What do Leopard Geckos Eat?
Leopard geckos are insectivores, meaning they live off of insects. You can feed them things like dubia roaches, crickets, silk worms, butter worms, and wax worms. Wax worms are fatty and should only be fed on occasion. Horn worms are also a good option, however, they grow extremely fast, almost doubling in size overnight. Avoid feeding meal worms. Do to their hard exo-skeleton, they are very difficult for your gecko to digest and can cause impaction and digestive problems.
Where can you get Feeder Insects?
All of your insects should be purchased from a clean and reputable place. You can purchase them online or from your local pet store. You should never catch insects from outside to feed to your gecko.
You don’t know where these insects have been, or what they’ve touched or consumed. They could have pestescides on them or eaten something toxic.
Feeding insects from outside could lead to serious illness and death.
Do not feed any freeze-dried or pre-packaged insects. Only feed fresh, live insects.
Gut Loading Insects
Even when purchased from a reputable place there is still a risk of illness. Insects are bred and kept in very large numbers and it’s impossible to prevent some from dying. When insects die, their body forms Amonia and bacteria. The living insects tend to feed on the ones that have died, meaning they are consuming that bacteria, which can then spread to your gecko.
Luckily this can be avoided by gut loading your insects. Gut loading is a term used for feeding insects. By feeding your insects eight hours before giving them to your gecko, they can digest, metabolize, and pass any old food and bacteria out of their system.
What Should you Feed your Insects?
It’s important that your insects are being fed nutrient-dense food such as fruits and veggies. They can eat things like, carrot, squashes, kale, apple, banana, berries, and mango. Avoid spinach. broccoli, and any citrus.
You can also feed them a few drops of all natural baby food containing any of the safe ingredients and nothing else.
Multi-Vitamins and Calcium Powder
Even the healthiest insects don’t contain enough nutrients to keep your Leopard Gecko healthy. That being said, the insects must be coated in a high quality multi-vitamin and calcium powder right before being fed to your gecko.
A multi-vitamin containing vitamin D3 should be fed twice a month and a calcium powder containing vitamin D3 should provided for all other feeding.
If your geckos is not getting the right vitamins and calcium powder they can develop, metabolic bone disease, neurological problems, and other vitamin and nutrient deficiencies.
How Often Should a Leopard gecko Eat?
Juvenile Leopard Geckos should be fed daily and can eat as much as they want.
Adults should be fed 3 – 5 insects every other day.
The insects should be the size of the space between the geckos eyes.
Leopard geckos are nocturnal meaning they are most active at night. That being said, it’s best to feed your gecko in the evenings before you turn off their lights.
How to Feed your Leopard Gecko?
Crickets can be released into the enclosure for gecko to hunt, which also provides enrichment and mental stimulation.
All of the other insects mentioned will burrow into the soil where your gecko will not be able to catch them.
That being said it’s best to use feeding tongs and hand feed your gecko. This will also help your gecko build up a positive association with you. Always offer food at your geckos level, rather than coming from above. When you reach in above them you look like a predator which can cause them to run and refuse food.
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