a contentious issue, and certain veterinarians believe that when geckos are exposed to a few hours of daily UV radiation from a full-spectrum UV bulb, they do better and are less prone to develop common skeletal diseases like a metabolic bone disease.
What Are The Natural Predators of Baby House Geckos?Snakes, spiders, birds, and species brought by men such as cats and dogs are among the predators. The much smaller goliath tarantula stalks these animals in the northern South American rainforests, using its poison to paralyze and liquefy the gecko’s flesh.
Hawks and owls typically dwell in climates that are too chilly for geckos, but when temperatures drop below freezing and these birds move south, these reptiles become a preferred meal.
How Do Baby House Geckos Protect Themselves From Predators?Baby house geckos are small creatures that face a number of natural threats.
Small birds, snakes, frogs, and other bigger reptiles all seek out geckos. Geckos have learned to defend themselves effectively as a result of this. Passive defense includes fleeing and hiding, which is one part of their defensive mechanism. Some geckos may try to attack as a defense mechanism when they are provoked or terrified.
Tail loss is one of the most well-known gecko defense mechanisms. This is exactly what it sounds like because when a gecko’s tail is grabbed, the tail detaches and continues on its own. The tail is lost, allowing the gecko to flee. Aside from a few minor blood losses, losing the tail has no effect on the gecko. The tail then regenerates over time, allowing it to be used as a defensive and escape mechanism if necessary.
CamouflagingAlthough geckos are generally colored, they can also control their coloration to mimic the environment. This helps them blend in with their surroundings and become nearly undetectable to predators by changing colors at will.
Depending on the colors of the forest around him, a satanic leaf-tailed gecko from Madagascar can turn orange to green to brown to yellow.
Geckos have excellent vision, hearing, and smell. To find food, geckos utilize their eyesight, hearing, and sense of smell. It’s also a method for geckos to detect predators when they’re nearby.
When a predator is sighted, each gecko responds differently. Some may run away rapidly, while others might try to blend in order to avoid being discovered. This is a defensive strategy that is passive.
Biting To Defend ThemselvesSome geckos don’t bite. Some are timid and try to avoid human touch as much as feasible. If other animals or human hands come too near, even if you don’t intend to harm them, other geckos will bite. Tokay geckos, for example, which are bright and colorful lizards up to 12 inches long bite without provocation. Leopard geckos, on the other hand, are peaceful and docile and far less willing to bite than tokay geckos.
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what is important to know, gecko menu, feeding features
Published: 11/10/2020 Reading time: 6 min. 7559
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Contents
- Gecko menu
1.1. Gecko Diet
1.2. Where to get food - Feeding Features of the Gecko
2.1. Frequency of feeding
2.2. Serving Size
2.3. Feeding time
2.4. Feeding conditions nine0003
The gecko is exotic in every way. From unique and sometimes strange appearance to living conditions and habits. But this reptile also has a very common feature. Like all living beings, he needs to eat fully in order to maintain health, activity and his "presentable" exotic appearance. Some geckos have become real pets and have many color morphs. But, even the most "domestic" geckos need proper nutrition, mostly live food. nine0003
Gecko Menu
Before you buy a gecko, you should familiarize yourself with its gastronomic habits.
This information may force you to change your choice in favor of a less exotic pet, because these reptiles prefer to eat live insects, and large species will not refuse small rodents and reptiles - mice or baby snakes.
But if such a menu does not seem repulsive, then it is useful to know other equally important nuances. nine0003
Gecko diet
A sample list of "meals" for a gecko that lives in captivity looks like this:
- cockroaches;
- crickets;
- earthworms and mealworms;
- larvae of any insect;
- grasshoppers and locusts;
- all Lepidoptera: butterflies, moths, moths;
- for some types - fruits and baby fruit purees.
Geckos are usually not picky and will eat anything they can fit in their mouths. Of course, the gecko's diet should be varied - this will help prevent beriberi and metabolic disorders caused by a mono-diet. But if you do not have the opportunity to constantly get new pet food and you are limited to a rather meager assortment of a pet store (usually crickets and mealworms), then you should take care of vitamins in a different form.
For example, in the form of a Reptilife feed additive, which includes a complex of the most important substances for reptiles. nine0003
Where to get food
Given that insects must be alive and active (this is the main condition under which a gecko will be interested in a grasshopper or a worm), you can get food for your pet on your own in the summer. But it's important to make sure you're getting insects from environmentally friendly areas that haven't been treated with pesticides so you don't feed your pet with toxins. So this option is suitable for very few. Another option is to grow cockroaches, crickets or other insects on your own in a separate terrarium. But, given the appetite of the gecko, the most logical way out is a specialized store where you can buy reptile food. Captive-born geckos will readily eat even frozen insects. Don't forget to "feed the food" before giving it to your gecko! This will increase the benefits of mining several times. nine0003
Gecko Feeding Features
In addition to menu preferences, these reptiles have other nutritional “requests”.
Frequency of feeding
Excessively frequent meals should not be allowed under any circumstances. Digestion in reptiles is quite slow, so before the next meal they need to completely digest the previous portion. For small geckos, one feeding per day is enough, and large ones are recommended to be fed even every other day. Juveniles feed more often, depending on age. And do not forget to maintain the correct temperature in the terrarium, as it depends on how fully the gecko digests its lunch. nine0003
Serving size
You need to focus on the size of the reptile. For example, 5-7 adult crickets are enough for a medium gecko, half a serving is enough for a small gecko, and double the serving for large species. One of the indicators that the pet is not starving is its tail. Fat and plump means your gecko is eating well and is definitely not starving. Too fat, which interferes with walking - that the pet is obese.
Feeding time
nine0002 The main guideline is whether your gecko is diurnal or nocturnal.
The first ones need to be fed during the day, closer to noon. And reptiles with a nocturnal lifestyle - closer to the night. Feeding conditions
It's best if you let your gecko hunt crickets or cockroaches. But this is possible only if the terrarium has a tight lid, because not all insects are ready to dutifully wait until they are eaten. If instead of a cover there is a mesh, you can give food from tweezers, geckos quickly get used to the new food format for them. nine0003
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How to feed a eublefar - feeding a gecko at home, keeping and caring for lizards
Geckos love tasty food. They quickly get used to treats and may refuse healthy and healthy food.
To prevent this from happening, you need to include a variety of dishes on the menu and adhere to the feeding regimen. We tell you how to do it.
Feeding objects
Gecko food objects are divided into basic and additional. The main ones should be in the lizard's diet from birth. Additional food items include treats that can be added to the diet after the pet is six months old. nine0003
Geckos feed on insects and do not refuse newborn naked mice. It is advisable to give your pet live food so that the instinct of the hunter does not disappear. If you choose this option, then remember that you also need to take care of keeping insects at home. They must be full and active.
Another way is to feed frozen food. In this case, it is enough to store food in the freezer, and defrost it immediately before feeding. If the food has lain at room temperature for about 2 hours, it will have to be thrown away. You can not freeze insects again. nine0003
Menu
At home, the gecko should eat the same way as in the wild.
Ration
The main menu should include:
- crickets;
- cockroaches;
- locust;
- grasshoppers;
- earthworms;
- butterflies, moths, moths.
You don't have to choose just one. A mono-diet can lead to beriberi and metabolic disorders. If it is not possible to diversify the diet, use ready-made feed additives. They contain the components necessary for proper development. nine0003
Where can I get food?
Food and vitamins for reptiles can be ordered in the online store. To grow food yourself, get a separate terrarium for it. Do not feed hungry insects to your lizard, as they bite and can feed on your pet's feces, which will negatively affect his health.
We do not recommend getting food for the gecko on the street. Together with wild insects, chemicals, helminth eggs, poisons of larvae, etc., can enter the body of reptiles. nine0003
Which food should I choose?
Crickets and cockroaches are the main diet of the lizard.
Their share is about 70%. The remaining 30% are treats. For example, spotted leopard geckos love tobacco hawk caterpillars, mealworms, silkworm larvae, etc. Periodically change treats to create conditions close to the wild.
40 g 319 ₽ 293 ₽ 40 g x 2 pcs0002 638 ₽ 564 ₽ 40 g x 24 pcs Show all sentences 20 g 233 ₽ 213 ₽
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Power Features
Feeding time depends on the type of lizard. Some are active at night, others during the day. For example, geckos hunt at dusk, at night and at dawn, so they prefer to eat early in the morning or late in the evening. By the same principle, feed currents, striped, viper geckos, etc. nine0003
Frequency
Geckos have a good appetite. In their natural habitat, they eat any prey that they manage to catch. Do not overfeed - reptiles have slow digestion. It is important that before the next feeding they have time to digest the previous portion.
Young lizards need to be fed more often than adults.
There are two approaches to feeding:
- 1 time in 3-4 days for 5-7 large insects. So the reptile will definitely not overeat, but will remain a little hungry. nine0013
- 1 time in 2-3 days, but until full, until the pet refuses to eat.
Babies under 2 months old need daily meals.
How to understand that the gecko is full and happy? Rate his behavior. The pet must be nimble during the period of activity. After overeating, lizards become passive, they have problems with the liver, reproductive system. The state of the pet is easy to determine by the tail. In starving geckos, it is thin, in overeating geckos it is large and interferes with walking. With proper nutrition, the tail looks natural in relation to the body, as in the photo below. nine0003
Portion sizes
Portions depend on the age and size of the geckos. For a miniature adult animal, 2-3 large crickets are enough.
A large lizard needs to eat 10-15 of the same insects. Newborn animals are fed from the 4th day of life 1-2 times a day with small crickets. After 12 months, the cubs switch to a common diet.
Choose the right food. Do not give the animal an insect that is too large for it, which is difficult to digest. We recommend that you follow a simple rule: the length of the insect should not be more than the distance between the eyes of the gecko. nine0003
Conditions
Lizards feel more alert if they can hunt. To create such conditions for them, purchase a terrarium with a tight-fitting lid. Then the crickets, cockroaches and moths will stay inside. But the gecko can live peacefully without hunting. Simply feed it defrosted insects with tweezers. The animal will be interested in such food.
What should not be fed to individuals?
Geckos should not be fed anything that they do not eat in nature. Vegetables, fruits, yoghurts, berries and similar foods are not suitable.
nine0003
Reptiles are not given dead insects. The latter are densely fed and frozen alive. A hungry cricket or cockroach is useless for a lizard. For the same reason, moulting crickets should not be given to an animal - they are always empty. They are easily recognizable by their white color.
Insects that glow in the dark are not suitable for food. These are fireflies and lightning beetles. A chemical that is toxic to geckos is responsible for the glow.
What must be in the diet? nine0027
Mineral and vitamin supplements should not be excluded from the menu. The first contains calcium. The gecko is happy to use it in the quantities needed for growth and healthy molting. Pour the powder into a small bowl and place on the floor of the terrarium.
Vitamin supplements must be dosed. They are dry and liquid. Dry roll a few crickets 1-2 times a week. For pregnant females, slightly increase the portion. Liquid vitamin complexes can be applied to the eyes or the tip of the pet's nose.
It is convenient to do this with a soft brush. The animal licks the drops. nine0003
The gecko needs clean and fresh water. Place a small bowl at the bottom of the terrarium. Rinse and refill daily. Some individuals like to swim, especially in the heat. Many reptiles stomp in the bowl and then walk around on the mineral feed. Water can be sprayed on the walls of the terrarium. Your pet might enjoy licking the drops off the glass.
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Important to know
Proper nutrition of a gecko depends not only on food, regime and conditions. Appetite is also influenced by external factors.
Temperature rating
The lizard needs to warm up well after eating. Only in this way the body will absorb the necessary nutrients. The terrarium should have a warm zone in which the soil will warm up to about + 34 ° C.
Rest after eating
Immediately after feeding, do not take the pet in your arms or stimulate activity.
