Disclaimer: This article's purpose is for you to come to your own conclusion.
Do you ever wonder why your geckos don’t seem to be growing while other breeders seem to have geckos growing at triple the pace of yours?
Do you want to know the secret? It's insects.
A lot of people point the finger at breeders, claiming they are “power feeding” their geckos for fast growth rates when in reality most of these breeders are simply feeding their geckos a nutrient-dense diet—exactly what they should be eating.
Let me say it again for the breeders still committed to a commercial-only diet from the early 2010s. The geckos reaching adult size within their first 1-2 years, who are supplemented with gut-loaded insects, are growing at a normal rate. The geckos taking 3+ years to reach adult size is arguably not normal. This isn't to say growing slowly is a bad thing, it's just not normal for most species.
For nearly every animal species out there, baby animals are meant to grow quickly for survival and breeding purposes. Taking this into consideration, do crested geckos actually grow slowly, or is a diet solely on commercial powdered foods slowing them down?
Crested geckos were created to eat a lot more than dried fruit powder and whey/egg protein. Flip your packaged food over and read the label. The food we commonly feed our geckos is nothing more than powdered fruit, whey/egg protein, and vitamins. In the wild, these geckos eat rotten fruit, honey, pollen, live insects, and nectar. Did I mention insects?
There is a study (a very old study) about wild crested geckos and the contents that were found in their stomach. If I can find the article again, I will include it as a reference. From what I clearly remember, beetles and pollen were among the highest percentages of contents found, and not so much fruit. I am not saying crested geckos should not or do not eat fruit, I am just saying fruit wasn't the only thing found in their stomachs. Of course, the contents found in the crested gecko stomachs could have a seasonal impact too.
On the beautiful island of New Caledonia, insects are more accessible to crested geckos than fruit. This is because fruit is seasonal and often consumed by other animals too, so geckos probably do not have the opportunity to munch on native fruits all year round or as often as they would like. Taking this into consideration, geckos most likely eat a lot of insects because, unlike fruit, beetles and roaches are available all year round. Although crested geckos eat fruit, it might be more of a seasonal food source. However, this is just a thought.
Although commercial diets are staples in the gecko-keeping community and have been tried and true for a number of years now, we are still seeing slow growth rates with geckos eating commercial diets without insects. Of course, this does not speak for every gecko.
So...
Going back to the breeders that supplement their gecko’s commercial diet with plenty of insects, a dollop of honey, and a sprinkle of pollen. Are these breeders truly "power feeding" their geckos to grow fast or are they simply feeding their geckos a nutrient-dense diet that’s closer to what they would consume in the wild? And as a result, faster-growing animals.
By the way. Let's clear something up.
To the people who claim feeding bugs to their geckos a few times a week is "power feeding," you are mistaken. Power feeding is when you cram additional food into an animal's mouth while it is already eating something--which should NEVER happen under any circumstances. Power feeding is animal abuse. When a gecko voluntarily eats on its own, it's called "feeding" your gecko. When a gecko has access to too much food and is obese as a result, it is called "overfeeding" your gecko.
Pointing fingers at breeders for “fast” growth rates while you praise your astronaut diet for "slow" growth rates is a bit ironic. Why treat growing fast as negative and growing slow as positive? As long as the gecko is healthy, there shouldn't be any type of shaming. I believe the ideology that growing fast is "bad" or "wrong" roots from jealousy. Jealousy that one's geckos aren't growing and breeding as quickly as others.
At the end of the day, if my geckos had to pick between their astronaut diet or insects, the majority of my geckos will choose the insects. And I'm happy to offer them that option. Insects provide protein, vitamins, and vital brain stimulation!
I do believe Pangea and Repashy are both some of the best commercial diets out there right now, but I’d also pin the question: Is a commercial diet alone the absolute best diet for crested geckos?
This post is NOT suggesting to stop using commercial diets. I highly encourage it! That is what they should be eating. In fact, Pangea is a personal favorite commercial diet. My geckos are particularly in favor of the apricot flavor. They also enjoy Repashy's Banana Cream Pie mixer. As you can see, I don't shy away from commercial diets as long as it is a reputable brand with good ingredients. However, I believe incorporating insects into their diet is essential too.
If you feel commercial diets without the use of insects are best for your animal, that's okay. Do what you think and know is best for your animal, but allow others to do what they think is best too. There is no need to shame keepers for feeding their geckos insects (which is what they would be consuming in the wild), and as a result, experience faster growth rates than you.
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