Can Leopard Geckos Eat Blueberries And Strawberries?

Gecko parents face issues while selecting the best food to keep them healthy as they are picky. It’s tricky to decide what they can or can’t eat.

While picking up nutritious food for your leopard gecko, you may think of fruits as they are full of nutrients. 

It may come to your mind can leopard geckos eat blueberries and strawberries?

No, leopard geckos can’t eat blueberries and strawberries as they can’t digest them. Both have a high content of cellulose. You can’t offer them even as a treat to avoid any complications.

In this guide, you’ll get deep knowledge about why your gecko can’t eat blueberries and strawberries, why they can’t digest them, what happens if they eat and many other facts.

Why Leopard Gecko Can’t Eat Blueberries and Strawberries?

Leopard geckos can’t eat blueberries and strawberries as they are not suitable for them. In the wild, they found them very rarely due to this their stomach is not used to digest them. Also, their stomach is not made to digest them, so, it’s difficult for them to digest blueberries and strawberries.

They don’t have a pocket-like structure known as a cecum in between their intestines that carries undigested food. Cecum mainly carries cellulose which is the main part of strawberries and blueberries.

Their digestive tract has a better-designed small intestine where they digest the exoskeleton of insects and absorb more nutrients. Also, due to their nicely developed intestine, they don’t have cecum.

The jaws and skull of leopard geckos are also less powerful which makes it difficult to digest fiber and cellulose for them. Above all, they are insectivores and they love to eat insects and worms.

Why Leopard Gecko Can’t Digest Blueberries and Strawberries?

Along with the natural background, there are also a few common reasons why geckos can’t digest blueberries and strawberries.

Leopard gecko’s anatomy is not designed to ingest and digest them. The scarcity of the following structures hinders their capability to eat and digest blueberries and strawberries.

1. Short Digestive Tract

Short digestive tracts allow insectivores to eat and digest simple proteins. While blueberries and strawberries take a long time to break down and are hard to eat and digest.

The longer intestine is the one that allows herbivores to digest plants, fruit and vegetables. While leopard geckos have short intestines that don’t allow them to eat fruit like blueberries and strawberries.

2. Small Jaws and Sharp Teeth

Sharp teeth and small jaws of geckos have reduced the capacity of consuming and digesting strawberries and blueberries. Their small jaws don’t permit them to chew things very tough.

On the other hand, herbivores have large jaws that make their chewing capability powerful. They can easily chew tough things and ultimately efficiently digest them.

The small and sharp teeth of geckos help them to slice small insects easily. It’s difficult for them to break down mushy fruit like blueberries and strawberries.

3. Lack of Cecum

Cecum is part of the digestive tract that aids in the breaking down of vegetables and fruit. The absence of cecum in the digestive tract doesn’t help them to break down strawberries and blueberries. So, they can’t digest them.

Cecum has bacteria that help in the breakdown of cellulose which is largely present in fruit, especially in blueberries and strawberries. As cecum is not present in geckos, they lack the helpful bacteria necessary to break down cellulose.

It’s the main reason why you can’t feed your gecko blueberries and strawberries.

4. Alkaline Gastrointestinal Tract

The gastrointestinal tract of geckos is alkaline rather than acidic. The acidic digestive system helps tough food to digest easily. The alkaline system is best for the digestion of insects and worms which is the most suitable food for your gecko.

What Will Happen If Your Gecko Will Eat Blueberries and Strawberries?

Geckos can’t slice them due to their small jaws. Still, if you decide to feed them fruit what will happen to them?

High sugar levels in blueberries and strawberries will lead to the development of plaque. This will result in cavities in the gecko’s mouth. As their gums are not used to high sugar, they may be swollen and cause irritation.

If you will feed strawberries and blueberries to your gecko, they will accumulate around their digestive tract and your gecko may face bloating or cramps and eventually diarrhoea. 

What Do Leopard Geckos Feed?

Reptiles most likely leopard geckos are insectivores, so, they love to eat worms like waxworms, mealworms, butterworms, nightcrawlers and insects such as crickets, flies, grasshoppers and others. They are energetic hunters and they love to eat live prey.

You can collect leopard gecko food from stores. Never buy them from local stores as they may contain chemicals that may harm your gecko’s health. Also, don’t offer them dead worms or wild insects as they may carry bacteria or pesticides that may lead your geckos to death.

Always get your gecko food from a well-reputed store or gut load them by yourself to make sure they are of great quality.

How do Geckos Gain Essential Nutrients?

The most important thing that comes to someone’s mind about a gecko’s diet is how they get the required vitamins and minerals from their food.

Usually, it is recommended to dust their food with minerals and vitamin powder. Some insects and worms also have enough vitamins. Mostly, worms that are bought from stores have low nutrients, so, it is necessary to use powdered minerals and vitamins with them.

Conclusion

In final words, leopard geckos can’t eat blueberries and strawberries because of the high content of cellulose in them. Geckos can’t digest cellulose as they lack cecum, a digestive organ, designed to digest tough things like cellulose.

You can’t feed them even as a treat because they lead geckos to serious complications and eventually they may die. Therefore, never try to feed blueberries and strawberries to your pet gecko to keep it healthy.

Related Post:

Can I Feed My Leopard Gecko Only Mealworms?