4,660 answers about reptiles & amphibians
Keeping reptiles and amphibians well comes down to environment — heat, light, humidity and the right enclosure — plus feeding and health basics that differ by species. This page gathers the reptile and amphibian library of KinsLe Answers in one place, organized by topic. Every answer is original, written by KinsLe, and tied to a real KinsLe feature.
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387 answers in Feeding & Nutrition — page 8 of 17
A common house gecko needs only a small handful of tiny live insects a day while young, and most adults do well on a light meal every day or every other day rather than a large one. Think in pinches, not piles: a few small crickets, tiny roaches, or fruit flies roughly matching the width of its head, offered at dusk…
A tokay gecko in captivity eats live insects and almost nothing else: crickets, dubia roaches, and black soldier fly larvae as staples, with locusts, silkworms, or hornworms for variety and waxworms strictly as treats. This big, bold hunter is a pure carnivore built to chase moving prey at night, so every staple…
A rosy boa in captivity eats frozen-thawed mice for essentially her whole life, from pinkies as a newborn through fuzzy and hopper sizes to one adult mouse per meal, with only the largest females sometimes taking a small rat. Whole rodents suit this small desert constrictor completely, and mice match her modest girth…
A rainbow boa in captivity eats whole frozen-thawed rodents, mostly rats once she is past the hatchling stage, sized about as wide as the thickest part of her body. Hatchlings start on pinky or fuzzy mice, move to rat pups, and then climb the rat sizes as they grow, because a single rat is a more complete meal than…
A mourning gecko in captivity eats a complete powdered fruit diet as her staple, mixed fresh with water, plus very small live insects such as flightless fruit flies, tiny roaches, and pinhead crickets. In the wild these geckos lap nectar and soft fruit and snap up minute invertebrates, and the captive menu copies that…
In captivity most hognose snakes eat frozen-thawed mice, starting on pinkies as babies and moving up to fuzzy or small adult mice as they grow. The species is a toad specialist in the wild, which explains the famous picky eaters: a stubborn hognose may need a mouse scented with tuna juice or frog scent before it…
A giant day gecko in captivity eats a blend of complete powdered diet, live insects, and soft ripe fruit, reflecting a wild menu of insects, nectar, and overripe fruit eaten in daylight. Offer fresh powder mix every other day, dusted crickets or roaches several times a week, and small tastes of mashed mango or papaya…
A gargoyle gecko in captivity eats a complete powdered fruit-and-insect diet as the daily base, with live insects such as crickets, small roaches, and black soldier fly larvae offered a few times a week. This New Caledonian gecko is an omnivore who laps soft fruit and hunts bugs in the wild, and the powdered diet…
In captivity a boa constrictor eats whole rodents, almost always frozen-thawed rats sized to the widest part of his body. Babies begin on small mice, move through rat pups as they grow, and adults settle on medium to large rats, with the biggest females occasionally taking larger prey such as rabbits. Whole prey…
Feed a juvenile tokay gecko every day and a healthy adult every other day, offering as many calcium-dusted insects as he will chase down in about fifteen minutes. Tokays are large, active, muscular geckos with appetites to match, and a growing youngster kept on an adult schedule will fall behind quickly. Let the tail…
Feed a young rosy boa every five to seven days and a mature adult every ten to fourteen days, using prey about as wide as the snake's mid-body. Rosy boas are slow-moving desert snakes with an equally slow metabolism, and they are famously easy to overfeed into a thick, sluggish middle age on a schedule that would suit…
A young rainbow boa eats about once a week, while a healthy adult usually eats every ten to fourteen days, with each meal sized close to the widest part of her body and no wider. Rainbow boas carry a slower, humidity-loving metabolism than many pet snakes, and they gain weight quietly under that iridescent skin, so…
Feed a mourning gecko a fresh portion of complete powdered gecko diet every other day, replacing what is left after about a day so it never sits sour in a warm, humid tank. Two or three times a week, add a small scattering of flightless fruit flies or pinhead-sized crickets as living prey, and feed hatchlings and…
Feed a hognose snake on a moderately frequent schedule — a hatchling every few days, a juvenile about twice a week, and an adult roughly once a week — with a single appropriately sized mouse at each meal rather than several small ones. Hognoses are active, toad-hunting snakes with a lively metabolism, but adults also…
Offer a giant day gecko food on a near-daily rhythm: a fresh dish of complete prepared diet most days for a growing gecko, settling to every other day for a healthy adult, with small live insects offered a few times a week alongside. This is a large, active, daytime species that browses and laps frequently rather than…
Feed a garter snake more often than most snakes: a young garter benefits from small meals every two to three days, while an adult usually does well on a meal every four to five days, because this active species burns through food quickly. Offer several small items — earthworms, fish pieces, or pinky parts as…
Offer a gargoyle gecko its prepared diet every other evening, replacing the dish with a fresh portion each time, and judge intake by lick marks and droppings rather than by whether the bowl looks emptied. Adults in good condition may take the dish only a few nights a week and still hold weight well, while growing…
Feed a boa constrictor far less often than its appetite suggests: roughly every week to ten days for a growing juvenile, stretching to every two to three weeks for a settled adult, with prey about as wide as the snake's body at its widest. Boas gain weight quietly on a schedule that feels sparse, so judge the interval…
Feed a shy frog at its active hour, in dim light, from low and to the side rather than looming over the enclosure, and present the insect on soft-tipped tongs at the edge of the frog's cover so it can strike without leaving safety. Move the prey with tiny, intermittent wiggles, then hold still, because constant waving…
Give a new crested gecko quiet and time before expecting a meal, because many will not eat until they feel secure, which can take several evenings. Offer fresh, smooth prepared diet in a shallow dish on a ledge along a route the gecko already uses, replace it nightly, and look for tiny lick marks rather than an…
Keep feeder crickets or roaches in a smooth-sided, well-ventilated container away from your reptiles' room if possible, with egg crate or cardboard hides, dry food in a shallow dish, and water provided as gel or damp produce rather than an open bowl they can drown and foul in. Remove dead insects and spent food daily,…
Build the week around your skink's staple protein and greens, then rotate the supporting items so no single food dominates: plan protein days, salad days, and one lighter day rather than improvising at the fridge. Write the rotation down with portion notes for your individual skink, alternate two or three quality…
Expect a baby bearded dragon to favour insects, but keep offering a small, fresh salad every morning anyway so greens are a normal sight before hunger peaks. Chop leaves finely, mix in bright squash or a little grated carrot for colour, mist lightly, and place the dish where the baby basks after warming up rather than…
You cannot confirm calcium status from the menu alone, because a tortoise can eat calcium-rich weeds and still absorb poorly without proper light, warmth, and overall diet balance. Look instead at the whole picture: steady growth, a hard smooth shell, strong limbs, bright appetite, and normal activity, weighed against…
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