Leopard geckos in the wild are active hunters that consume an assortment of insects; therefore, in captivity feeder insects should be provided as food sources for these reptiles.
Before feeding insects to geckos, all insects should be dusted with phosphate-free calcium powder and gut-loaded. A feeding schedule should also be established to ensure your gecko is getting all the essential vitamins and minerals he requires.
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Crickets
Crickets (family Gryllidae) are well known for their distinctive chirping songs, performed by males to attract females and establish territories. Found worldwide except at the poles, crickets inhabit habitats from grasslands to forests as they feed on seeds, leaves, fruits flowers fungi and insects alike.
Light is attracted to them, drawing them inside. Once in, they find shelter among paver stones, lumber and garbage cans; though usually not considered significant pests. But some species may cause crop damage.
Leopard geckos are insectivores, much like other insects. Like most insects, leopard geckos enjoy munching on crickets; therefore it is recommended that two appropriately-sized crickets should be offered for every inch in length and fed daily to them.
Mealworms
Leopard geckos are insectivores, meaning they feed on live insects like crickets, meal worms and wax worms in order to thrive. Crickets, meal worms and wax worms should all form part of their daily diet for maximum variety and survival.
Black soldier fly larvae (BSFL), another great option is black soldier fly larvae. Not only can these provide protein, calcium and other essential nutrients – unlike crickets they’re easy to store and will last a considerable time when kept refrigerated!
Like crickets, BSFL should also be gut loaded and dusted with vitamin/mineral supplements prior to being fed to geckos. This will provide them with an abundance of essential vitamins and minerals not found naturally in feeder insects – including plenty of vitamin D3, essential for absorption of calcium through food sources.
Waxworms
Waxworms, caterpillars of moths, have an irresistibly sweet honey-like taste that leopard geckos find irresistible. Plus they contain lower amounts of fat than crickets while offering superior calcium/phosphorous ratios; making waxworms an ideal addition to their diets!
Feeding leopard gecko’s small insects regularly is also a good way to encourage reluctant geckos to start eating again; just make sure not to feed too frequently as too much may cause obesity in them.
Be mindful that leopard geckos do not require large doses of Vitamin D3, unlike their UVB-reliant cousins such as bearded dragons and tegus. Therefore, dust them once or twice each day instead of leaving powder around their enclosure at all times.
Superworms
Darkling beetle larvae provide an excellent source of calcium and phosphorus. Commonly referred to as “king worms”, “calci-worms”, or morio worms. As with all insects, these should first be gutloaded and dusted with a reptile vitamin/mineral supplement before feeding.
This beetle larva feeds on decaying vegetation found both indoors and out, including soil where they molt up to 20 times before pupae are produced. Their pupae are often white in color but darken as they reach maturity; used by various animals including reptiles for feeding purposes as a common feeder insect similar to mealworms (Tenebrio molitor) but with larger size and darker head/tail coloration.
Hornworms
Hornworms (also called goliath worms) make an excellent supplementary food option and should be offered as snacks or treats to geckos as a supplementary diet. Low in fat and boasting an ample ratio of calcium to phosphorus helps prevent bone disease in geckos; however, due to lacking sufficient amounts of protein for sufficient nutrition in any reptile species hornworms should not be relied upon solely as their source of sustenance.
Hornworms are another great food option that young leopard geckos can digest easily, and should be supplemented with additional fruits and vegetables for increased nutrition. Hornworms should be added as a complement to a predominantly meat-based diet for added balance in its nutritional profile. As with crickets, gutloading hornworms before offering them to your gecko is highly recommended to ensure optimal performance.