Leopard geckos are primarily insectivores, meaning they feed only on insects. Therefore, it’s essential to provide them with a variety of feeder insects as well as micronutrients.
Crickets and mealworms are two of the most popular feeder insects for pet reptiles. Both can be a staple in your leopard gecko’s diet.
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They are a natural food
Live mealworms are an ideal natural food choice for leopard geckos. While they provide protein, calcium and fat in small amounts, it should be noted that they cannot meet all of a lizard’s nutritional needs.
Leopard geckos have the capacity to consume not only mealworms but other feeder insects as well. These include crickets, Dubia roaches and wax worms.
Crickets are a staple feeder insect for many reptiles, and leopard geckos especially enjoy them when combined with mealworms as an additional food source.
Bear in mind that crickets can be very active and may wreak havoc on your aquarium if not taken care of properly. They also tend to escape if placed in a shallow dish without smooth sides, so it’s best to place crickets into a deep bowl with smooth sides which will help keep them contained.
Other feeder insects, such as wax worms and butterworms, contain fat and lack essential nutrients, so should only be offered occasionally as treats. They could potentially serve as a temporary dietary supplement for sick or underweight leopard geckos.
They are a good source of protein
Live mealworms make an ideal food choice for geckos due to their high protein and fat content, plus they’re safe and simple to feed.
Live mealworms can be purchased in most pet stores and online retailers. An 8-ounce bag costs about $14 and contains 2000 mealworms.
Leopard Geckos benefit greatly from insects as a source of protein and fat. Furthermore, these insects contain calcium which may help prevent metabolic bone disease in young leopard geckos.
Mealworms are an ideal choice for Leopard Gecko owners because they’re affordable and convenient to feed. Not only do they provide protein and fat, but they’re also rich in calcium – plus, they’re easy to digest too!
They provide an excellent source of phosphorus, which reptiles require in a ratio of about 1:2 to calcium. Unfortunately, many common feeder insects contain more phosphorus than calcium; so it is important to supplement with extra calcium supplements for your gecko’s wellbeing.
They are a good source of fat
Live mealworms for leopard geckos contain a high fat content, so they may gain weight if fed frequently. Furthermore, live mealworms contain more protein than dry or canned mealworms.
However, it’s essential not to give your leopard gecko too many feeder insects at once as this could lead them to gain weight and become overweight. Feed them a reasonable amount of these worms at each feeding and ensure that their gut is filled with the correct diet.
Mealworms for leopard geckos are inexpensive and easily obtained. You can buy them in pet stores or online. Not only are they quiet, they don’t have a strong odor, but they’re easy to gut load so that essential nutrients and vitamins get passed along to your furry friend.
They are a good source of calcium
Live mealworms provide essential calcium for young geckos to avoid Metabolic Bone Disease and help breeding females produce eggs. Unfortunately, they contain a high amount of chitin which may make them difficult to digest and result in impaction.
Thankfully, they can be dusted with calcium powder to avoid this issue. You could also gut load them with healthy foods to increase their nutritional value and make them easier for your gecko to digest.
Dried mealworms are another excellent source of calcium. When you don’t have time to gut load insects, dried mealworms can be stored in a cool, dry place for up to two years.
Mealworms are a popular food choice for leopard geckos due to their ease of access, cost-effective nature and nutritional value. Unfortunately, they may be harder for leopard geckos to digest than other insects like crickets and dubia cockroaches due to their higher ratio of chitin.
