The common house gecko (Hemidactylus frenatus) is a widespread reptile, easily recognized by its adaptability and its presence in urban environments. Understanding its diet is crucial for both appreciating its ecological role and ensuring proper care for those kept as pets. This article delves into the dietary habits of house geckos, covering everything from their natural prey to optimal feeding practices in captivity.
Natural Diet and Foraging Behavior
The common house gecko, native to South and Southeast Asia and Near Oceania, thrives in warm, humid areas, often found crawling on rotting wood in search of insects. As a nocturnal creature, the common house gecko hides during the day and actively hunts for insects at night. This preference for urban habitats makes available the preferred foods.
In their natural environment, house geckos are primarily insectivores, meaning their diet consists mainly of insects. They also consume spiders and other arthropods, effectively reducing the number of insects in homes, which has earned them the nickname "house cleaners" in Central America, where they are sometimes called "limpia casas".
A dietary overview of Hemidactylus turcicus with possible implications of food partitioning includes crickets, grasshoppers, moths, butterflies, isopods, flies, roaches, spiders, beetles, ants, and snails.
Dietary Adaptations and Preferences
The common house gecko is an adaptable species, capable of thriving in diverse environments. This adaptability extends to their diet, allowing them to prey on whatever insects and spiders are available. The common house gecko appears to prefer areas in the light which are proximal to cracks, or places to escape. They readily consume insects attracted to light sources, which explains why they are frequently seen near porch lights and windows in urban settings.
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Nutritional Needs of House Geckos
Like all animals, house geckos require a balanced diet to maintain their health and well-being. Protein is essential for growth and repair, while calcium and vitamin D3 are crucial for bone health. A varied diet is key to ensuring they receive all the necessary nutrients.
Feeding House Geckos in Captivity
When keeping house geckos as pets, it's important to replicate their natural diet as closely as possible. Here are some guidelines for feeding house geckos in captivity:
Feeder Insects
Offer a variety of feeder insects to ensure a balanced diet. Good options include:
- Crickets
- XS Dubia nymphs
- XS Discoid nymphs
- Red head roaches
- Young grasshoppers/locusts
- Flightless fruit flies
- Isopods
- Rice beetles
- Bean beetles
- Buffalo beetles/larvae
- XS superworms
The insects should be no longer than the width of your gecko’s head to ensure he can stomach them.
Feeding Schedule
- Juveniles: Feed daily, allowing them to eat as much as they want per meal.
- Adults: Feed every other day, offering as many feeders as they can consume in a 5-minute period.
Gut Loading
Gut loading the insects is beneficial to your gecko's overall well-being. When gut loading, feed the insects a nutritious diet about 24 hours before offering them to your gecko.
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Supplementation
All feeder insects should be lightly dusted with a 50/50 mixture of calcium and multivitamin powders to correct the calcium-phosphorus ratio and provide extra nutrition at each feeding. Repashy Calcium Plus LoD is a solid all-in-one supplement for getting started. Dust young house geckos (under 1 year old) insects with more powder. Opt for a calcium supplement fortified with vitamin D3 and dust it on two to three time a week.
Water
Provide a small, shallow water bowl for your gecko and fill it with fresh, chlorine free water once a day. Your gecko may drink from it and/or use it as a spot to bath. Always give your gecko de-chlorinated water, as distilled water can cause medical issues for your gecko due to its lack of nutrients and minerals.
Additional Considerations for Captive Care
Habitat
House geckos need an enclosure that is large enough to give them adequate opportunity to thermoregulate, explore, hunt, and generally exercise natural behaviors. The minimum recommended enclosure size for housing a single Mediterranean house gecko is 12″L x 12″W x 18″H, or 30 x 30 x 45cm. A deeper tank, with high walls, is ideal for a gecko. For the lizard’s mental health and ease of access, it is best to use an enclosure that is front-opening and opaque on all sides but the front. It also must be well-ventilated to discourage stagnation and mold growth.
Temperature and Humidity
The tank’s overall temperature should be around 85ºF-90ºF (29ºC-32ºC) at the warm end and about 78ºF-80ºF(25ºC-27ºC) at the cool end. Night temperatures should stay around 78ºF-80ºF(25ºC-27ºC). Appropriate temperatures can be achieved by using a small low wattage heat lamp on one end of the of the tank. Keep the heat lamp on for 12 hours a day and then turn it off at night. Do not use a heat rock as they are outdated and can cause severe burns and even death.
House geckos are tropical species and they respond well to a humid environment, about 70% - 90% humidity. You can ensure the tank stays humid by misting the tank with water once to twice a day. Use a clean misting bottle and fresh chlorine free water. You can also set up an automatic mister in your tank that releases a spray of water on a daily basis.
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Substrate
Put substrate at the bottom of the tank. Substrate at the bottom of the tank will help to keep the environment humid and hot, just how your gecko likes it. You can use a simple and low maintenance option for substrate, such as paper towels or newspaper. Change the paper substrate two to three times a week.
Enrichment
Add in plants, nets, and hiding spots. House geckos require things to climb on like store-bought branches and vines. You can also get sea-grass woven nets for them to use. They can be given rocks in the area of their cage without a heat lamp to prevent the rocks burning them, along with store-bought mosses, leaves, live and artificial plants, and much more. Because house geckos are nocturnal, they will need a place to sleep and hide at night. You can buy hiding structures, often made of cork, from your local pet store. Buy at least two hiding structures and place one on the cool side of the tank and one on the warm side. This will give your gecko the option of cooling down or warming up.