Leopard geckos store fat in their tails in order to survive their dry desert habitat, and require a diet consisting of protein-rich insects and other foodstuffs in order to thrive.
Avoid feeding your pets worms as they have low nutritional value and contain excessive fat content; butterworms in particular should only be given as treats.
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Crickets
Leopard geckos love crickets for being easily attainable and having no discernable scent. Plus they contain loads of protein, calcium, phosphorus and other essential vitamins while being low in fat and chitin content.
Young leopard geckos should be provided with nutritious insects like mealworms and waxworms to provide enough energy. In addition, crickets laden with digestive enzymes (see below) dusted with vitamin powder available from Northampton Reptile Centre can also be fed regularly as energy sources.
Breeders often recommend feeding your leopard gecko an occasional pinkie rodent as part of its diet, which should no bigger than the distance between its eyes. Wild geckos don’t consume rodents in nature so your pet might not be used to this form of sustenance; therefore it is wiser not to feed their leopard gecko any rodents caught yourself as these may contain parasites and bacteria; for best results find rodents at your local pet shop instead.
Mealworms
Mealworms are readily available and relatively affordable food options for leopard geckos of all ages. As they contain high levels of protein and calcium, mealworms make an ideal feeding source. Unfortunately, they can be more difficult to catch than crickets, can produce noise pollution as they move along their journey, and may even contain toxic materials like silk or hornworms which contain poisonous hairs that sting your leopard lizard when fed directly.
Mealworms can be offered either live or dry to leopard geckos and some may find them appealing either way. However, if left in an enclosure for too long they will morph into mealworm beetles which will only add stress and worry for your pet.
Dusting powder is used to coat feeder insects with calcium and multivitamin supplements before giving them to your leo, to ensure it receives all of its necessary vitamins and minerals from its diet.
Dubia Roaches
Add Dubia roaches to your gecko’s diet for variety and nutritional gains; they contain high amounts of protein, calcium, fiber, phosphorus, while being low in fat and chitin content.
Feed them live or dead to baby and juvenile leopard geckos; these foods also make an excellent option for adult reptiles with difficulty digesting live foods.
Just like crickets, dubia roaches should also be gut loaded before feeding them to your leopard gecko. This involves adding a powdered food supplement over each insect prior to offering it up as food; this will help prevent metabolic bone disease which occurs with too many high-protein feeder insects consumed regularly by your leo. These pre-gutloaded roaches are widely available at pet stores or online; alternatively you can gut load them yourself by placing some powder at the end of their nose and watching as they instinctively lick off what’s inside.
Silkworms
Leopard geckos are popular among new lizard owners, but their diet can be difficult to grasp. Carnivorous in nature, leopard geckos devour various insects on a regular schedule to stay healthy and strong. When feeding them feeder insects it is important to gut load each insect first prior to serving it to your leopard gecko as well as dust them directly with calcium and vitamin supplements directly before serving it to your leopard gecko.
Crickets, dubia roaches, mealworms, waxworms, superworms and pinky mice are ideal feeder insects to provide to your leopard gecko. You can find these at most pet stores and online. A feeding journal will also be useful in keeping track of how many insects your leopard gecko requires each day and helping build his solid body mass. Make sure not to exceed his bodyweight with each feeding; this will prevent him from becoming obese while encouraging healthy body development.
