Leopard geckos are carnivorous reptiles that eat insects for sustenance; feeder insects provide this essential macronutrient.
Dubia roaches are easy to find and provide an abundance of nutrients for geckos. Mealworms are another popular feeder insect option; easily found at most pet stores and affordably priced. Unfortunately, though they contain too much chitin for geckos to consume solo; so they must be fed alongside other feeder insects.
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Insects
Leopard geckos are solely insect eaters, so providing them with a wide variety of feeder insects is crucial. Not only will this increase their nutrition but it’ll ensure they receive essential vitamins and minerals from various sources.
Crickets, mealworms, dubia roaches, and locusts are among the most frequently fed feeder insects; while all are excellent choices, black soldier fly larvae (Lycopersicon esculentum) is our top recommendation as these have significantly lower fat contents than both crickets and mealworms; thus helping your leo avoid becoming overweight due to overeating. Easily stored without refrigeration requirements; they provide great value!
Baby and juvenile leos should receive one or two meals of feeder insects per day; adults have slower metabolisms so should only need a treat every other day. When feeding these feeder insects to your leo, be sure to gut load them first by providing them a special diet of 20% calcium, 50% greens and 10% vitamin/mineral supplements for 24-48 hours prior to offering them to him/her as this will provide extra vitamins to your leo when consumed by him/her.
Fruits & Vegetables
Leopard geckos are insectivores and cannot survive on vegetables alone, leading to acid reflux and stomach ulcers if fed too many vegetables. Reptiles cannot digest plant fibers like cellulose so must rely on animal proteins to obtain their nutrition.
Therefore, it is recommended that you feed your gecko pre-killed insects and worms. Not only are canned insects cheaper, they’re also high in vitamin D which will help their reptile absorb calcium more easily.
Switch up their diet with Dubia roaches as these offer many advantages for leopard geckos, including less likelihood of impaction and more vitamins and minerals. When offering them to leopard geckos, it is recommended to gut load them by placing the insects into an animal diet like Repashy SuperLoad for 24 to 48 hours prior to offering. This allows their digestive systems to digest these tasty meals more easily without experiencing gastrointestinal distress from eating additional nutrition from prey items like Dubia roaches.
Supplements
Leopard geckos require various feeder insects in order to meet their protein and vitamin needs, and should be given multivitamin dust once every week or more frequently as required. They should also receive dusted multivitamin supplements periodically throughout their lives for added supplementation.
Breeders sometimes suggest offering newborn rodents (pinkies) as a supplementary source of fat and protein, although this should only be done temporarily as rounded rodents may contain dangerous bacteria which must first be cooked off before feeding them to leopard gecko species.
Wild-caught insects should never be fed to a leopard gecko as they can contain parasites and diseases that are harmful to lizards, in addition to having potential risks from herbicides or pesticides that could harm them. Instead, farm-raised feeder insects are recommended; 24-48 hours prior to feeding they can be gut loaded by providing leafy greens as food or using Repashy SuperLoad feed (available commercially). Gut loading also gives your leopard gecko additional vitamins they might otherwise miss from insects’ meals!
Water
Leopard geckos require access to fresh, clean water in their enclosure at all times. Regular changes should be performed in order to remove mold and bacteria growth as well as lower the risk of infection. It is advised to provide an easily accessible water dish in case the gecko needs additional fluid.
Leopard geckos in the wild are insectivores, preying upon insects such as flies, grasshoppers, crickets and caterpillars. If your gecko refuses to consume food due to illness or disease it should be addressed immediately.