Leopard geckos are insectivores, so the right diet is live feeder insects, dusted with calcium and a multivitamin. They should not be fed fruit, vegetables, or meat. Their digestive systems are built for insects, and plant food can upset their stomachs.
Best Staple Insects
Most keepers build the diet around three feeders:
- Dubia roaches: Meaty, easy to digest, quiet, and they do not climb smooth walls or chirp.
- Crickets: Cheap and easy to find, and their movement triggers a gecko’s hunting instinct. They must be gut-loaded before feeding.
- Mealworms: A fine part of the mix, but they have more indigestible chitin than crickets or roaches, so feed them less often.
For more on choosing between them, see our guide to the best feeder insects for leopard geckos.
Treats to Offer Sparingly
- Waxworms: High in fat. Think of them as candy, an occasional reward.
- Hornworms: Good for hydration, low in protein.
- Superworms: Better for adults, since they are large.
- Phoenix worms: A calcium-rich treat.
How Much and How Often
These are common keeper guidelines. Adjust for your gecko’s body condition and ask your vet if you are unsure.
- Babies (up to about 9 months): Daily, around 5 to 8 small insects.
- Juveniles (about 9 to 18 months): Every other day, around 5 to 7 insects.
- Adults: Two to three times per week, around 6 to 7 insects.
Size matters. Each insect should be no wider than the space between your gecko’s eyes. Remove uneaten live insects after feeding so they do not bite your gecko or stress it.
Gut Loading and Dusting
Gut loading means feeding the insects a nutritious meal (fresh vegetables, fruit, and a protein source) for about 24 hours before they go to your gecko. That turns the insect into a more nutritious meal. Our post on gut loading mealworms shows how.
Dusting means lightly coating insects with powder just before feeding. A common routine is plain calcium at most feedings and a calcium with D3 or multivitamin powder at others, with juveniles supplemented more often than adults. Product labels differ, so follow the directions on yours. A small dish of calcium in the tank also lets your gecko take what it needs.
Foods to Avoid
- Fruit, vegetables, and meat: Geckos cannot digest these properly. Older versions of this article suggested fruit, which was wrong.
- Wild-caught insects: They can carry parasites or pesticides.
- Ants and fireflies: Ants are too small and can bite. Fireflies are toxic to reptiles.
- Grasshoppers: Low in calcium and hard to digest.
- Insects larger than your gecko’s head: They can cause choking or impaction.
Gel and Powder Foods
Gel diets such as Repashy Grub Pie can add variety, but they work best next to live insects, not instead of them. Read more in our Repashy Grub Pie for leopard geckos review.
Water
Keep a shallow dish of fresh water in the enclosure at all times and change it often.
Bottom Line
Feed your leopard gecko properly sized live insects, mostly dubia roaches and crickets with mealworms and treats mixed in, gut-load them, and dust with calcium and a vitamin powder. Skip fruit and vegetables. Adults eat two to three times a week, babies daily.
This article is general information, not veterinary advice. If your gecko stops eating, loses weight, or seems weak, call a reptile-savvy vet.
