Feeding a leopard gecko 101: what you need to know
When it comes to feeding a leopard gecko, knowing what to feed and how to feed it is important. Unlike cats or dogs that eat any dry food from a box that you put in front of them, a gecko will not do that. Instead, it’s important to know what to feed them and how often.
This article will explore the basics of feeding a leopard gecko, discuss the age-old question of crickets versus mealworms, and show you a gecko feeding schedule.
Crickets
This is actually one of the best foods to use when it comes to feeding a leopard gecko, also known as a Leo. It’s nutritious, that’s what geckos want to eat, and they even exercise trying to chase live crickets. It is important to get crickets of the right size to make feeding easier for Leo.
A cricket that is too large will not eat, at least not easily. The cricket should not be larger than the space between the gecko’s eyes. This makes it much easier to feed a leopard gecko.
However, make sure they are live crickets. Feeding dead crickets to geckos is a bad idea. The reason is because the cricket has already started to decompose and therefore you are feeding it rotten food. Also, if the cricket died so easily, it was probably sick in the first place. Either way, it is not the best option for feeding a leopard gecko.
The best advice on how to feed your geckos crickets is to buy only what you need and keep them in a cricket terrarium until leopard feeding time. Just remember, feeding a leopard gecko healthy food is the way to keep it healthy.
Meal worms
Make no mistake, when it comes to feeding a leopard gecko, they love to eat mealworms. Many people make the mistake of feeding a Leo nothing but food worms. They think the gecko is eating, the gecko seems happy, so what could be the harm in feeding a leopard gecko nothing but mealworms? Not all creatures need variety in their diet, right?
Actually, when it comes to feeding geckos, mealworms shouldn’t be the only thing you feed them. Mealworms for a gecko are actually like cake to us.
We love it, we want to eat it, but if we had it all the time we would get sick and gain a lot of weight. It’s the same when it comes to feeding a leopard gecko; If you are feeding your gecko a consistent diet of nothing but mealworms, you will soon have a very fat, very slow leopard with a shorter lifespan.
Maybe you have one now. If so, don’t despair, just like people, leopard geckos can lose that weight. All you have to do is start feeding a healthier leopard gecko right now. Crickets are the best option for feeding a leopard gecko. Not only are they healthy and packed with nutrition, the fact that they’ll be hopping away from the gecko will provide you with exercise for the leopard gecko’s feeding time.
How often?
Although it is the first question that people have about the feeding of geckos; it has been saved for last because before you know when to feed them, you need to know what they eat. So, are you ready to learn more about a gecko’s feeding schedule?
Like all animals, feeding a leopard gecko depends a lot on its age. A Leo can often live to be 25 years old and goes through many changes throughout their life.
A gecko’s feeding schedule looks like this:
Babies should get 4-5 small crickets every day, while adults can get by with 5-6 large crickets every 2-3 days. To get the most out of your geckos’ feeding time, you should sprinkle the crickets with calcium supplements (adults only, not babies).
This will give your gecko an extra boost of nutrition to keep it healthy and strong. And if you think of mealworms as cake, then you know that you incorporate them into your gecko feeding schedule a few times a week and not every day.
So now that you know the basics of feeding a leopard gecko, you can rest easy knowing that your leopard’s feeding time is giving your gecko the best possible nutrition to live a long and happy life with you.
Happy gecko feeding!