Your leopard gecko should eat only natural and live foods that are of appropriate size – baby geckos require small insects while adults can consume larger ones. Feeder insects should also be gut-loaded with vitamin and mineral supplements to enhance nutrition.
Locusts and dubia roaches make ideal food sources for leopard geckos, though they also enjoy eating waxworms and crickets as protein sources. Other excellent protein sources include hornworms and silkworms.
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Crickets
Crickets and mealworms are two of the most frequently fed insects for leopard geckos, providing adequate amounts of protein, calcium and fat while being readily available from many pet stores and online vendors.
Make sure that the crickets you offer your gecko are gut-loaded with nutrients for 12-24 hours prior to giving them out; this will increase their nutritional content and prevent metabolic bone disease from taking hold in their bodies.
Crickets contain high concentrations of phosphorus, which binds with calcium in your gecko’s body and prevents its absorption. Therefore, before feeding them to your gecko, dust the crickets with an external calcium powder such as Fluker’s Cricket Quencher to enhance calcium absorption.
Mealworms
Mealworms provide leopard geckos with another viable food option that makes a good alternative to crickets, yet are higher in fat and contain more chitin to protein ratio than crickets; making it harder for young geckos to digest them. For optimal digestion, mealworms that have recently moulted/shed their chitin shell should be dusted with vitamin D3 powder and calcium supplement for added aid in digestibility; mealworms recently shed by their host should also provide easier eating conditions for your leo.
Superworms (Zophobas morio) provide another alternative to mealworms; they tend to be larger and have less chitin, making them suitable for adult leos. When feeding mealworms to leopard geckos, be sure to gut load the insects with fruits and vegetables beforehand as this will enable their bodies to more efficiently absorb nutrition from each worm.
Waxworms
Leopard geckos love waxworms, but it is essential to feed them responsibly. Waxworms contain high concentrations of fats that can quickly lead to an obesity situation as the extra lipids enter their livers causing Fatty Liver Disorder, potentially fatal for their lives.
Feeding too many waxworms to your gecko can cause digestive problems and create dependency; your lizard may refuse other forms of nourishment in favor of their waxworm source.
Waxworms should only ever be offered as treats, never as the mainstay of your lizard’s diet. Mealworms and dubia roaches make more nutritious offerings that are easier for your lizard to digest.
Butterworms
Leopard geckos are adaptable hunters in the wild, eating whatever food sources are available – including low-fat snacks like worms that help them slim down quickly.
Chilean moth larvae (Chilecomadia moorei) larvae provide your pet with essential protein and vitamin sources; however, some individuals find them difficult to digest, potentially leading to regurgitation or intestinal blockage if fed too frequently. Furthermore, these meals could pose a risk for Metabolic Bone Disorder due to insufficient calcium content.
As such, butterworms should only be fed occasionally as treats alongside your gecko’s regular diet of crickets, mealworms and waxworms. Rotating between different feeder insects will keep their palate interested and ensure they receive all of the essential vitamins and nutrients required for optimal health.
Super Worms
Superworms (the larvae of darkling beetles) are an extremely nutritious choice for reptiles, providing high amounts of protein. Unfortunately, feeding these food items to your leopard gecko every day will result in too many calories being consumed by him and can eventually lead to obesity – an imminent health threat in any reptile species.
Gut-loading superworms for your leopard gecko can be an effective way of controlling his superworm consumption. Do this by giving them some oats, carrots and sweet potatoes before coating them in calcium and feeding them back to him.
Your gecko’s superworms should also be placed in a bowl that they cannot escape from, in order to prevent them from crawling out and becoming lost in its enclosure. Finally, be prepared for them to bite when handling these bugs by yourself.
