When it comes to choosing fruits to feed your crested gecko, you should look for those that have a good calcium-to-phosphorous ratio, are nutritious, and are low in oxalic acids.
This brings us to the question – can crested geckos eat tomatoes? Although tomatoes contain a variety of vitamins and minerals. They shouldn’t be fed to your pet. Here’s why.
Can Crested Geckos Eat Tomatoes?
No, crested geckos cannot eat tomatoes because tomatoes have levels of oxalic acid which isn’t good for their digestive system.
Why You Shouldn’t Feed Your Crested Gecko Tomatoes
Tomatoes are citric fruits and citric fruits contain acid. The acidity levels cause problems to the digestive system of a crested gecko creating imbalances.
Crested geckos haven’t evolved to handle the acidity of tomatoes hence feeding it to them can cause sickness and sometimes death.
5 Alternatives To Tomatoes
Not being able to feed tomatoes to your pet isn’t the end. Several alternatives have low oxalic acid, good Ca:P ratio, and are packed with nutrients and vitamins. Here are 5 fruits alternative to tomatoes:
- Blueberries
- Blackberries
- Kiwi
- Bananas
- Apples
Why Ca:P Ratio is Important in a Crested Gecko’s Diet
The ratio of calcium to phosphorus in blueberries is 1:2.4. This indicates that there is 2.4 times as much phosphorus as calcium in the blueberries.
Crested geckos should eat a diet that has a Ca:P ratio of 2:1, 1:1, or 1:0.5. The ratio you decide to feed your gecko can affect their growth, metabolism, and health.
If the gecko consumes calcium above what it needs, it is excreted in its urine.
If they consume too much phosphorus, they store it in their bones and teeth, which can lead to problems like kidney stones and metabolic bone disease.
Nutritional Value of Tomatoes
Ca:P Ratio of Tomatoes
You can figure this out by calculating the Ca:P ratio using the formula given below. According to the nutritional content, the Ca:P ratio is 14.9mg:35.8mg.
Dividing through by 14.9mg (calcium). The ratio becomes 1:2.4.
This makes tomatoes unsuitable food for crested geckos due to the high ratio of phosphorous to calcium.
Oxalic Acidity In Fruits and Vegetables
Oxalic acid is not a nutrient or essential dietary component and it is not required for normal growth or health.
When oxalic acid is consumed, it binds to the calcium and magnesium in the body and prevents them from being absorbed.
This can lead to calcium deficiency which can be harmful to your pet. Crested geckos are strict insectivores and may not benefit from the oxalic acid in the food and may not be able to digest it.
Some people recommend soaking and rinsing the tomatoes to get rid of the oxalic acid. However, this is not proven to be effective.
Oxalic Acid in Tomatoes
Tomatoes contain high levels of oxalic acid, which means that they are one of the worst foods for geckos. This level of oxalic acid actually poses a threat to the health of your pet if they consume it often.
Summary
Tomatoes shouldn’t be added to the diet of crested geckos due to the high levels of acid.
Furthermore, the Ca:P ratio is bad which might cause your gecko to develop metabolic bone disease.
The good news is that several alternative fruits can be fed to your crested gecko.
