Can Crested Geckos Eat Strawberries?
If you are considering what you can feed your Crested Gecko (Click here to see why I love this Gecko feeder, on Amazon) you may have wondered about Strawberries. But, is a good idea or not? Let me explain…
Can crested geckos eat strawberries? Yes, crested geckos can definitely eat strawberries. They can be consumed on their own or you can mix them with other fruits. However, due to their lack of nutritional value, in particular, their Calcium to Phosphorus ratio, best to mix them with other fruits.
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Now that you know that they can be consumed, let me go on to explain where strawberries come from, their calcium to phosphorus level, why this is something you should be looking out for and so much more. Keep reading.
Where do strawberries come from?
Before we delve into crested geckos consuming strawberries, let’s do a bit of background on strawberries themselves. According to Wikipedia, Strawberries were first introduced, in particular, the garden strawberries, in Brittany, France.
This was a long time ago way back in the 1750s. This was originally done by cross-pollination of two other variations (one from North America, the other from Chile).
Now strawberries are a well-known part of our day-to-day diet and consumed by us as well as lizards.
Do strawberries have a good Calcium to phosphorus ratio?
If you are familiar with the science of strawberries, I am going to explain their Calcium to phosphorus ratio. If not, don’t worry, I’m going to explain what this is in detail later in this article.
To cut a long story short, strawberries have an “OK” Calcium to phosphorus ratio. But, not great.
For your info, the ideal ratio is 2:1.
However, strawberries have an even ratio (1:1). This is not really bad. But, to put this into perspective, let’s compare this to a tomato. This has an inverse ratio of 1:2. Meaning it has more phosphorus than calcium. Basically, in contrast, they are not ideal for a Crested Geckos.
Calcium, What now?
With all this talk of calcium and phosphorus, you may be wondering what is it and why is this even relevant to Cresties eating strawberries, right?
Don’t worry, in this section, I’m going to break down what it is so you know what to look out for. This is not only relevant for strawberries. But, also for other fruit that you may consider for your Crested Gecko.
The importance of Calcium & Phosphate
Phosphate is is a mineral which bonds with calcium. Together they are very important. Why? because, together, they are the lifeblood your bones and teeth. This is a key component to keeping them strong.
For this to be effective, you need the ideal balance. Meaning, there has to be a certain ratio of Calcium to Phosphorus. And, this is where this ratio comes from.
Hence the reason why it is important to look out for this ideal balance in the foods that you give to our Crestie. They consume this stuff through the food they eat.
What is the ideal Ratio for a Crested Gecko’s?
As discussed briefly earlier the ideal ratio is 2:1. And, the important things to consider here is, even if a fruit or vegetable has a low ratio, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s not possible to be given to a Crested Gecko. It depends.
In some cases, you can still give him the fruit or vegetable. You will just have to mix it with other fruit to balance is more evenly, are you with me?
But, aren’t strawberries citrus?
There is often a misconception about strawberries being citric. The reality is, they are not citric. Even though they may have a weird acidic taste.
The dangers of Lizards and Citrus
For those that do not know, it is not a good idea to feed citrus-based fruit to your lizard (What fruits do lizards eat? Click here) Why? because they can upset their stomach and cause too much acidic balance.
Example of fruits to avoid includes:
- Lemon
- Lime
- Oranges
Because strawberries are not citrus you can safely give them to your crested gecko.
What other foods or fruits should you avoid?
In the last section, we already discussed the dangers of citrus fruit, such as lemon and lime. However, there are other foods to consider. Here are a few more:
- Star fruit
- Rhubarb
- Grapefruit
- Avacado
Avocado is a strange one. It contains “Persin”. According to Wikipedia it is a fungicidal toxin which is based inside the Avacado. It goes on to describe it as an oil-soluble compound which seeps into the body of the Avacado from the seeds.
What is the Crested Gecko food pyramid?
This food pyramid, according to CompleteCritter.com, is a guide for the required macronutrients for your Crested Gecko. This is based on experiences from crested gecko keepers and other relevant sources.
Related Questions:
In this section, I will answer some related question, related to Cresties and Strawberries. If there is a burning question in your mind that you need to be answered, feel free to drop a comment below.
Q: What is so different about strawberries?
You may be thinking about what is so great about Strawberries. They are just like any other fruit, right. Well, yes and no. There are some interesting facts about them. Hence the reason I will highlight a few facts about them now.
Strawberries have a lot of seeds.
Strawberries are quite unique. Why? because they have their seeds on the outside. You can expect to have approximately 200+ seeds within each strawberry. That’s a lot!
And this is one of the major reasons why you will get a mouthful of seeds every time you bite into these bad boys.
Are they True Berries?
Even though strawberries have the word, “berries” in their name, this doesn’t mean that they are technically a berry. As confusing as this is, I will help to explain…
Basically, to be considered as a true Berry, the seeds need to be on the inside of the fruit. Obviously, for strawberries, this is not the case. Therefore they are not technically berries.
Are part of the Rose family.
You may or may not know that strawberries are actually part of the Rose family. Maybe this is one of the reasons why they smell so sweet when they are growing naturally, right?
Q: Can you mix crested geckos?
If you are considering growing your family of Cresties, it’s important to understand how far you can go with it. Meaning, what they can and can’t mix with.
Can you mix Cresties? Yes, you can. But, you have to be very careful with it. The reality is they can be aggressive depending on what you’re mixing them with, are you with me?
Another point to add, to put things into perspective, they are known to eat their own young. So it just shows you the type of temperament you are dealing with.
Avoid mixing them with small fry!
If you have a Crested Gecko which is smaller than the other one, then do not consider mixing them. Why? Simple, because the bigger one will not hesitate to beat him up and serve him up for lunch.
If you have a slightly smaller crested gecko and you would like to pair them up. It is a good idea to wait until the smaller one gets bigger and stronger, so they are roughly equal.
Forget Mixing Male Cresties
Mixing two male crested geckos is not worth the hassle. Why? Because there is typically more aggression in males and they are quite territorial. Meaning, they will fight to establish who is the alpha male (sounds like a typical Friday night in a night club, right?).
If you have two females that you’re considering mixing together. Rather than throwing them together right away, it is better to have one in a separate cage and see how they respond when they are in close proximity first.
