Reptile Food and Supplements: Insects, Complete Diets, Greens and Calcium
Know Your Reptile's Diet Type
- Insect-eaters: leopard geckos and many small lizards. Live insects, gut-loaded and dusted.
- Omnivores: bearded dragons, blue-tongued skinks, aquatic turtles. Protein plus plenty of greens, with the balance shifting toward greens as they age.
- Herbivores: tortoises and uromastyx. Weeds, leafy greens, grasses and flowers.
- Whole-prey eaters: snakes. Frozen-thawed rodents and other whole prey.
- Fruit, nectar and insects: crested and gargoyle geckos. A complete powdered diet plus some insects.
Live Insects and Gut-Loading
Crickets, roaches, black soldier fly larvae, silkworms, hornworms and mealworms are the usual feeders. Variety matters more than any one insect. Size insects no bigger than the space between your reptile's eyes.
Gut-loading means feeding the insects a nutritious diet for a day or two before they're eaten, so your reptile gets more from them. Keep feeders clean, fed and watered, and remove uneaten live insects from the enclosure, because crickets can nibble a sleeping reptile.
Calcium and Vitamin Powders
Most insect-eating reptiles need their insects lightly dusted with a calcium powder, because insects are low in calcium. Powders come with or without vitamin D3. Which one, and how often, depends on the species and on how much UVB it gets, so follow your species page or ask your vet or a specialist keeper. A multivitamin powder now and then covers other gaps.
These are husbandry supplements for healthy animals. If your vet prescribes anything for a sick reptile, follow their instructions.
Complete Diets, Pellets and Frozen Foods
- Complete gecko diets: powdered foods mixed with water, made for crested and gargoyle geckos. Use one made for your species.
- Pellets: useful for aquatic turtles and some lizards, but not a whole diet. For turtles, keep pellets to about a quarter of the diet.
- Freeze-dried and canned insects: handy as a backup or treat; most insect-eaters still do best on mainly live prey.
- Frozen rodents: the standard for snakes. Thaw in a sealed bag in warm water, never in a microwave.
Greens and Vegetables
Omnivores and herbivores need fresh greens daily. Good staples include collard greens, dandelion greens, arugula (rocket), endive and cactus pads. Use spinach and other high-oxalate greens sparingly, and fruit only as a treat. Wash everything, and never feed plants that may have been sprayed.
Stocking the Reptile Pantry
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A calcium powder (with or without D3 as your species needs) and a reptile multivitamin go on insect meals. A gut-load diet keeps feeder insects nutritious, and a ventilated feeder box keeps them alive. A complete gecko diet suits crested geckos, aquatic turtle pellets suit turtles, and freeze-dried insects make a useful backup.
Frequently Asked Questions
Calcium and complete diets come up most.
Can a crested gecko live on a complete diet alone?
Many do well on a complete powdered diet made for crested geckos, and some insects add variety and exercise. Use a diet made for your species.
Do I need calcium with D3 or without it?
It depends on the species and how much UVB it gets. Follow your species page or ask your vet or a specialist keeper.
Are freeze-dried insects as good as live ones?
They're useful as a backup, but most insect-eating reptiles do best on mainly live, gut-loaded insects.
What does gut-loading mean?
Feeding insects a nutritious diet for a day or two before your reptile eats them, so the insects pass more nutrition on.
How big should feeder insects be?
No bigger than the space between your reptile's eyes.
Is it safe to leave live crickets in the enclosure?
Remove uneaten crickets after a meal. They can stress or nibble a resting reptile.
Related Reading
- Turtle diet by age: feeding hatchlings and adults.
- Bearded dragon setup: diet by age for dragons.
- Crested geckos: complete diets in practice.
This page is about everyday feeding for healthy reptiles. If your reptile stops eating, loses weight or seems unwell, contact a vet who treats reptiles.