Giant Day Geckos are omnivorous and they eat a balanced diet that includes both insects and plant matter. While fruits are more important than vegetables, you gecko will still relish a few pieces of carrot, sweet potatoes, broccoli, etc. Just make sure you are integrating everything your pet needs in each meal. And if you don’t have the necessary fruits or veggies, there are lots of supplement powders and commercial foods available for them.
In this article, we will talk about what kind of vegetables these geckos prefer and what else they can eat.
Can Giant Day Geckos Eat Vegetables? What Types of Veggies Are Fine?
Giant Day Geckos can definitely eat a few slices of veggie from time to time. This includes adding them to their usual fruit paste or offering them in smaller pieces as treats. They play an important role in their diet and should not be ignored if you are not using the proper powders and commercial foods. You can feed them sweet potatoes, carrots, green beans, lettuce, etc.
Geckos are not very good with chewing so make sure the pieces are not very big and that the pet won’t choke if it were to swallow the entire piece. As a guide, you can use the space between the gecko’s eyes. Make sure the insects and the veggies are never bigger than the gecko’s head.
If you want to allow your gecko to lick from a much bigger fruit or veggie, you can do so under close supervision. Giant Day Geckos can be very friendly and if you have a close bond with your pet you can just let it enjoy the piece of treat right from your hand.
Should Giant Day Geckos Eat Carrots?
Carrots are very common in our homes, which makes them very convenient and affordable treats for Giant Day Geckos. But since they are very hard, you will have to prepare them before offering them to your pet. It’s ideal to cut them into very thin slices and allow the gecko to eat them under your supervision. You can try to cut them into different shapes and sizes until you find exactly what your pet likes.
Another great way to prepare them is to grate them finely and mix them into a fruit paste or fruit-flavored baby food.
Potatoes?
Normal potatoes are not a good idea as there are very few geckos who will eat them. Even then, they’ll turn their heads to them pretty quickly. On the other hand, sweet potatoes are an excellent option and most geckos would love them as treats.
If you’re close with your gecko, you can allow it to nibble at a piece right from your hand. Just make sure the little pet won’t choke.
Broccoli
Broccoli is a popular vegetable choice among reptile owners for their omnivorous pets. It’s easy to prepare and very easy to digest. You can break the broccoli down into very small pieces and offer your pet one piece at a time. This is a great way to bond with your Giant Day Gecko. Don’t cook it as these geckos need raw veggies.
Cabbage
Cabbage is great for Giant Day Geckos as well. It contains a fair amount of nutrients and it#s easy to digest by younger geckos as well. A piece of leaf needs to be cut into smaller shreds and offered to the gecko very slowly. If it becomes very eager for another piece, try to teach it to have patience as it can choke if it eats too fast.
Beans
Hard beans should never be offered to a gecko, even if they’re canned or boiled. But green beans are 100% safe for most geckos. If the pet is younger, try cutting the green bean in half along its length. But most geckos shouldn’t have a problem eating one green bean at a time.
Salad
Salad is another great type of veggie that your gecko will love. Get it ready similar to the cabbage or let the gecko have its fun with a whole leaf under your supervision. If it has the patience, it should be able to slowly eat through the leaf without choking. This is also why it’s best not to leave it alone while it eats.
Onions
Onions are toxic to most animals, and this includes green onions as well. They can cause a pretty bad indigestion and can even send young geckos to the vet. There are lots of other choices available that are safe and healthy. But even if you don’t have anything else around, it’s best to skip the veggie that meal that to give it onions.
Cucumbers
Cucumbers are soft and easy to digest. This makes them good for juveniles as well. You can make a paste out of a piece of cucumber or you can just let the gecko nibble at it. All you have to do is peel the cucumber and take a bite to make sure it’s not bitter as they will refuse to eat them if they accidentally bite into a bitter piece.
What should you give a Giant Day Gecko? Insects and Worms?
A healthy and balanced diet should include around 60% insects and 40% fruits and vegetables. Brown crickets are easily the best feeder insect for Giant Day Geckos. They are very easy to hunt and the geckos won’t have any problem chewing or digesting them. Other similar options include the black crickets and the locusts. They are close in nutrients and are just as easy to consume.
Other types of insects are OK as well. But you should only start giving them other types of insects after they reach 2 years of age. This is because can eat bigger and harder-to-digest insects once they become adults. You can opt for darkling beetles, roaches, different types of crickets, etc.
Worms serve as an excellent treat that should only be offered once or twice a week. Mealworms have a hard exoskeleton and should only be fed to adults. Butterworms and waxworms are quite high in fat content and calciworms are very high in calcium. This is why they also need to be fed around once or twice a week.
Commercial food is also a great option for geckos in captivity. The food that is marketed towards Crested Geckos is actually very good for Giant Day Geckos as well. This is because both species of geckos are omnivorous.
