What Do I Feed a Gecko? Diet by Species, Portions, and Schedule

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What do I feed a gecko is really two questions in one. Gecko species do not all eat the same things. The leopard gecko is a strict insect eater and will not touch fruit or nectar.

Crested and gargoyle geckos thrive on a powdered fruit diet instead. Getting this wrong is a common reason pet geckos get sick. It helps to know which group your gecko belongs to before you buy a single cricket.

This guide breaks pet gecko feeding down by species. It covers feeder insects, dusting schedules, and portion sizes. It also covers what a normal feeding routine looks like at different ages.

For the wider picture of daily husbandry, see our full gecko care guide. For general lizard nutrition background, see what do lizards eat and gut loading feeder insects.

Which diet your gecko needs depends on the species

Pet geckos fall into two broad feeding groups. Insectivores eat live insects and almost nothing else. This group includes the leopard gecko, African fat tailed gecko, tokay gecko, and leaf tailed geckos.

Omnivores eat a mix of fruit, nectar, and insects. Crested geckos, gargoyle geckos, and day geckos fall into this group. Several of them can live on a commercial powdered diet alone, such as Repashy Crested Gecko Diet (Complete/Original).

Both groups need calcium and vitamin D3. Without it, geckos can develop metabolic bone disease. Veterinary sources describe it as the most common bone disease seen in pet reptiles, usually caused by an improper calcium to phosphorus ratio.

Diet by gecko type at a glance

Juveniles of every type eat daily or close to it. The sections below explain the reasoning behind each row.

Leopard and African fat tailed geckos: full insectivores

Leopard geckos, Eublepharis macularius, and African fat tailed geckos, Hemitheconyx caudicinctus, are eyelid geckos. They have movable eyelids, unlike most other gecko families. They also lack sticky toe pads, so a shallow feeding dish works fine and they will not scale glass to chase escaped insects.

Crickets are the staple feeder insect for both species. Dubia roaches, locusts, black soldier fly larvae, and mealworms make good regular additions. Waxworms and pink mice are occasional treats only, since waxworms are high in fat and pink mice are usually reserved for adult females.

A common keeper rule of thumb is about two crickets per inch of body length at each feeding. The RSPCA adds a firmer limit: no insect wider than the gecko’s head. Dust insects with a calcium and vitamin supplement, and leave a small dish of plain calcium powder, such as Zoo Med Repti Calcium without D3, in the enclosure at all times.

Veterinary care sheets commonly recommend calcium dusting two to three times a week. A reptile multivitamin is usually added about twice a month on top of that. Juveniles eat daily, and adults are fed every other day per the RSPCA or every two to four days per a veterinary hospital sheet, so watch body condition and adjust from there.

Crested and gargoyle geckos: powdered diets plus insects

Crested geckos, Correlophus ciliatus, and gargoyle geckos, Rhacodactylus auriculatus, are arboreal omnivores. The crested gecko is also called the eyelash gecko for its fringed brow ridges, and “created gecko” is simply a common misspelling of the same animal.

The simplest option is a complete commercial powdered gecko diet. Whisk it with water into a thin paste. Offer it on a small dish two to three times a week.

These formulas are built to cover fruit, protein, calcium, and vitamins in one feeding. That is why many keepers use them as the entire diet. Gut loaded crickets or roaches dusted with calcium powder can still be offered alongside it, especially for growing juveniles.

The RSPCA crested gecko sheet describes a rotation of the commercial diet, live insects, and mashed fruit such as blueberries, pears, papaya, strawberries, and mango. It rules out citrus fruit and banana because they interfere with calcium uptake. Fresh fruit should be a rotation item, not the whole diet.

Live insects give juveniles extra protein and some enrichment from chasing prey. Over handling a stressed crested or gargoyle gecko can trigger tail loss. Keep feeding sessions calm rather than treating them as handling time.

Day geckos: nectar, fruit, and insects together

Day geckos, genus Phelsuma, are diurnal and brightly colored. Animal Diversity Web describes the Madagascar day gecko as primarily insectivorous, taking a wide range of arthropods with occasional fruit and nectar. In captivity, most keepers offer a powdered nectar or crested gecko diet mix alongside insects.

Gut loaded crickets and dubia roaches round out the diet alongside the powdered mix. Feeder insects should be dusted with calcium roughly one to two times a week, and a vitamin supplement follows a similar schedule. Captive day geckos are often fed about twice a week and can be selective about what they take.

Day geckos are active and visible during the day, unlike most other pet gecko species. That activity level means they also need stronger UVB exposure to process calcium properly. Feeding and lighting work together here, which our gecko heating and lighting guide covers in more depth.

Tokay and leaf tailed geckos: nocturnal insect hunters

The tokay gecko, Gekko gecko, is one of the largest gecko species, reaching around 14 inches. It is entirely insectivorous. Recorded prey in the wild includes crickets, cockroaches, grasshoppers, locusts, springtails, mealworms, and even pink mice.

That range shows how large and opportunistic this species is as a hunter. A varied insect mix works well in captivity for the same reason. Our tokay gecko diet guide covers portion sizes and schedules specific to this species.

Leaf tailed geckos, genus Uroplatus, are ambush hunters from Madagascar. They rely on camouflage rather than speed. Feeding usually means offering appropriately sized crickets or roaches near dusk, when the gecko is naturally alert.

Exact portion sizes for this group are not well documented in veterinary literature. It is safest to offer a few insects at a time. Watch how quickly they disappear before adding more, and see our leaf tailed gecko diet page for setup specific notes.

Feeder insects and the calcium to phosphorus problem

Crickets, mealworms, and similar feeder insects are naturally low in calcium. The Merck Veterinary Manual puts crickets and mealworm larvae at 0.03 to 0.3 percent calcium against 0.8 to 0.9 percent phosphorus. That inverted ratio is the opposite of what a growing or egg laying gecko actually needs.

Gut loading means feeding the insects a calcium rich diet before offering them to your gecko. Merck describes a diet containing 12 percent calcium fed to crickets or mealworms for three days, which lifts their calcium to about 0.8 to 0.9 percent and a 1.2 to 1 calcium to phosphorus ratio. Our gut loading guide covers the process step by step.

See our crickets as feeders page for more on raising and dusting crickets specifically. Dusting still matters, because most keepers do not gut load that precisely or for that long. Store bought insects fed a few vegetable scraps overnight fall well short of the corrected ratio.

A light coating of calcium powder with vitamin D3, such as the Zoo Med Repti Calcium with D3, at most feedings is the baseline. A separate multivitamin every couple of weeks rounds out the routine. That combination is what most veterinary care sheets recommend across gecko species.

Feeding schedule by life stage

Hatchling and juvenile leopard geckos are growing fast and burn through calories quickly. Most keepers offer appropriately sized insects daily or close to it at this stage. Insects should be no wider than the gap between the gecko’s eyes, to avoid impaction.

As a leopard or fat tailed gecko reaches adult size, feedings typically drop to every two to four days. Egg laying females need extra calcium and more frequent meals during the breeding season. Our gecko breeding guide explains how to time that increase.

Crested and gargoyle gecko juveniles also do well on the powdered diet offered two to three times a week, the same schedule used for adults. What changes with age is portion size rather than frequency, since a growing gecko simply eats more at each sitting. Day geckos follow a similar pattern, with juveniles taking smaller, more frequent portions of powdered diet and dusted insects.

How many mealworms or crickets to feed a gecko

For an adult leopard or fat tailed gecko, start with about two crickets, roaches, or mealworms per inch of body length at each feeding. Adjust up or down based on how quickly the gecko clears the dish. A gecko that leaves insects wandering the enclosure an hour later is getting too much at once.

Mealworms have a harder exoskeleton than crickets or roaches. They are usually offered as one part of a mixed diet rather than the only feeder insect. Smaller or juvenile geckos can struggle to digest large amounts of them.

Crested, gargoyle, and day geckos need far fewer insects overall. Their powdered diet supplies most of their calories. Insects are added mainly for enrichment and extra protein rather than as the main course.

Feeder insects and foods to avoid

Never feed a pet gecko insects caught outside. Wild insects can carry pesticides or parasites. Fireflies in particular are toxic to reptiles and should never go anywhere near an enclosure.

Avoid insects that are too large for the gecko’s head width, since oversized prey raises the risk of impaction or a bite that spooks the gecko into refusing food. Fruit, vegetables, and table scraps have no place in an insectivore’s diet, even as an occasional treat. For omnivorous species, keep fresh fruit to the rotation items above and skip citrus and banana, since commercial mixes are already balanced for calcium and phosphorus.

A feeding station, such as a shallow ceramic dish, helps contain insects and keeps loose substrate out of the gecko’s mouth during a feeding. It also makes it easier to see exactly how much was eaten at a glance.

How long a gecko can go without eating

Leopard geckos and African fat tailed geckos both store fat reserves in their tails. A healthy adult of either species can often skip meals for a week or two without real harm. A visibly thinning tail is a better warning sign than a missed feeding or two on its own.

Crested, gargoyle, and day geckos have less obvious fat storage. A longer refusal to eat is more concerning for those species. No veterinary source sets a safe number of days, and MedVet notes that a gecko in chronic malnutrition can need six to eight weeks of assisted feeding to recover, so act on the trend rather than the calendar.

A gecko that refuses food for more than about two weeks needs attention. So does a gecko that looks thin, lethargic, or has sunken eyes. At that point, a checkup with a reptile veterinarian beats another attempt at a favorite treat.

Water alongside food

A shallow water dish covers hydration for leopard, fat tailed, tokay, and leaf tailed geckos. Refresh it daily. Crested, gargoyle, and day geckos often prefer licking droplets off leaves and glass after misting instead.

That habit mirrors how these species drink nectar and dew in the wild. Gut loaded insects also carry some moisture into the diet. That is one more reason gut loading is worth the extra step, rather than feeding insects straight from a dry container.

Diet related warning signs to watch for

Poor appetite and weakness are documented signs of metabolic bone disease in reptiles. So are an oddly swollen or soft jaw, difficulty walking normally, and spinal or leg fractures. Diet is a major contributing cause, alongside inadequate UVB exposure.

Retained shed, sometimes called stuck shed, can also point to a diet or humidity problem. It is treated with a warm soak and gentle removal of the leftover skin. Our gecko health guide covers these warning signs in more detail.

If feeding habits change suddenly, alongside weight loss or lethargy, do not assume it is picky eating. Rule out parasites and other illness with a reptile veterinarian instead. Our gecko breeding guide also explains how egg laying females have extra calcium demands worth planning for at feeding time, and our gecko anatomy guide explains why toe pads and eyelids differ so much between these species in the first place.

Frequently Asked Questions

What do I feed a gecko if I am not sure which species I have?

Check whether your gecko has sticky toe pads. Species with toe pads, like crested and day geckos, generally eat a powdered fruit diet plus insects. Species without toe pads, like leopard geckos, are almost always insect only eaters.

What is the best gecko food for a beginner?

Gut loaded, calcium dusted crickets or dubia roaches work well across most pet gecko species. For crested or gargoyle geckos, a commercial powdered diet mixed with water is an even simpler starting point.

How many mealworms should I feed a gecko?

A common starting point is about two feeder insects, including mealworms, per inch of body length per feeding, with no insect wider than the gecko’s head. This applies to an adult leopard or fat tailed gecko fed every other day to every few days. Adjust the amount based on appetite and tail condition.

How long can a gecko go without eating?

Leopard geckos and African fat tailed geckos store fat in their tails. They can often go a week or two without eating with no ill effects. If refusal lasts much longer, or the gecko looks thin, a reptile veterinarian should check for illness.

Does a gecko heat lamp affect how it digests food?

Yes. Geckos are cold blooded, so digestion slows down without the right temperature range. The enclosure setup in our heating and lighting guide matters just as much as the food itself.

Can I feed my gecko fruit even if it is normally an insect eater?

No. Leopard geckos, African fat tailed geckos, tokay geckos, and leaf tailed geckos are true insectivores. They do not digest fruit or nectar diets the way crested, gargoyle, and day geckos do.