Is It Safe to Feed Your Crested Geckos Pears?
Last Updated: January 25, 2023
Taking good care of your pet lizard requires feeding them a healthy diet, which may include fresh fruit. There are many good fruits for crested geckos, but some are dangerous. What about pears? Can crested geckos eat pears? Are they safe, or should you avoid them?
Yes, crested geckos can eat pears on occasion. Pears have good nutrients but can disrupt their calcium levels. They can be a safe part of a balanced diet.
You likely have some questions. Do I need to peel them? How often can I serve them? What is the best food to mix with them?
These are crucial questions to ask when you start feeding your pet something new.
Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about serving pears to become an even better pet lizard person!
Do Crested Geckos Eat Pears in The Wild?
We study what an animal eats in their natural habitat so we can better give them a proper diet in captivity.
Did you know that there are over 3,000 different types of pears? Even so, only three species account for most of what people eat.
Pears grow best in cool, temperate climates.
Crested geckos are from New Caledonia, a group of tropical islands in the south Pacific. These humid rainforests are not the place where pear trees will thrive.
Even though it is unlikely that a wild crested gecko has ever tasted a pear, it doesn’t necessarily mean they are not safe for it to eat.
Let’s look more closely at pears and learn more.
Nutritional Value
Pears have many helpful nutrients that may benefit health.
The nutrients in raw pears, calculated by a standard serving of 3.5 ounces (or 100 grams), are:
- Calories: 57
- Water: 84%
- Protein: 0.36 g
- Carbohydrates: 15.2 g
- Sugar: 9.75 g
- Fat: 0.14 g
- Calcium (Ca): 9 mg
- Phosphorous (P): 12 mg
- Iron (Fe): 0.18 mg
- Magnesium (Mg): 7 mg
- Potassium (K): 116 mg
- Sodium (Na): 1 mg
- Zinc (Zn): 0.1 mg
- Copper (Cu): 0.082 mg
- Vitamin C (total ascorbic acid): 4.3 mg
Pears contain a notable amount of dietary fiber, vitamin C, and potassium.
Like apples, pears are high in fiber and water, which is vital for gut health.
Pears are a rich source of antioxidants. They may boost heart health, reduce inflammation, and prevent certain types of cancer.
In moderation, pears are part of a healthy diet.
Are Pears Good or Bad for Crested Geckos?
Unfortunately, there aren’t a lot of studies on the health impact of feeding pears to crested geckos.
So how do we answer the question? First, we need to look at the amount of calcium and phosphorous present.
What Is the Calcium-Phosphorous Ratio?
All reptiles, including crested geckos, need calcium (Ca).
Calcium is critical for healthy bones and helps the heart, nerves, and blood function.
A body prefers to get calcium from food but will take it from its bones if it doesn’t have enough. Doing this too often will leave the body without enough calcium to function.
Phosphorous (P) blocks the body from using calcium, which makes matters worse.
Unfortunately, many fruits and vegetables have both Ca and P. Getting the proper amounts of each isn’t easy.
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.
Pears have 9 milligrams of calcium and 12 milligrams of phosphorous.
Based on this, pears are not healthy for crested geckos. They are likely harmful in large quantities.
Calcium-to-Phosphorous Ratio in Pears
Pears have a 0.75:1 Ca:P ratio, which is moderate.
Oxalic Acid Content
Oxalic acid is another thing that also interferes with calcium. Unfortunately, there is no ideal ratio for oxalic acid. We want to keep the oxalates as low as possible.
Good news! Pears are very low in oxalate, with 2 mg of oxalic acid per piece of fruit.
So, Are They Good or Bad?
Pear is pretty good for cresties.
It has a moderate Ca-P ratio and is low in oxalates. We can consider it slightly better than a treat for cresties. Feeding it to them more than once a month shouldn’t be problematic.
For many keepers, it is helpful to compare this to ‘desserts’ for people. If desserts made up a large portion of what you ate instead of a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, grains, and proteins, it would make you sick. An every-once-in-a-while treat isn’t a problem.
Feeding Instructions
What Is the right portion size?
The amount of food to give to a crested gecko is relative to the size of the lizard.
Compare a 1/8 teaspoon, 1/4 teaspoon, and a 1/2 teaspoon to the space between the crested geckos’ eyes. Whichever type of spoon is about the same size as the width is the proper amount of fruit as a serving.
How often can I serve pears?
Pears are a treat.
Ideally, your pet should mostly eat powdered gecko food with some live feeder insects and occasional fruit. This mix will provide them with all the vitamins and minerals they need. It also won’t disrupt their calcium levels.
Following this approach, you can feed your crested gecko some pear once a month.
Remember that pears shouldn’t be the only fresh fruit you feed your pet. Variety is essential to supply all the nutrients your crested gecko needs. Fruit is always a treat!
How do I prepare and offer pear?
Crested geckos don’t use their teeth to chew or bite their food. They use their tongues to do most of the work!
Any solid food provided to a crestie should be small enough pieces to be easily swallowed and digested.
Softer, overripe, and even slightly spoiled is ok. In the wild, crested geckos eat fruit that has fallen to the ground once it ripened. Even if it isn’t our preference, this is natural for them.
Preparation
First, wash the pear to remove pesticides or bacteria. You can use a fruit and veggie wash to break down the chemicals, wax, and residue covering it. Rub it with the produce cleaner under cold water and then pat it dry.
Peel the pear, cut it in half, and remove the seeds and the hard center. Discard the skin and the core. While some other lizards enjoy eating pear skins, it is not healthy for crested geckos.
After that, you can either mash or cut the fruit up. Both ways are easy, but the mashed version is better if you want to mix the pear with something else.
If you prefer a knife, slice the fruit into tiny pieces. Each piece should be smaller than the space between the crested gecko’s eyes.
Should you serve pears with or without the skin?
Remove the skin before giving the fruit to a crested gecko.
Peeling is necessary for a couple of reasons. First, the outer layer can be hard to swallow. We don’t want to create a choking hazard for your crestie. Second, the peel absorbs the chemical sprays that keep insects and fungi from ruining the pear. Those same chemicals can be dangerous to pet lizards.
Can I mix pears with something else?
Yes! Pears are healthy but aren’t a ‘perfect food’ for crested geckos. Mixing them with something else can improve the situation.
CRG and papaya are great choices because they are higher in Ca than P, which helps balance out the downside of pears.
You can blend a pear with insects, like crickets or dubia roaches, or another fruit, like strawberries, but these mixtures will continue to have high phosphorous content. Only do this once a month and not multiple months in a row.
Buying and Storing Pears
What is the best month to buy them?
The best time to buy pears is when they are in season. In the US, that is from August through October.
Many farmers harvest pears early to ripen off the tree. They store the fruit in cold freezers, which makes them sweeter and juicier. It also means it is possible to get great pears in the months after the peak season ends.
How do I pick a good one?
The best way to tell if a pear is ripe is by its feel.
Apply gentle pressure on the neck of the pear, just below the stem. A ripe pear will have a tiny bit of give as you push on it. Overall, it should feel firm and consistent.
How long do they keep?
Ripe pears will keep for 3-5 days in the refrigerator. If left on the counter, a pear that is ready to eat will keep for around two days.
Should I buy organic or conventional?
Pears are not the best nor the worst for testing positive for pesticides after a thorough cleaning.
Their thin skins absorb more chemicals than fruits or vegetables with thick peels.
Lizards are sensitive to chemicals and pesticides. Eating contaminated fruits can make them sick.
Offering organic pears to your crested gecko reduces its exposure to potentially harmful chemicals, which is a safe choice.
Do All Crested Geckos Like Fresh Pears?
Just like with people, each crested gecko has preferences. Not every person likes the taste of pears, nor does every crestie.
Can you think back to a time you tried a new food for the first time? Maybe you took only a little taste and then stopped and tried again later. Just like humans, crested geckos need to warm up to new things.
If you’ve offered pears to your pet and they didn’t devour every bite the first time, don’t worry. Try offering them a few times, maybe blended with other fruits your pet regularly eats to help them adjust to the taste.
Conclusion
Crested geckos can eat pears periodically, up to twice a month.
While they have a decent Ca-to-P ratio, pears have a lot of fiber and antioxidants.
Many crested geckos love the crisp, sweet taste when this fruit is fresh and will be thrilled for their treat!
If they are something your crested gecko enjoys, pears can be part of a diet that helps them live a long, healthy life.
What about other fruits? Can Crested Geckos Eat Pineapple?