Giant Day Gecko

The giant day gecko is a large, diurnal, arboreal gecko from Madagascar reaching 8–10 inches that eats a genuinely mixed diet of insects, flower nectar, and fruit pulp in the wild. In captivity that becomes two true co-staples fed in rotation — a commercial nectar/fruit powder and gut-loaded live insects — with insects actually offered more often than the powder diet.

Note: scoped to giant day gecko and similarly large Phelsuma only. Smaller day gecko species (neon, peacock, lined) need fruit flies and other tiny live food, not bulk feeders, and are out of scope for this page.

What to Feed

Two true co-staples, not primary-plus-treat: a fortified nectar/fruit powder (Repashy Day Gecko Diet or similar) and gut-loaded live insects. Best feeder: dubia roaches. Use medium dubia (~5/8 in, up to 3/4 in for large adults). Skip superworms — too large and bite-prone for this species.

Feeding Schedule

• Juveniles (0–6 mo): insects daily — Small dubia roach nymphs (about 50/week); nectar powder every other day
• Subadults/adults (6 mo+): insects 2–3x/week — Medium dubia roach nymphs (about 25–50/week); nectar powder 1x/week

Gut-Loading & Dusting

Dust every insect feeding with calcium — not occasionally. The nectar/fruit powder is independently fortified and isn't a substitute for dusted insects.

Common Mistakes

• Feeding superworms — too large and bite-prone for this species
• Treating the nectar powder as an occasional treat rather than a weekly-rotation co-staple
• Floor-feeding this arboreal species instead of using an elevated ledge/dish
• Gripping the gecko — day geckos have extremely delicate skin that tears easily; feed by tongs only
• Assuming smaller Phelsuma species can eat the same insect sizes as a giant day gecko