Leopard geckos are fascinating creatures that come in a variety of colors. They’re originally from the deserts of Asia and Africa, but they’re now popular pets around the world.
Being knowledgeable about the best foods for a healthy diet and how to feed a well-balanced meal is critical. As carnivores, Leopard Geckos feed on insects and other tiny animals in the wild.
Many first-time pet owners don’t understand that their pets need a variety of gut-loaded insects in their diet. As a result, the insects are loaded with nutrients that will benefit the health of your lizard.
In this guide, we’ll take a look at what leopard geckos eat, provide some tips on how to keep your gecko healthy and detail the best feeding schedules.
About Leopard Geckos
Ownership of a leopard gecko, which may grow to 15 to 25 centimeters and survive for 10 to 20 years in captivity, necessitates considerable effort and money. They like to be left alone, but with gentle handling, they can learn accustomed to living with people.
The eyes of a healthy gecko are clear and bright, and the tail is long and robust. Resting, its tummy should not touch the floor.
It’s advisable to start with a large enclosure instead of a starter kit for your leopard gecko because it will quickly outgrow it. A leopard gecko vivarium will need a few things, such as the following:
Tanks for an adult gecko should be at least 60 centimeters long, 40 centimeters high, and 30 centimeters deep.
The tank must be easy to clean and sufficiently aired in order to prevent the growth of bacteria.
What do Leopard Geckos eat?
Crickets and mealworms are the ideal insects to give your leopard gecko. As an alternative, you can give him beetle larvae and cockroaches, as well as waxworms and butterworms.
It’s best to feed waxworms and superworms as a reward because they’re high in calories. Your gecko may become obese if you feed it more than once a week, so be careful.
It is recommended that geckos only consume butterworms as a special treat because they are high in fat and calcium, and some geckos may become addicted to them and refuse to eat anything else.
Northampton Reptile Centre sells live food for Leopard Geckos.
The only food that should be fed to him should be live, and you should never feed him fruit or vegetables.
Mealworms
The leopard gecko’s favorite food is mealworms. They may be found at most pet stores and are reasonably priced. In order to save the cost of feeding your pet, you can breed them and store the offspring. As long as your leopard gecko like them, you shouldn’t have a problem including them into your pet’s diet.
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Mealworms have a drawback because they are slow-moving. Don’t provide much of a chase for the leopard gecko because it’s too easy for it to catch them. Because of their tendency to burrow and the difficulty of retrieving them during dinner, their hard outer shell can occasionally cause digestive difficulties.
Crickets
You can also feed your leopard gecko crickets, which are an excellent source of protein and have a higher nutritional value than other options. You may help your pet feel more at home and keep them active by feeding them crickets, which are known to leap. Low in fat, it is easily absorbed by your pet, and it is a good source of protein for your pet. You can feed your pets low-cost food indefinitely if you have the space to do so, just like mealworms.
Unless you’ve owned lizards in the past, you probably didn’t know that crickets smell. Even a handful of them in a cage will give off a strong odor that can be detected from across the room. A leopard gecko’s incessant chirping and leaping can make a lot of noise, especially when you’re trying to collect them for your pet.
Dubia Roaches
The Dubia cockroach is the most common type of roach for leopard geckos, although there are many more to choose from. Because they can’t climb, this roach won’t get away. Because they don’t make any noise, they’re easy to breed. All you need is a warm, dark place to put them. High nutritional value and easy collection at feeding time make them ideal for stimulating the hunting urge in birds. They move faster than mealworms, which makes them more appealing to birds.
Dubia roaches have a number of advantages, but they are significantly more expensive than the other solutions we’ve looked at. It’s possible that you’ll need to buy them more than once because some individuals have trouble setting up a breeding environment, and they’re not as widely available as mealworms or crickets.
Waxworms
To get its hands on waxworms, your leopard gecko goes to extremes, bypassing other items in its route. It’s good for your pet to eat waxworms, but they’re also high in fat, which might lead to weight gain. Experts generally advocate serving them as an occasional reward to avoid obesity and the associated medical issues. Using them as a form of bribery to entice uncooperative geckos to eat again is also a common practice. If you want to keep your waxworms for more than a few days, it’s best to buy them in bulk rather than try to raise them yourself.
A favorite of leopard geckos
Nutritional value is high
Good for getting stubborn geckos to take food
A high level of fat
Other Feeder Insects
Insect feeders are available in other forms, but they are more difficult to come by and can be rather expensive. We recommend feeding your leopard gecko hornworms, silkworms, super worms, and butterworms from time to time to keep their diet interesting. Insects such as the Black Soldier Fly Larvae are popular exotic foods because they provide the perfect ratio of calcium to phosphorus and may be purchased online.
What should a Leopard Gecko drink?
Clean, fresh water should be accessible at all times in your Leopard Gecko’s tank.
Your gecko will be able to drink from the shallow dish without risk of drowning if it manages to climb in.
The dish should be stable to avoid spillage because the cage’s substrate must be maintained dry.
If your Leopard Gecko’s tank is too chilly, it may not be eating: The temperature of your gecko’s tank should be checked first. Leopard geckos, like other reptiles, must rely on external mechanisms to maintain their body temperature.
Learn about different Leopard Gecko Morphs
When the temperature in your Leopard Gecko’s tank drops too low, it will stop eating. If the problem persists, your gecko’s immune system may be compromised as a result of the cold.
When a Leopard Gecko is under stress, it is less likely to consume food. Your Leopard Gecko’s refusal to feed could also be due to stress.
When you initially bring your gecko home, it may take some time for it to start eating because of changes in its environment.
This problem can be alleviated by providing your gecko with plenty of hiding places in its tank.
Dehydration could be the reason why your Leopard Gecko isn’t eating: One more thing to keep in mind is that your Leopard Gecko may stop eating if its tank isn’t full of water.
If your Leopard Gecko still won’t feed after you’ve done everything listed above, you should consult a veterinarian because this could be an indication of a more serious health concern.
For more information on why your gecko isn’t eating, check out our page on Leopard Gecko Health Issues.
Gut Loading
Gut loading the insects you feed your Leopard Gecko is the best method to ensure it gets all the vitamins and minerals it requires.
Preparing your Leopard Gecko’s prey with a nutritious diet is known as gut loading. Gut loading the insects 12 hours before giving them to your gecko is highly suggested.
There are a wide selection of fruits and vegetables that crickets can consume, which will provide your Leopard Gecko an extra dose of nutrition (but avoid acidic fruit and veg, as well as spinach and broccoli).
The Northampton Reptile Centre sells cricket feed gel balls that double as water sources.
To avoid the growth of mold, be careful to change the crickets’ diet on a regular basis.
Carrots are a favorite food of mealworms. Do this at least 24 hours in advance of feeding your gecko. To supplement the mealworms’ diet, add some cricket gut loading food to the carrots.
The mealworms you put in your Leopard Gecko’s tank for him to eat anytime he wants might benefit from having some food left for them as well, just in case he decides to consume them.
Supplements
Calcium powder should be applied to all bug feeders. Metabolic Bone Disease can be prevented with vitamin D3 supplements, even without the usage of a UVB light. Leaving calcium powder in a dish for your leopard gecko may be an option for some of you. A serving of the meal is always on hand. In order to thrive, leopard geckos must consume a lot of calcium.
When your pet’s body needs calcium, it will lick the supplement from your hand and ingest it in that way.
Pets in this circumstance are able to self-regulate their calcium intake and lick supplements when their bodies indicate that they require more calcium.
Adolescent leopard geckos, on the other hand, need more calcium than adults. As a result, if your pet is still a young, you may benefit from this.
The risk of vitamin D3 overdose can be reduced by using calcium powder that does not include vitamin D3.
Leopard geckos, like other reptiles, need a multivitamin now and then. For young geckos, use a multivitamin powder once a week, and for adult geckos, apply it once every other week. There is no need for an additional multivitamin if you are taking Repashy CalciumPlus. For my Leo, Arcadia RevitaliseD3 is the one and only supplement I use.
Conclusion
Making sure your pet gets the right nutrition is important. Employing these simple feeding techniques should answer any questions you may have about what leopard geckos eat!
Leopard Gecko Diet FAQ
Can Leopard Geckos eat fruit and vegetables?
Fruit and vegetables are off-limits to Leopard Geckos because they are insectivores. Leopard Geckos only consume flesh, such as insects, in order to sustain themselves.
Their bodies aren’t built to handle or digest fruits and vegetables, therefore they can’t ingest them.
There is no functioning Cecum, which is the area of the organism that would digest Cellulose, the substance present in fruit and vegetables..
As a result, they have a shorter digestive system, which is alkaline, as opposed to a longer and acidic digestive tract found in herbivores.
Meat-eating animals also have a smaller skull and jaw than their herbivorous counterparts.
Leopard Geckoes can consume fruit and vegetables, according to some research, but because they can’t digest them, it’s unlikely that they’ll benefit from it.
The chances are that your Leopard Gecko is only eating fruit and vegetables because you force it to, rather than because it’s a natural behavior for them.
Insects are a good source of protein that can be easily digested by a person’s body.
At the Northampton Reptile Centre, you may buy insects and worms, as well as a variety of other reptile supplies.
Can I Feed My Leopard Treats?
Yes, there are a variety of insects that can be used as treats! A lot of fat is found in what I refer to as treat insects. You should only feed your leopard gecko these snacks once or twice a week, or more frequently to assist him or her gain weight.
Treat your leopard gecko to one or more of the following treats from time to time:
Superworms
Waxworms
Butterworms