If you’ve ever seen a commercial for the popular insurance company, then you probably know what a gecko is. The typical gecko enjoys several different types of food. He will eat mollusks, arachnids and insects. Geckos are also known to eat small vertebrates and animals.
Depending on the situation, they’ll also eat flower nectar and fruits. Currently, there are over 1,500 different species of gecko in the world, and the food preferences differ from one species to the next.
Since the gecko is an opportunistic feeder, it will eat almost any animal that it can manage. However, some species prefer to eat specific types of prey. In most cases, the gecko isn’t picky and will eat whatever food source is abundant in its natural habitat.
A few of the typical menu items for these creatures are moths, butterflies, leafhoppers, mosquitos, flies, roaches, beetles and ants. Depending on the location, the gecko will also eat scorpions, tarantulas and large spiders.
Wild Geckos
When living in the wild, the typical gecko will consume virtually any creature that is small enough to be overpowered and consumed. Grasshoppers and crickets are top food sources. Wild geckos have also been known to eat a variety of arthropods, like scorpions, centipedes and spiders.
However, if the opportunity arises, they’ll even eat small rodents, such as those found inside of nests. Some species are actually cannibalistic and will eat their own kind.
Leopard Geckos
A typical leopard gecko is an insectivore, so it will only eat insects. Since they only eat insets, they’re very easy to feed as pets. As a pet, they’ll eat any insect that wiggles or moves in front of them. It’s best to only feed your lizard live insects.
It’s also important to note that leopard geckos won’t eat dead creatures. The most common food for this type of animal is live crickets, and they don’t eat vegetables or plants. They enjoy eating superworms, waxworms and mealworms.
Baby Geckos
As a pet, a baby gecko should be fed crickets. This is the most common type of food that it would eat in the wild, so it only makes sense to offer it. You can also feed your baby gecko worms, but they don’t provide nearly as much nutrition as crickets.
Another favorite for these little guys is the fruit fly, which are viewed as pieces of candy, but they’re actually very nutritional for the gecko.
Crested Geckos
Like most other species, these little guys love to eat crickets. They will eat other types of insects, but the crickets provide optimal nutrition and keep crested geckos full and happy.