To gut load crickets, place them in a very tall storage box and offer them a specially formulated gut-loading diet designed explicitly for crickets like Fluker’s High-Calcium Cricket Diet . You also don’t need to feed as many of them as you would crickets or mealworms because they pack such a nutritious punch. There are many different food options out there when it comes to what you can feed your leopard gecko, but sometimes for cost, maintenance, or personal reasons, mealworms are a lot of peoples first and only choice when it comes to their gecko’s diet. Although they are very nutritional alongside another feeder such as mealworms, they are quite the nuisance. hopefully, with this article, I can help put this question to rest for those who can’t seem to get a solid answer to it. They are not the best or highest packed protein source, but they are a tremendous bang-for-your-buck option. And, most experts agree that your pet’s overall length determines the amount of crickets they should get per feeding. Some insects last for a long time while others are hard to keep alive for even a week, so it’s best to know what type of bug you’re dealing with and what they need to eat to survive when determining how much or what to buy. She will go days without eating until I offer her worms and whatever crickets I put in the cage will live in there until I give them to my other pet. Hornworms are perhaps the oddest looking feeder you might offer your leopard gecko. Most mealworm breeders also offer superworms. But because crickets are go-to feeders for a lot of different people, it can be hard to exclude them from their diet. One final reason they are so attractive as a feeder is that they provide a good amount of water to your pet as they are quite moist. Leopard geckos are strictly insectivores and can eat insects like worms. However, mealworms have a high-fat content, which is why too many of these can make your pet gecko gain excess weight. Don’t worry, there are foods on that list to replace crickets forever. Also like crickets, your pet can eat on average two mealworms per inch of gecko length. I actually recommend it. But, part of having a healthy gecko that is going to flourish in its new home is feeding it a nutritious diet. Some people don’t have local access to some of the foods that I recommend, so being able to get online and buy whatever your gecko needs with a few taps is amazing. You want to avoid introducing baby Leopard Geckos to waxworms, just as you would not want your toddler scarfing down a big old greasy cheeseburger. However, these aren't the best feeders so they shouldn't be used as a staple diet. Luckily, though, there is an insect in particular that some owners prefer over crickets and these insects are called Dubia Roaches. D3 helps your pet absorb the calcium. Leopard geckos eat mealworms, superworms, waxworms, Phoenix Worms®, hornworms and Dubia Roaches. While they are not as low-cost as crickets, they pack so much nutrition per roach they are absolutely worth their cost. For every inch long they are, you will want to feed them two crickets. So don’t be afraid to try something different. And even though I’ve had my hands full, I’ve loved every single second of it. Like butterworms and waxworms, they are more of a treat than something you want to make a regular part of your leopard gecko’s diet. , I was able to get the exact numbers. No, it’s not a good idea to feed your leopard gecko dried mealworms. Can Leopard Geckos Eat Superworms? They will die. Calcium with D3 – Leopard geckos can suffer from metabolic bone disease if they don’t get enough calcium. So. However, you can also feed him waxworms, butterworms, silkworms, tomato hornworms, beetles, sow bugs and cockroaches. There are a few items that can make storing your feeders and the actually feedings much easier. The nutritional value of these amazing little critters can differ depending on the size, but to give you an idea of what their nutritional value is compared to crickets, Leopard geckos love them but owners love them ever more simply for the fact that that they aren’t as annoying and smelly as crickets as well. Dried mealworms also lack sufficient moisture which makes them hard f… When feeder insects move, it makes the bugs that much more attractive to them and will ensure that they will eat whenever fed almost 99.9% of the time. Most geckos will stop eating when they’re full, while others will just keep going, so it’s best to at least have a guideline so that you can get a better idea of how much they should eat and how much you should be feeding them. Mealworms are available in a variety of sizes, but most pet shops and online sellers will have the following options: Choosing what size and how many mealworms to feed your leopard gecko mostly comes down to how big your reptile is. Don’t worry, there are foods on that list to replace crickets forever. These are captive bred crickets free from parasites. Dead mealworms lack vital nutrients that leopard geckos need in their diet, and most geckos won’t eat an insect unless it’s alive and moving. I’m Devin Nunn, an average joe that just so happens to have a deep love and passion for everything to do with reptiles. Your budget, what type of feeder insect your getting, how many geckos you have, and how much your leopard gecko(s) eat(s). As you can see, they have a little more protein and moisture than crickets, but for everything else, it’s pretty balanced. Leopard geckos can eat a wide variety of insects. Because crickets and mealworms are so commonly recommended, I didn’t add them to the list within that article, but you can find 11 other foods that you might want to try out with your gecko and see what works for you. You can usually get away with half the amount, so if you normally would feed your leo 12 mealworms you can instead substittue six dubia roached. It’s not because food that’s dead is any less healthy for them compared to the food that’s alive, because that’s not the case at all, it’s just that they just simply don’t find this type of food appealing. You can feed your leopard gecko insects and animals such as beetles, flies, grasshoppers, spiders, mealworms, crickets, small locusts, waxworms, silkworms, snails, some types of cockroaches, and that’s what they eat in the wild. Keep in mind that these amounts and times should not be set in stone as different geckos have different eating habits. Don’t make mealworms staple feeder insects – it is better to offer a diversified diet by adding other staple insects. Most geckos will stop eating when they’re full, while others will just keep going, so it’s best to at least have a guideline so that you can get a better idea of how much they should eat and how much you should be feeding them. And it’s not necessarily due to the nutrients they carry, but more so for the fact that the exoskeleton of these little critters can be a little hard for your leopard gecko to chew and digest on a regular basis. You sure can! It would be a shame to buy insects like these in bulk just to find out that you can’t even keep them alive due to the fact that you don’t have the requirements that they need in order to keep on living. The best insects to feed your Leopard Gecko are crickets and mealworms. They can work up quite the smell and make it hard for you to sleep at night. Superworms, or zophobas morio, are like mealworms a beetle in an earlier stage of its lifecycle. It’s almost like you’re taking care of two pets. Crickets come in a variety of sizes, but most pet shops and online sellers will have the following options: But, how many crickets do you feed your leopard gecko and what size should you choose? ReptileJam.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. I wish it was as easy as just buying them and then storing them in a room hoping that they’ll stay alive. Anonymous. Both answers depend on how big your particular gecko is. A lot of pet parents wish to offer their leopard gecko a few mealworm beetles, but many are unsure as to whether these are a suitable component of a healthy diet. And, it’s common to have one or two escape every now and then. Because of that, we should only be buying our geckos food from places that we know are safe, like Amazon. Like crickets you will only want to use captive bred mealworms to ensure they are safe and parasite free. 1 decade ago. Many vendors support and push an all cricket diet, or the use of crickets as a staple. In addition to the crickets, dubia roaches, mealworms and other worms you will want to supply your leo with some additional supplements in order to make sure they get all the vitamins and minerals they need. But, when they’re fed to your gecko without any other type of food, they may not be getting everything they need for a healthy, balanced diet. Something about lifeless, non-moving bugs and worms turn leopard geckos off and might even cause them to stop eating altogether until they’re fed something that’s live again. Start with the smallest size of food for each feeder insect and work your way up to larger ones as they get older to avoid digestion issues, trouble chewing, and overfeeding. One big reason for that of course is they, If you are set on getting a tortoise for a pet, your choice of a Greek tortoise is a good one. That will allow your pet to comfortably eat and digest the crickets. For example, some feeder insects require special leaves from a certain kind of tree in order to survive, and without them, they will die fairly quickly. So don’t be afraid to try something different. You may have heard of them before, but because crickets and mealworms are the two main recommendations when it comes to leopard gecko food, it might not have been something that you thought of considering. As you can probably figure out that means they only eats insects. It’s not because food that’s dead is any less healthy for them compared to the food that’s alive, because that’s not the case at all, it’s just that they just simply don’t find this type of food appealing.eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'reptilejam_com-box-4','ezslot_3',110,'0','0'])); There have been specialized food dishes made that vibrate and shake the food within their bowl to kind of trick them into thinking the food is alive, but more times than not, the leopard gecko can’t be fooled by this. take a look at this article that I wrote here, I highly recommend checking out some of these Dubia Roaches on Amazon. Let’s look at some of the pros and cons of an all-mealworm diet. One last bit of information is that you might want to consider gut loading your feeder crickets. These are not the same crickets you scoop up outdoors. Feeding your leopard gecko only mealworms isn’t exactly detrimental to its health, per se, but I wouldn’t say it’s the most beneficial thing to do either. A leopard gecko's health and wellbeing is based on various elements. I mean, there’s nothing wrong with this diet. Answers will vary from owner to owner, but to ensure leopard geckos are used to eating nutritious staples like crickets and mealworms and maintain healthy weights, these should be kept to a minimum. An ideal varied diet for leopard geckos would be 25% crickets or roaches, 25% superworms, and the remaining portions could be made up of the occasional hornworm, mealworms, or silkworms. Leopard Gecko is an insectivorous animal (reptile) that mainly feeds on insects such as mealworms, crickets, cockroaches, superworms or beetle. They are such great feeder insects because they have a ton s of protein and calcium plus they have less chitlin making them easier to digest than other feeders like crickets and superworms. The nutritional value of these amazing little critters can differ depending on the size, but to give you an idea of what their nutritional value is compared to crickets, check out the chart below from the information found on this source. We also touched on what the benefits of your crested gecko consuming mealworms are, as well as factors to be cautious and mindful of. You have a new leopard gecko. Yes, a lot of people love the mealworm and cricket diet, but there are also a lot of other owners who prefer some of these other foods on the list instead for various different reasons. The staple of many leopard gecko diets are crickets. You can use the warmth of your hand to make it start moving, however my geckos find these worms so delicious that they will eat them even when they’re not moving around! My Leopard Gecko is only eating meal worms? You will mostly stick to a couple of different staple feeders and just rotate the three recommended supplements. Hi, I’m Devin, and this is me (far right) and my family. Depending on how much food you buy will depend on a few things. You can use a similar setup for dubia roaches too. Failure to do so can cause numerous vitamin deficiencies, some life threatening. In my and many other peoples opinion, they need variety. Yes, you can feed leopard geckos mealworms. Your gecko will do the rest and it chomps away and licks its lips in approval after. When it comes to dry food, though, they don’t even want to be near it. Mealworms on the other hand are usually just stored in a plastic tub in your refrigerator. Leopard geckos are carnivores, which means that they need to eat insects and small animals to survive. The main and only reason live food is recommended for leopard geckos is simply for the fact that they love the thrill of catching their prey or watching them wiggle and crawl. Trust me, I know this from experience. They are typically available in the following sizes: Though superworms are an OK treat, there are a couple reasons on why they are not something you would consider a staple food. ” ( link to the article I wrote about it if you’d like to check it out ) debate, there have also been many others who have debated heavily over whether or not owners can or should only feed their leopard geckos mealworms. They make excellent beginner, Frogs, toads and other amphibians aren’t the most popular reptiles that people keep as pets, but they are still fairly common. Sometimes whenever I have a question that I’m not sure what the answer is, I’ll ask in a forum. Hunting for their prey is what they do in the wild so it only makes sense that this is what they enjoy doing in captivity as well. Leopard geckos are insectivores, meaning they only eat insects, and that too, live ones. Leopard geckos are insectivores and are most commonly fed mealworms and crickets. Especially crickets. That isn’t a bad thing since many geckos get most of the water intake from what they eat and not actually from drinking. And it’s not necessarily due to the nutrients they carry, but more so for the fact that the exoskeleton of these little critters can be a little hard for your leopard gecko to chew and digest on a regular basis.eval(ez_write_tag([[580,400],'reptilejam_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_6',108,'0','0'])); I’m not saying that mealworms are bad for them, but they shouldn’t, in my opinion, be fed to them exclusively. That fat is why they make a nice alternative snake because it makes the worms tastier than crickets and mealworms. They ’ re good to go are an excellent thing to add a... M Devin, and other various products research, you will have to tailor your new pet ’ s at. Mealworms lack in nutrients what other insects, such as mealworms,,... Problems that you might want to consider gut loading is basically feeding the something. 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