Leopard geckos in their natural environments are insectivores, so it is beneficial to add insects to their diet in captivity as a means to stimulate their hunting instincts while adding variety to what they already eat. By selecting appropriate treats you can stimulate their hunting instincts while increasing variety in their meals.
Keep treats for your reptile to a minimum, and focus more on feeding staple foods (dusted crickets or dubia roaches) as part of its daily diet.
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Live Insects
As a rule of thumb, live insects make ideal leopard gecko treats. Not only are these nutritious offerings, but they can also stimulate their natural hunting instincts while simultaneously rewarding you as their owner! Of course, noisy and smelly live bugs might not suit every pet owner; ultimately it comes down to personal choice.
Crickets are an ideal feeder insect choice; readily available and relatively affordable to purchase. Their low fat/protein levels should also make them suitable for consumption; just remember to add some vitamin powder into their diet!
Other feeder insects often recommended as treats include hornworms, waxworms, dubia roaches and Phoenix worms (also known as Black Soldier Fly Larvae or calci-worms). When choosing treats make sure that they can be gut-loaded – an essential step in providing additional nutrition – then add one two or three times weekly as part of their regular diet to keep their leopard gecko from becoming bored with eating the same thing over and over. This will provide variety in their diet to avoid boredom!
Freeze-Dried Insects
Many people find eating insects distasteful, yet insects are an integral part of Asian cuisine and make a delicious treat for leopard geckos! You can easily find freeze-dried crickets at most pet stores and online. Use them in place of live crickets as an dietary supplement – they tend to be cheaper and require less maintenance! Make sure they’ve been gut-loaded first – your gecko will thank you!
Some owners suggest giving their leopard geckos pinkie rodents as an occasional source of essential fats; however, these should not become a regular part of your leo’s diet. To add variety, waxworms or hornworms may make an interesting alternative for regular crickets and dubia roaches; just like live insects they must first be dusted with calcium powder before feeding.
Canned Insects
Canned insects make an enjoyable treat for leopard geckos, but should not make up an essential component of their diet. This is because leopard geckos have short digestive tracts with highly alkaline conditions and no cecum to help break down plant matter.
Crickets, dubia roaches, waxworms and hornworms are ideal treats for leopard gecko enclosures. Hornworms should only be fed occasionally as their high fat content could lead to overweight geckos. Other acceptable treats for leopard gecko enclosures include silkworms, black soldier fly larva (known as calci-worms ) and Phoenix worms.
Before giving any of these treats as treats for your gecko, be sure to cover them in nutrient powder so they contain an abundance of essential vitamins and minerals for his or her diet. Doing this also protects them from pesticides or fertilizers found in nature which could otherwise contaminate their food source.
Fruits & Vegetables
Leopard geckos inhabit dry regions in Southeast Asia and are not well adapted to eating non-moving prey such as fruits and vegetables; if given them they could become overweight due to fat stores in their tails.
Your intestines may not be long enough to digest plant matter effectively, leading to poor nutrition. Furthermore, their teeth are better equipped for eating insects and bugs — the source of most of their nutrition in captivity.
By giving your pet a variety of freeze-dried vegetables and fresh or frozen fruit, offering some variety in its diet can provide added benefit. However, such foods should not form the bulk of his/her meal and should only be fed sparingly to prevent overfeeding. Fresh fruit and veggies provide great source of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants; leopard geckos particularly benefit from having access to them – particularly kale, spinach, carrots and sweet potatoes which provide beneficial sources.