Crocodile Gecko Diet

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The crocodile gecko diet is simple at its core. This species is an insectivore. It hunts small, soft bodied arthropods, not plant matter or vertebrate prey.

Tarentola mauritanica is better known in the pet trade as the crocodile gecko or Moorish gecko. In the wild it hunts walls, rock faces, and open ground at night. It looks for spiders, larvae, and flying insects.

In captivity, that same appetite is met with gut loaded feeder insects and calcium supplements. A feeding routine tied to the gecko’s age and size rounds out the picture.

The Crocodile Gecko Diet in the Wild

A field study of Tarentola mauritanica in southeastern Spain examined 170 fecal samples. Researchers identified 543 arthropod prey items in total.

Five groups made up roughly two thirds of the prey by number. They were spiders, leafhoppers, moth larvae, ground beetle larvae, and ants.

Moth larvae and ground beetle larvae alone made up more than 40 percent of everything identified. Looking at biomass rather than raw counts shifts the picture slightly.

Five prey groups supplied more than 75 percent of total biomass. These included spiders, woodlice, and other arachnids such as scorpions and solpugids.

Most individual prey items were small. About 80.1 percent measured between 2 and 12 millimeters in body length. The single largest item recorded was a scorpion around 42 millimeters long.

Diet also shifts with the seasons. In spring, prey averaged about 10.6 millimeters in length, and moth and beetle larvae dominated. By summer, prey length dropped to roughly 7.2 to 8.6 millimeters.

Leafhoppers, other beetles, and ants grew more important in summer as larvae became scarce.

A 2023 study by Martín and colleagues in the journal Animals reached a similar answer on two Spanish islands. Across 117 fecal samples, beetles, spiders and insect larvae made up 76 percent of prey.

Geckos on the natural island ate a more diverse diet than geckos on the island altered by people. The disturbed population took 15 prey categories but concentrated on fewer of them, and its diet was significantly less diverse than the prey on offer. Body condition was similar in both places.

How and Where Crocodile Geckos Hunt

A separate study found that Tarentola mauritanica hunts more actively on open ground than its wall dwelling reputation suggests. The geckos used silt walls mainly as daytime retreats. At night they moved out to hunt on the ground.

Researchers called this wide foraging, closer to an active search than pure ambush hunting from a fixed spot. Prey on the cliffs and walls themselves was described as negligible. Ground level prey was also low and scattered.

Captures ran roughly 0.43 to 0.72 per trap per night in the study area. That scarcity helps explain why the species ranges away from its retreat each night.

Around human structures, the picture changes. Where geckos hunt near artificial lights, flying insects drawn to the light can make up as much as 36 percent of the diet. That is a far larger share than in natural habitat.

That concentrated, easy prey lets building dwelling geckos feed from a fixed spot right at the light source. Many keepers who have seen wild crocodile geckos on porch walls will recognize this pattern.

What to Feed a Pet Crocodile Gecko

No authoritative husbandry source gives captive feeding numbers specific to Tarentola mauritanica. What follows is the common keeper standard for small, nocturnal, insectivorous geckos of similar size and Mediterranean origin, not a figure published for this species alone.

Within that standard, gut loaded crickets and dubia roaches form the staple of most crocodile gecko diets. Both are easy to size correctly. Both take on nutrients well from a good gut loading diet before they are offered.

See the general feeder insects guide for comparisons of nutrition and ease of care across species.

Mealworms and waxworms can appear now and then as a treat. They run higher in fat and lower in calcium than crickets or roaches. They should never form the bulk of the diet.

Silkworms and small phoenix worms make useful additions where available. They carry naturally higher calcium than most other feeders.

• Gut loaded crickets, sized to the gecko, as a primary staple
• Dubia roaches or discoid roaches as a second staple, easier to keep and less noisy than crickets
• Occasional waxworms or mealworms in small amounts as enrichment, not a daily food
• Silkworms or phoenix worms when available, for their naturally higher calcium

Whatever the feeder, gut load it for 24 to 48 hours on a nutrient dense diet before it reaches the gecko. A feeder’s own gut contents pass most of that nutrition on to the predator. The crickets page covers gut loading schedules and colony housing in more detail.

Crocodile Gecko Feeding Schedule

No published feeding frequency study exists for this species. The schedule below is the common keeper standard for small insectivorous geckos of similar adult size. It tapers down as the gecko matures and its metabolism slows.

A steady crocodile gecko diet also depends on removing uneaten insects after each session. Loose crickets and roaches cannot stress or nip at the gecko overnight.

A simple check works better than any fixed insect count. Offer as many feeders as the gecko will actively hunt within about 10 to 15 minutes, then remove the rest.

An adult that keeps gaining weight can shift to the lower end of that range. A thin or recovering gecko can be offered food slightly more often.

Prey Size for Crocodile Geckos

Wild crocodile geckos hunt small, soft bodied prey. About 80.1 percent of everything eaten measured only 2 to 12 millimeters long. That pattern supports a simple keeper rule: match feeder size to the width of the gecko’s head, not its body length.

Prey that is too wide or too long can cause choking or regurgitation. No feeder should be noticeably wider than the space between the gecko’s eyes.

This rule is used across small insectivorous geckos generally. It mirrors the size profile the wild diet studies found, even though it was not drawn from a captive husbandry study of this species.

Hatchlings need feeders at the small end of that 2 to 12 millimeter range. Adults can safely take insects toward the upper end of it, and occasionally larger, since the field study recorded a 42 millimeter scorpion.

Calcium and Vitamin Supplements

Wild crocodile geckos draw their minerals from a varied arthropod diet of beetles, spiders, larvae, ants and the occasional scorpion. Captive feeder insects fall short of that variety on their own.

A dusting routine closes the gap. Calcium is the supplement most likely to be missing from an otherwise reasonable crocodile gecko diet.

Coat feeder insects lightly with a plain calcium powder without vitamin D3 at most feedings. Indoor geckos rarely get enough natural ultraviolet light to make their own vitamin D3.

Rotate in a calcium powder with added vitamin D3 once or twice a week if the enclosure has no UVB lighting. That vitamin D3 helps the gecko absorb and use the calcium it eats, rather than passing it through unused.

Overuse of D3 supplements can cause its own problems. More is not automatically better once a gecko already gets some UVB or D3.

A general reptile multivitamin powder once every week or two rounds out the routine. It covers vitamins and trace minerals that plain calcium dusting does not provide.

Skipping supplements altogether is a common cause of metabolic bone disease in captive insectivorous geckos. The Merck Veterinary Manual traces the condition to a low calcium to phosphorus ratio, vitamin D3 deficiency, lack of UVB or poor heat, and notes that rapidly growing insectivorous lizards are most at risk.

Merck lists the signs as loss of appetite, lethargy, trouble walking normally, a swollen or distorted jaw or limbs, fractures and muscle tremors. Correcting the diet and husbandry is the mainstay of treatment, and the outlook is favorable if the gecko is still eating.

Water and Hydration

Crocodile geckos, like most nocturnal wall and rock dwelling geckos, tend to lap water droplets off surfaces. They rarely drink from a still dish. A light evening misting is often more effective than a bowl alone at meeting hydration needs.

A shallow water dish can still be offered as a backup. It will sometimes get used, especially by a gecko raised with one.

Tarentola mauritanica comes from a Mediterranean climate. Conditions there are warm and fairly dry, with seasonal rainfall rather than constant humidity. Misting does not need to keep the whole enclosure saturated.

A brief evening misting that leaves droplets on the glass and decor for an hour or two works well. Letting the enclosure dry out again afterward matches the natural pattern better than a constantly damp setup.

Common Crocodile Gecko Feeding Mistakes

• Feeding oversized insects. Prey wider than the gap between the eyes raises the risk of choking, regurgitation, or impaction, especially in juveniles.
• Skipping calcium dusting. Undusted feeders as a steady diet is a leading path to metabolic bone disease in small insectivorous geckos.
• Relying on one feeder insect. A crocodile gecko diet built on a single feeder type cannot match the many wild prey groups these geckos actually eat.
• Leaving uneaten insects in the enclosure overnight. Crickets and roaches left loose can nip at a resting gecko and add stress.
• Overfeeding adults. Adults fed on a hatchling’s daily schedule tend to gain excess weight over time.

For enclosure setup that supports healthy feeding, including hide placement, see the crocodile gecko enclosure guide.

For the full husbandry picture beyond diet, the crocodile gecko care guide covers heating, lighting, and handling.

Keepers comparing feeding needs across species can also check the broader gecko diet overview.

The wider geckos hub covers other species in the family for anyone considering a second gecko.

General questions about what reptiles eat as a group are answered at what do lizards eat.

Frequently Asked Questions

What do crocodile geckos eat in captivity?

A captive crocodile gecko diet centers on gut loaded crickets and roaches. Mealworms, waxworms, silkworms, or phoenix worms can add variety. Dust all feeders with calcium, since captive insects alone fall short of the calcium wild geckos get.

How often should I feed my crocodile gecko?

Hatchlings typically eat daily, juveniles every one to two days, and adults two to three times a week. Offer only what the gecko will actively hunt within 10 to 15 minutes. This is a common keeper standard, not a feeding trial published for this species.

What size feeder insects are safe for a crocodile gecko?

A feeder should be no wider than the space between the gecko’s eyes. Wild diet studies of Tarentola mauritanica found that more than 80 percent of natural prey measured only 2 to 12 millimeters long. That supports keeping captive feeders small.

Do crocodile geckos need vitamin D3 supplements if they have no UVB light?

Yes. Without UVB lighting, a gecko cannot make its own vitamin D3. A calcium powder with D3 used once or twice weekly, alongside plain calcium at other feedings, helps it absorb calcium properly.

Do wild crocodile geckos really hunt insects around lights?

Yes, and it changes their diet. Near artificial lights, flying insects drawn to the light can make up as much as 36 percent of the diet. That is far more than in natural habitat away from buildings.

Can crocodile geckos eat mealworms every day?

Mealworms work as an occasional feeder but should not replace crickets or roaches as the daily staple. They carry more fat and less calcium relative to their size. Save them for variety a few times a month.