The first duty of a NAC owner will be to learn about the specific needs and habits of the species he or she owns. Here’s all you need to know to provide a balanced diet and look after your gecko perfectly.
What do geckos eat and drink ?
Insectivore, the gecko eats mainly crickets, which he likes to supplement with small cockroaches and silk worms. A newborn mice (thawed or alive) will make an excellent treat for an adult gecko, and a calcium / protein contribution beneficial to breeding females. The cute catch of leopard geckos is called Galleria Mellonella larva or hive ringworm: do not let them abuse it because like chocolate in humans, it causes addiction, liver problems and obesity. Super worms are discouraged by professionals because they are fat and digest badly. Let him constantly a container of fresh water, renewed daily. Stagnant water promotes the development of bacteria, some of which are pathogenic.
The baby gecko needs a daily meal while adults eat every 48 hours. In terms of feeding, you will have the choice between providing your lizard with live food, to stimulate your hunting instinct, or prey “long conservation”. A reptile feeding forceps can also be used to handle insects or suckers.
Which insects and which portions?
The most protein rich animals are crickets, silkworm, 1 day old mouse and grasshoppers. The legs of these must be removed so as not to hurt the gecko, and never be given to a juvenile. Calcium will be provided by silkworms, suckling mice and crickets. Propose to your gecko, between 4 and 8 crickets per meal. Remove immediately what it does not consume, as hungry, insects attack small reptiles, causing them injuries and stress that could be avoided. To find out what size of insect to give, look at your gecko. Estimate the size that represents half of its head. It is the maximum dimension of the insects that it can swallow.
Breeding insects and “gut loading”
Ideally, insects should be fed with quality products. A rich and adapted diet greatly limits health problems. They like carrots, orange peels, fish flakes or young turtles and parsley. 24 hours before serving, complete their diet with a very nutritious powder, called Gut Load. Just before delivering the prey to your gecko, sprinkle them with vitamin / limestone supplements.
Purchase of insects on the internet
Crickets ready to eat are sold on the internet, as well as food for insects. The supplements of minerals and vitamins D3 are essential. Calcium deficiency causes eye and bone problems (deformities) to geckos. Like protein deficiency, it is negligence that ultimately kills it.