Crested geckos are not insectivores and can eat both vegetables and fruits along with some insects. The main meal consists of both protein and fibre, along with other few nutrients.
But there are a few prohibitions in the diet of a crested gecko. The diet system works for the creatures in such a way that they only can eat and get nutrition from the foods, both vegetarian and non-vegetarian, that are available near their place of origin.
Thus the crested geckos can eat such fruits which are generally available in their place of origin, which is, southern New Caledonia. This place is not rich in oranges, so it is usual that oranges will not be much helpful nutritionally for the crested gecko.
Contents
What fruits can crested gecko eat?
There are some fruits that are nutritious as well as tasty for the crested gecko, and they can be treated with these fruits occasionally. They can eat these fruits cut into small pieces and that should be cut around the size smaller than their head.
These fruits are banana, pear, mango, strawberry, fig and apricot. From the list, you can guess that only the soft and squishy fruits can be eaten by the crested gecko. Do not offer them fruits that have some hard parts, as they will be choked by that.
What fruits can crested gecko not eat?
Any citrus fruits are not good for crested gecko. So kiwis, pineapples, grapes and the one, this article is about, oranges are not safe for crested gecko. If you are a first-time owner, you should not offer the citrus fruits to the gecko. Also in most cases, the gecko will not enjoy eating them, and sometimes they even not touch the fruits you offer them.
What food is toxic for crested gecko?
The foods that are high in oxalic acid should be avoided by the crested geckos. This is not a good component for the geckos.
Also if you are using any chemical cleaner at home which has the perfume of pine then it should be avoided, when you keep crested gecko as your pet. Also when you use some bedding in the terrarium of crested gecko, do not use shavings of pine or such tree. This is highly poisonous for the geckos and they can even die by consuming and choking from the pine shavings.
What is the nutritional value of orange?
Orange is a much popular citrus fruit and it contains a high amount of vitamin C. There is numerous goodness of orange and for human, this is good fruit. The origin of orange comes from the hybrid of two citrus fruits, pomelo and mandarin. Almost all the subtropical and tropical countries of the world grow orange.
This fruit can be eaten in fresh form, by making juice or in dried form. In this fruit, you will get copper, zinc, sodium, potassium, ascorbic acid along with thiamin, riboflavin and niacin. Folic acid and retinol are also found in an orange. Vitamin B complex can be also availed from orange.
Need for calcium for crested gecko:
Calcium is a very important mineral for the crested gecko. Their bone structure is made from calcium and they need to keep that structure in good shape to stay healthy and fit. They would suffer from metabolic bone disease if they do not get ample calcium from their daily diet. The female ones need more calcium as they need to form the eggshells inside them.
The calcium-phosphorus ratio in orange:
When you need to decide if a food is good for the crested gecko or not, you need to check the calcium and phosphorus ratio of that food. The ca:p ratio is the balance of both the minerals and the percentage of these two minerals present in the food.
When the ca:p ratio of food is 2:1 or lower, then it can be labelled as good food for the crested gecko. Orange comes under these criteria and has a good ca:p ratio. So in that perspective, you can decide orange be a safe fruit for crested gecko.
Presence of oxalic acid in orange:
Oxalic acid is found in many fruits and vegetables and it leaves an impact on calcium absorption as well as kidney stone formation in many creatures. The compound works in such a way that it binds magnesium and calcium, so these minerals do not get absorbed in the body of crested gecko.
The presence of oxalic acid in orange is medium but the peel of the orange contains a high level of oxalic acid.
What can happen when you feed orange to the crested gecko?
When you feed the crested gecko with orange there will be a risk of less consumption of calcium in its body. Occasionally you can try giving a piece or two of orange, but do not make it a part of a regular diet.
Your gecko will fall sick and suffer from low bone density, which is highly common among reptiles. So if you chose to feed the orange to your crested gecko then give it in a very minimal amount and once in a month, so its calcium absorption is not hampered.
More:
