Leopard geckos often feed their predatory insects crickets as feeder insects; however, wild crickets may contain parasites and chemicals which are harmful.
Wild crickets may contain high levels of fat that could pose health issues and reduce lifespan in leopard geckos, so it is imperative that they only feed store-bought crickets that have been coated with calcium powder for optimal care.
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Feeding Size
Crickets are one of the most commonly eaten reptile foods and readily available at many pet stores. Not only are they high in protein and calcium content, they also provide essential vitamins and minerals essential to your gecko’s wellbeing as well as providing moisture to maintain proper hydration levels.
Make sure the crickets you feed to your leopard gecko are appropriately sized; otherwise they could choke its pet. A general guideline would be to use one no larger than what would fit between its eyes.
Your gecko will also benefit from feeding it mealworms, hornworms and Phoenix worms to provide variety and boost nutrition in its diet. However, waxworms contain too much fat which could contribute to obesity while parasites such as Cryptosporidium could pose health threats to their health.
Feeding Method
Young leopard geckos measuring under four inches should receive 5-7 small crickets or other feeder insects daily in order to help them attain an ideal body mass while stimulating their hunting instincts.
Crickets can be found readily available at most high street pet shops and online. They represent excellent value for money and last an extended time if properly stored, providing ample protein and nutrition without the same high fat content of mealworms – this makes dubia roaches and black soldier fly larvae better choices as they contain both protein and fat in abundance respectively.
Gut-load all feeder insects at least 12 hours before feeding them to your leopard gecko in order to optimize the calcium-to-phosphorus ratio and prevent metabolic bone disease in crickets. In addition, dust all insects with vitamin and calcium supplements prior to offering them up as treats for your pet.
Feeding Age
Crickets are an essential staple for reptile owners as they’re easily available and relatively affordable, plus packed full of protein & calcium!
Baby leopard geckos under 4 inches should be given 5-7 small crickets or mealworms every day until reaching full growth, typically 10-12 months later. At that point, larger food may be fed every other day until full growth has occurred at which point larger crickets should be provided every other day as per usual and adult geckos should receive two to three large crickets two or three times every week as their main source of nutrition.
Large crickets should not exceed the width between your gecko’s eyes to prevent choking. If your gecko consumes more than eight large crickets in 10-15 minutes, reduce their consumption accordingly.
Before feeding live crickets to your leopard gecko, it’s vitally important to dust them with vitamin powder for added vitamins, minerals and calcium. If feeding crickets to young or sick geckos it becomes even more vital as failure to do so could potentially cause health complications for their pet.
Feeding Supplements
Crickets are an easy and nutritous staple food source for Leopard Geckos, readily available both offline and online and lasting a long time with proper storage. Not only are they cheap, they are packed full of protein. Unfortunately, crickets also possess one of the highest calcium/phosphorus ratios among common feeder insects which could potentially cause long-term health issues in Leopard Geckos.
To remedy this, gut loading your gecko (feeding it a food rich in calcium and other essential nutrients 24 hours before feeding them crickets), or dusting them directly before feeding will ensure your gecko receives all the nutrition it requires from its meal. This ensures the gecko is receiving everything it needs from its meal.
Diversifying their diet with various insects will keep their gecko engaged and prevent boredom. Dubia roaches make an excellent alternative to crickets and should also be fed alongside hornworms and waxworms.
