Leopard Gecko Feeding

Your pet leopard gecko has specific nutritional needs and feeding them properly is vital to maintaining their health. A leopard gecko's diet consists mainly of insects, whether in the wild or if kept as a pet. Before you bring home a new pet leopard gecko, you'll want to be sure that you can get a steady supply of the insects your gecko needs to stay healthy and happy. Any pet shop which specializes in reptiles probably carries the food your gecko will need, but you can also look online for a supplier.

In this article, we'll cover the insects that your gecko can eat as part of their diet.

Crickets: There are many different species of cricket. When it comes to feeding crickets to your leopard gecko, the most important rule is that you should never feed your gecko any insect which is longer than they are or that is wider than half the width of their head (and preferably a little narrower than this).

Generally speaking, black crickets are the best choice to feed your gecko, since they're slower moving and will be less of a challenge for your pet to catch.

Mealworms: Until crickets were widely available commercially as pet food, mealworms were the best food you could buy for geckos. There are still those who claim that a gecko will have a longer lifespan if they are fed on mealworms. The most nutritious mealworms for your gecko are those which are newly molted.

Locusts: These are larger and more expensive insects, but are excellent sources of protein for your gecko. Obviously, you won't want to feed these to a very young gecko and they may be a little too expensive to be a staple of your pet's diet. However, it's a good idea to feed these to your leopard gecko occasionally to increase their intake of dietary protein.

Silkworms: These are harder to find and can be a little pricey, but provide excellent nutritional value for your gecko. High in protein, minerals and vitamins that your pet gecko needs for good health, these are a good addition to their diet, but remember not to buy too many at one time since these worms only live one to two weeks.

Wax worms: Wax worms are one of a gecko's favorite foods, but they are too high in fat to be fed regularly. However, these worms make an excellent treat for your pet. You can safely feed your gecko one or two waxworks per week.

How often you'll need to feed your gecko depends on their age. If you have a young gecko or a hatchling, you should feed them between 4 and 8 insects once a day. It's best to do this all at once instead of breaking it up throughout the day.

An adult gecko should be fed 4-10 insects or worms every 2-3 days. In the wild, geckos generally feed at night when they're on the hunt; accommodate your pet's natural habits by giving them their feeding after dusk when they're naturally active and ready to hunt.

We are Leopard Gecko enthusiasts who were tired of finding incomplete information about our pet Geckos. We enlisted the help of some serious gecko enthusiasts,breeders,owners, and veterinarians who helped us compile information for people who just wanted to know how to take care of their Leopard Geckos knowledgeably and safely. Please visit our website Leopard Gecko Feeding to learn everything you need to know.