A guide to feeding fruit to your crested gecko
Last Updated: January 25, 2023
Feeding your crested gecko healthy foods is a big part of taking good care of it. Fruit can be part of that diet, but not all fruit is safe for cresties. What fruits can a crested gecko eat?
Crested geckos can be fed fruits with enough calcium and are low in phosphorous and oxalic acid. Crested geckos eating a meal replacement gecko diet should only be fed fruit as a treat. Some fruits are dangerous and can harm your pet.
Most commercial meal replacement powders are well-balanced and contain all the nutrients a crested gecko needs. From a purely nutritional perspective, you don’t need to provide fresh fruit.
However, many keepers want to give their pets fruit. Fruit served this way serves as enrichment and creates a special moment for both the person and the pet. Serving fresh fruit is fine when done correctly.
Keep reading to learn the basics of fruit in a crested gecko diet, what fruits are safe, and which ones to avoid. You’ll also learn guiding principles on how to prepare and serve fruit in general.
By the end of the article, you will know everything you need about the fruit crested geckos can eat!
Background Info
What Fruit Do Crested Geckos Eat in the Wild?
Many keepers want to know what an animal eats in their natural habitat so they can copy it. Fruit is a staple part of a wild crested gecko’s diet, but which ones?
New Caledonia is a group of isolated islands with unique plants and animals. Studies estimate nearly 75% of the plant species here are not found anywhere else in the world! That’s a lot to study! With all that flora, it’s not always obvious which things each animal eats.
Some of the fruit from here is related to things we might buy in our local stores. Mangoes, coconuts, passion fruit, bananas, figs, and papaya are plentiful.
Others, like the soursop and custard apple, are less familiar to many of us.
That seemingly simple question, “what fruits do crested geckos eat in their natural habitat?” is difficult to question to answer.
Even if we did know the answer, it is unlikely we could get use the info as most of us intend. Most of these plants only grow on those islands.
Even though we can’t match their natural diet, we can learn from it.
And just because a wild crested gecko couldn’t get the fruits you can buy doesn’t mean they aren’t safe or healthy for your pet.
What Makes a Fruit Good or Bad for a Crested Gecko?
So, when we don’t know what they would eat in the wild, how do we know what is good for them? We analyze the nutrients in the food, of course!
Nutritional Quality of Fruits
We can consider the nutritional quality of fruits a crested gecko might eat. What is most important?
Most fruits are nutritious, so we aren’t worried about empty calories or too much fat. But each is different. Some are a great source of Vitamin C, while others have antioxidants. We want a wide range of fruits to promote a balanced diet.
Some of those vitamins and minerals can cause problems for reptiles when they are out of balance. Calcium, phosphorous, and oxalates are the potential danger spots.
The Calcium-to-Phosphorous Ratio
Calcium (Ca) is a mineral that is vital for healthy bones and body functions. It is the main component of bones and gives the skeleton its strength and structure.
A body gets calcium from its food. If it doesn’t get enough that way, it can take some from bones, but doing so weakens them. Doing this too often leaves it without enough calcium to function properly.
Many pet reptiles, including crested geckos, struggle to get enough of this essential element. Getting enough Ca is especially important for hatchlings and juveniles as they grow and for females producing eggs.
Pet reptiles that do not get enough calcium from their diet develop Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD).
Another factor for MBD is the presence of phosphorous. Phosphorous (P) gets in the way of calcium absorption. The more phosphates that are present, the less calcium can be absorbed. This calcium-phosphate homeostasis is tricky to manage.
Unfortunately, both Ca and P are present in most fruits.
Calculating the Calcium to Phosphorous Ratio
The ideal calcium-to-phosphorous ratio for reptiles is 2:1. This means there should be twice as much Ca as P in every bite.
We calculate the Ca:P ratio by dividing the amount of Ca by the amount of P. In this way, every one of these ratios shows the P as a “1” while the Ca value changes.
For example, raw mangos have 11 mg of calcium and 14 mg of phosphorous. Eleven divided by fourteen is 0.7857, which we round up to 0.8. We talk about mangos having a 0.8 to 1 Ca-P ratio.
For ease, we’ve done the math for you and put it into one table.
Oxalic Acid
Oxalic acid is a naturally occurring compound found in many fruits and vegetables. In small amounts, it is harmless. The problem is that it blocks some nutrients, including calcium, from being used.
Unlike P, there is no ideal ratio. We try to keep the oxalic acid content as low as possible by avoiding foods with a medium or higher level.
The reported oxalate content of fruits varies widely. Why? The isn’t one standard method to measure it. That explains why you might find differing opinions about some fruits. (I’m looking at you, raspberries.)
Safe Fruit in a Crested Gecko Diet
Keepers give their crested geckos all sorts of fruits, but some are better than others. The best fruits are ones with a high level of calcium and a low level of phosphorous and oxalic acid.
Fruit is a treat. Once you feed a crested gecko fruit, you should wait until the recommended amount of time passes before giving them any other fresh fruits.
Top Fruit Recommendations
Here are our top recommendations on what fruits to feed a crested gecko.
- Papayas are the best fruit we found for crested geckos. They meet all our criteria – high in Ca, low in P, and low in oxalic acid. They are an excellent source of other vitamins and minerals, too. No other option we looked at is quite as good for crested geckos. Need more? One study showed young crested geckos grew more eating fresh papaya and dubia roaches than on a commercial diet. Papaya can be fed to crested geckos weekly under the right conditions.
- Blueberries are the best berry for cresties. They have roughly the same Ca as P, which is lower than ideal. They are also high in antioxidants and taste delicious. Still, they shouldn’t be on the menu every week. Fresh blueberries can be a once every two weeks treat at most.
- Pears beat out their cousin, the apple. They are a rich source of a few nutrients, including copper, and promote healthy digestion. From a crestie perspective, pears are good but not great. Their Ca-to-P ratio is moderate, and they are low in oxalates. Crested geckos can eat pears as an every-other-week food.
- Mangos, like papaya, are native to New Caledonia. They have so many different vitamins that they fall into the “superfood” category. Mangoes Ca:P ratio and amount of oxalic acid are very close to pears, so serve whichever fruit your crested gecko prefers. Feed your crested gecko mango no more than once per two weeks.
- Watermelon is a good choice for cresties. This summer fruit does a great job keeping you hydrated, making it an excellent pick in the heat. Even though the Ca-to-P isn’t ideal, the total amount is low, and it is so sweet that your pet can get addicted. Serve watermelon to a crested gecko no more than once every two weeks.
Good, But Not Great, Fruit Options
Most people talk about feeding cresties fruit as a treat once a month. Why? Most fruits have a Ca:P ratio that is considered ‘moderate.’ Those fruits are only safe as a monthly food for crested geckos.
- Strawberries are a favorite of many cresties. The fruit is very nutritious and packed with vitamin C and antioxidants. It also has high amounts of Ca and P. The ratio is (nearly) the same as watermelon, but the volume makes a difference. Strawberries can be a once-in-a-month treat.
- Apples are the poster child of healthy foods. We’ve been saying, ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away’ since the 19th century. Apples are considered nutrient-dense fruits and a good source of fiber. They also make you feel full! Apples have a similar Ca:P makeup to watermelon. Serve apples as a goody no more than once a month.
- Grapes have been part of human diets for centuries and are a good source of antioxidants and vitamin K. Unfortunately, both green and red grapes have too much P (or too little Ca) to make them a more frequent choice. Grapes are in the ‘monthly treat’ category.
- Peaches are a stone fruit with fuzzy skin. While they taste delicious, peach’s poor Ca:P ratio and mediocre nutritional content put them low on this list. You can feed crested gecko peaches once a month, but there are many fruits with better Ca:P ratios to consider.
- Bananas have a lot going for them, but they are high in P and low in Ca. They are the primary ingredient in many CGDs! Mixing bananas with a commercial gecko diet does make them a healthier option that cresties enjoy. Limit feeding fresh bananas to a crested gecko no more than once a month.
- Pineapple is sweet, juicy, and tropical. Even though it shares a lot in common with them, pineapple is not a citrus fruit. It is acidic, though, and many cresties won’t touch it if offered to them. If your crestie like eating it, only feed pineapple once a month.
If these details are too much to juggle, you can always follow the general guidance of ‘any of the fruits covered so far are a once-a-month treat.’
Dangerous Fruits for Crested Geckos
Citrus Fruits
All citrus fruits have a high concentration of oxalic acid. This substance binds with calcium, blocking absorption.
What makes something a citrus fruit? These plants have the same genus and share characteristics of a thick rind, segmented flesh, and seeds in the center. Other fruits like pineapple and kiwi might taste similar but are not in the citrus family.
- Oranges have a lot of calcium, which would be great if it weren’t for all that oxalic acid! Citric acid can be hard on a lizard’s stomach, and oranges have a lot of it! Avoid feeding oranges to crested geckos.
- Grapefruits have less oxalic acid than oranges, but it is still way too much to be safe. Do not feed grapefruit to crested geckos.
- Lemons don’t have a taste that appeals to crested geckos, so this isn’t much of a problem. Still, lemons aren’t good for them, so keep them away from crested geckos.
- Limes follow the same trend as lemons and have the same advice. Limes are not healthy for cresties to eat.
Problematic Non-Citrus Fruits
- Kiwis might be small, but they pack a lot of vitamin C, fiber, and calcium! Sadly, they also have quite a bit of oxalic acid, making them an unsafe choice. For best results, keep kiwifruit away from pet crested geckos.
- Raspberries are high in oxalates. They are the highest of any fruit on this list! Some websites include raspberries as one of the options you can safely feed to crested geckos, but the numbers don’t add up. We do not recommend raspberries be part of your crested gecko’s diet, even as an occasional treat.
- Avocados are a surprise on this list because many of us don’t even realize it is a fruit! Avocado contains the chemical Persin and is toxic to rabbits, mice, and caged birds. While there aren’t good studies on lizards, the general advice is to avoid feeding avocados to captive reptiles.
Feeding Fruit to Your Crested Gecko
Which fruit do I choose?
After considering the info above, deciding which fruit you want to serve is a personal preference.
One approach is to find fruits you both like. Why? When it is fresh, it doesn’t keep for long, and your crestie will only eat a tiny amount. Why not get something to share?