While raising a leopard gecko, it is essential to avoid feeding it insects found outside. They may have been exposed to insecticide-laden vegetation and could also carry parasites. Stick to insects bred in captivity and breed them for at least three generations. This will ensure that they are free from disease and parasites. When buying insects for your leopard gecko, always make sure that they are still alive.
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Dubia roaches
If you’re looking for a staple food for your pet, then you should try giving your lizard dubia roaches. The soft shell of this reptile makes it easier for your gecko to eat, and it can’t jump or fly. Moreover, it doesn’t scar the walls of its enclosure, so your gecko will have an easier time catching it.
You can buy dubia roaches in various sizes for your gecko. The size you select should be depending on its size, but baby geckos should only consume dubias that are about 1/ 4 inch long. Medium-sized dubias are suitable for adult geckos and can grow up to 1.5 inches in length. If you don’t plan to feed your gecko the medium-sized dubias, you can purchase the smallest roach and raise it with it until it reaches adulthood.
Crickets
The most important thing to know when providing crickets to your leopard geckos is that the right ratio of calcium to phosphorus is critical. A low ratio will cause metabolic bone disease, weakening and deforming the animal. This condition will eventually kill it if you do not provide medical treatment. Fortunately, there are ways to correct the Ca:P ratio of crickets and prevent metabolic bone disease in your leopard geckos. Before you begin feeding your crickets, make sure to gut-load them for 48 hours. You can also provide them with cricket-specific substrate to make their lives easier.
While adult leopard geckos can survive for months on a diet of insects, you should also feed your baby geckos small crickets and waxworms. They can go without food for as long as four days, but they can survive without food for up to 10-14 days. A baby leopard gecko cannot go without food for longer than a week. However, if you don’t feed your baby gecko, it may become starved or suffer from dehydration. If you have any concerns about your leopard gecko’s health, you should contact your veterinarian and discuss the problem.
Waxworms
Waxworms are a wonderful treat for your leopard gecko. These feeder insects contain high levels of fat and calcium. The ratio of Ca:P is inverse, which is good news for your pet. In contrast, many feeder insects have poor ratios. If you are worried that your gecko is obese, you can place it in the refrigerator for a few days. However, this may prolong the metamorphosis process.
The problem with feeding your leopard gecko waxworms is that they are highly palatable and can cause behavioral addiction in some animals. For example, if your leo gecko is obese, it may not even bother with the waxworms, since it is not palatable for it. However, if you are careful and persistent, your pet will eventually learn to live without waxworms.
Cockroaches
If you’ve got a pet leopard gecko, you may be wondering what you can feed them to keep them happy and healthy. While crickets and mealworms are great options, you may also want to consider using roaches as live mealworms. Roaches have been domesticated, and are also very nutritious. Commercially available species include the orange-headed roach (E. prosticus) and the dubia roach (E. dubia). Roaches are easy to maintain and keep in similar conditions to crickets, but they don’t survive in cool temperatures for more than a few days. Cockroaches are good feeder insects, but they are not as nutritious as crickets.
Earthworms are another great choice to feed your pet leopard geckos. These little creatures contain 84% moisture and are great for hydration. However, their lack of protein means that they’re not the most nutritious of mealworms. Waxworms should be fed only as treats. Waxworm larvae have high fat and low protein content, and their calcium to phosphorus ratio is low, so you should dust them with a calcium powder before feeding them to your leopard gecko.
Caterpillars
One of the best ways to provide your pet with a varied diet is to introduce crickets to your home. Crickets are an excellent source of protein and are inexpensive to buy. Worms, particularly mealworms, are also suitable as they have a high protein and fat content. Crickets also have a low fat content and are easy to care for. Insects such as locusts are also good choices.
As the geckos grow, they can eat larger insects and crickets. Caterpillars, however, should be fed to the pet on a regular basis. The best time to feed a leopard gecko is when it is at least four inches long. The caterpillars shouldn’t grow too big before they reach the leopard gecko’s eyeballs, as this could make them uncomfortable and even sick.