Treats are an ideal way to ensure that your leopard gecko receives all the essential vitamins and nutrients they require for healthy weight maintenance and growth.
Treats may include feeder insects such as crickets, mealworms, dubia roaches and waxworms – all excellent sources of calcium and vitamin D3. Your leopard gecko needs both of these essential vitamins to remain strong and healthy.
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Pinhead Crickets
Crickets are an excellent source of protein and low in fat. In addition, they supply many essential vitamins and minerals like calcium, phosphorus, and Vitamin A.
However, you should “gut-load” crickets before giving them to your gecko to ensure that their nutritional needs are properly met. There are commercial gut-load products or you could simply make up a homemade mix of vegetables and grains so your gecko enjoys every morsel they consume!
Adult geckos should consume between one and two crickets for every inch of body length each feeding, or 6-8 altogether. Younger geckos should eat one or two crickets daily while juveniles can consume as many as two every other day.
Dubia Roaches
If you want to provide your leopard gecko with an optimal diet, there are numerous foods you can offer it. Insects are one popular option because they contain many vital nutrients for its development and health.
However, the key is in knowing which insects best suit the diet of your leopard gecko. Dubia roaches provide protein, vitamins, and minerals essential for their diets.
Additionally, bones provide your pet with important calcium for bone health.
To make sure your gecko receives maximum benefit from their roaches, it is important to gut load them before feeding them to them. This process ensures they get all of their needed nutrients while preventing over-feeding or dehydration from happening.
Waxworms
Waxworms can make for an excellent treat for leopard geckos, but beware! Due to being high in fat content they could lead to obesity in your pet.
Feed your leopard gecko according to its specific needs; otherwise it could contain bacteria and parasites which could compromise its health. If in doubt about what to feed it, it would be advisable to contact a reptile vet for guidance and advice.
Keep your gecko’s diet varied with nutritious items like crickets, mealworms and other insects to help him stay healthy in captivity. Doing this will keep both him and you happier!
Butterworms
Butterworms are packed with calcium and make an ideal treat for leopard geckos, being non-fattening and easy to digest – ideal choices when feeding adult geckos.
Geckos should enjoy treats on an occasional basis rather than as an everyday staple meal. Your gecko may enjoy them so make it special by giving him/her just once or twice each month as special rewards!
These insect foods contain both protein and calcium in large quantities, yet have relatively low fat and moisture contents to ensure your pet remains hydrated without overdoing it, which could result in runny stool. They should be fed on an intermittent basis to geckos that require extra protein/calcium.
Tomato Hornworms
If you’re searching for a treat to keep your leopard gecko happy and content, tomato hornworms could be an excellent choice. Easy and cost-effective to raise, they make for great companionship in terms of cost and ease of upkeep – but be warned as these highly addictive insects could become difficult or picky eaters!
Geckos should only be fed three to four times each month so as to prevent their bodies becoming overly addicted and refusing other food sources. Furthermore, one worm should only ever be provided at a time so your gecko doesn’t become overly hungry and binge on one or more at once.
Tomato hornworms are a devastating pest that can decimate tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, and eggplants in home gardens. Not only can they defoliate leaves completely but they may even destroy fruit from tomato plants completely!
