What Do Leopard Geckos Eat?

Do you need to know what do leapard geckos eat? What can leopard geckos eat? Leopard geckos are primarily insectivorous with a staple diet of invertebrates in the wild. They also eat small lizards, snakes, and newborn rodents if available.

It is a good idea to dust all feeder insects with calcium powder before feeding them to Leopard geckos. This improves the quality of the food, as well as the nutrient content.

What do leopard geckos eat: Crickets

Leopard geckos are primarily insectivorous in the wild, and they prefer live insects to all other types of food. Providing a varied diet of appropriately-sized crickets, mealworms, and wax worms, supplemented with silkworm larvae, tomato hornworms, cockroaches, and sow bugs (isopod crustaceans also known as pill bugs) is recommended. These insects should be dusted with calcium before feeding and should be gut loaded. A process that involves placing them in a dish of water that has been sprayed with malt-o-meal or cream of wheat, so the feeder insects are ‘gutloaded’ with nutrients before being fed to your gecko.

When selecting the size of insect to feed your gecko, it is important that you select an insect that is no larger than the width of their eyes. Larger feeders can become trapped in the gastrointestinal tract and cause impaction which is very dangerous for your leopard gecko.

During the breeding season, it may be beneficial to offer your geckos an occasional newborn rodent. But these should not be offered on a regular basis since rodents are too fatty and should only be fed as a supplement to your leopard gecko’s insect-based diet.

Leopard Geckos should be offered two appropriately-sized insects for every inch of their body length every day. This should be done late in the day or early in the evening to mimic the time they would typically begin hunting in their natural habitat. A bowl of fresh, filtered water should be available to ensure that your leopard geckos are properly hydrated. This water should be kept in a shallow dish to minimise the risk of impaction, as leopard geckos can drown in water that is too deep.

What do leopard geckos eat: Mealworms

Leopard geckos need a variety of feeder insects in order to get all the necessary nutrients for healthy growth. Crickets are by far the most popular insect fed to leopards because they are readily available, inexpensive, and nutritious. However, they can be noisy and prone to escape from the tank. Therefore, it is advisable to use a feeding dish that has a lid or to have the gecko eat from another source. Crickets should also be dusted with multi-vitamin and calcium powder before being offered to the gecko.

Mealworms are easy to raise in captivity and make a good staple diet for captive-bred leopard geckos. They have a good protein-to-calcium ratio and are not too fatty. However, they should not be the only type of insect fed to a gecko, as they can have a negative effect on the gills.

Other suitable feeders include locusts, cockroaches, and dubia roaches. These are easily available at most reptile stores and provide a good amount of protein, fat, and phosphorus. Locusts are especially appealing to leopard geckos because they can be used as a substitute for crickets. They have a similar texture and resemble crickets in appearance, but are smaller and more compact.

All of these feeders should be dusted with a multi-vitamin and calcium powder and gut-loaded if possible (this is done by sprinkling malt-o-meal or cream of wheat on fresh sweet potato peelings) before being fed to the leopard gecko. This is to help prevent calcium deficiency and vitamin A deficiency, which can cause hemipene infections and skin issues. Long term oral supplements of calcium carbonate powder or vitamin A can also be beneficial to your leopard gecko.

What can leopard geckos eat: Superworms

Leopard geckos are opportunistic carnivores in the wild, and they will hunt whatever small prey item happens to cross their path. They are primarily insectivorous, but they also eat some smaller lizards, snakes, baby rodents and even spiders and scorpions.

Hatchling leopard geckos eat pinhead crickets (about 3/8 inch in size) every day to get the protein they need for growth. They are known to be voracious feeders and will eat as many as 20 crickets in one sitting. Once they have shed their first skin and become juveniles, they can start eating crickets that are 1/2 to 1 inch in size. They can also be fed Dubia roaches, which are easier to digest than crickets.

Besides these commercial insects, a leopard gecko owner can feed their pet crickets, mealworms and wax worms that are gut loaded with calcium to improve their Ca:P ratio. The feeding schedule for these insects should be around 5-7 worms and crickets each day. Wax worms can be used as a treat but if fed too often, they will quickly become spoiled and reject other food options.

What do you feed leopard geckos: Fruit and vegetables

Some people have reported that leopard geckos will eat fruit and vegetables, but this is not something they should be doing in captivity. Since they cannot digest these foods, they do not provide the essential nutrients that a leopard gecko needs to thrive.

Keeping a healthy diet is the key to keeping your leopard gecko happy and healthy. Avoid overfeeding and always keep a steady supply of fresh water in the terrarium, which can be supplied using gel water crystals or a small dish filled with water. Keep in mind that a leopard gecko may not be hungry if the terrarium is too cold, or it is exhibiting signs of illness. So if you notice your reptile is refusing to eat, be sure to check their health and temperature.

What can you feed leopard geckos: Dubia Roaches

Dubia roaches are one of the most popular feeder insects for reptiles because they are a great source of protein and fat, are easy to breed and last a long time when kept in a dark place. They are also much easier to handle than crickets or superworms because they cannot climb and don’t shed. They do need to be offered in a hiding spot, however, because they are nocturnal and don’t like to be exposed to light. This can be as simple as an open egg crate or even just a stack of toilet paper rolls in the habitat.

When it comes to feeding your leopard gecko, make sure you offer a wide variety of foods so they can get the nutrients they need from various sources. You should also provide a shallow dish of water in the habitat to help keep them hydrated. This should be replaced regularly to avoid fungal or bacterial build up.

Insects with high in protein

Insects are the best food to feed your Leopard Gecko because they are high in protein and low in fat. Mealworms and crickets should be gut loaded prior to offering them to your gecko. This is done by dusting the worms or crickets with calcium and a vitamin supplement that contains D3 and a multivitamin. This will improve the nutritional value of the meal and prevent nutrient deficiencies such as calcium deficiency, vitamin A deficiency and chronic malnutrition.

Wax worms are an excellent way to add extra fat to your Leopard Geckos diet, but should only be given as a treat once or twice a week. Wax worms can be toxic to some reptiles if fed too frequently.

Black Soldier Fly Larvae

Leopard geckos are one of the most popular reptile pets in the world. They come in a variety of morphs, are easy to care for, and can live up to 27 years. Like all reptiles, Leopard geckos are insectivores and will only eat live insects. They should be offered a mix of live feeder insects, such as mealworms, wax worms, earthworms, superworms, and Dubia roaches. The mealworms, earthworms, and wax worms should be gut-loaded before feeding to your leopard gecko, as this will improve their nutritional value.

This is done by feeding them a small amount of the food they will be eating (like fruit, vegetables, or other nutrient-rich foods) 24 hours before offering them to your gecko. The food you feed your gecko should be fresh and ideally free of pesticides and other harmful chemicals. It is also important to only use a commercially bred feeder insect as wild-caught insects may contain bacteria and parasites that could harm your Leopard gecko.

Fresh of water

It is also important to provide your gecko with a fresh supply of water. A heavy glass or ceramic dish should be provided with a shallow watering hole at the bottom. The dish should be cleaned and replaced frequently to prevent any spillage. It is also a good idea to add a water supplement that contains vitamin A and D3 to your leopard geckos drink.

As an added bonus, black soldier fly larvae make excellent garden fertilizer and are highly effective at destroying pathogens in compost piles. You can either build your own BSF rearing bin or simply add them to your traditional compost pile. The ideal temperature for rearing them is 85 F. They can withstand temperatures up to 95 F but will start to slow down at this point.