Day Gecko Diets: Providing Variety

[bronxzoofrank]

Hi All,

Day Geckos, those brilliantly-clad gems of the lizard world, are growing in popularity in zoos and private collections alike. Small wonder – the 52 described species, all placed in the genus Phelsuma, are active by day (of course!) and, when properly kept, quite willing to breed and exhibit a wide range of behaviors in moderately-sized enclosures. Feeding Day Geckos isn’t hard, as most eagerly feed upon crickets and mealworms, but their nutritional needs will not be met on this all-too-common diet.

If your Day Geckos are to live long, healthy lives and reproduce, a good deal of effort must be put into providing a varied diet. Fortunately, most herp keepers find the extra work – such as collecting or breeding “alternative” insect species – enjoyable, and well worth their efforts. The following foods and techniques have served me well throughout my zoo and private animal-keeping careers. The information can be applied to most species, including Standing’s, Gold Dust, Giant, Spotted, Lined and Peacock Day Geckos. However, details will vary. Please post below for information on individual species. Read the rest of this article here: Geckos in the Terrarium - Feeding Day GeckosThat Reptile Blog

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My Bio, with photos of animals I’ve been lucky enough to work with: That Pet Place welcomes Zoologist/Herpetologist Frank Indiviglio to That Reptile Blog | That Reptile BlogThat Reptile Blog

Thanks, Frank Indiviglio

 

[acpart]

THanks for the interesting article. I have kept a small number of day geckos for the past 7-8 years on Repashy Day Gecko Diet and crickets. One question --how do you successfully feed worms to day geckos in a planted enclosure where the worms will probably just bury themselves in the substrate (except for silkworms which could hang out on the mulberry leaves)?

Aliza

 

[bronxzoofrank]

THanks for the interesting article. I have kept a small number of day geckos for the past 7-8 years on Repashy Day Gecko Diet and crickets. One question --how do you successfully feed worms to day geckos in a planted enclosure where the worms will probably just bury themselves in the substrate (except for silkworms which could hang out on the mulberry leaves)?

Aliza

Hi Aliza,

Thanks for the kind words and info. I confine grubs, sow bugs an similar inverts to small cups. For individuals that prefer to feed above ground, I run a thin wire or paper clip through a plastic deli cup and then suspend it from a branch. Enjoy, best, Frank

 

[acpart]

Thanks for the info, Frank (yeah, I'm up late too).

ALiza

 

[bronxzoofrank]

Thanks for the info, Frank (yeah, I'm up late too).

ALiza

My pleasure...let me know if you get a chance to try, best, Frank