How Often Should You Feed a Leopard Gecko
Did you know that leopard geckos are one of the most popular beginner reptiles? It's true! If you're looking for the perfect pet to add to your family, the leopard gecko might be exactly what you are looking for.
Once you've decided to get a leopard gecko of your own, you will have to learn all about how to take care of your new pet. That can seem daunting, especially when you haven't had a reptile of your own before. That's why we're here to share with you the acceptable leopard gecko foods.
One of the best ways to ensure that your pet will be happy and healthy is to provide them with the correct diet they need to do so. This is critical because, without the proper diet, your pet could be vulnerable to certain health conditions.
Still, it can be difficult to figure out where to start. Today, we're going to share with you the foods that you can give your leopard gecko. We'll begin by giving some background on leopard geckos themselves.
Afterward, we will share what you can feed your pet. Later, we'll discuss the foods that you should avoid giving your pet. By the time you're done reading, you'll have a robust understanding of what your leopard geckos need to survive and thrive.
All About Leopard Geckos
The leopard gecko is a type of reptile. It's popular for people to keep as a pet because these animals are easy to handle and require relatively minimal care. In addition, their movements are rather interesting to watch. You will also find that your leopard gecko has a perky, fun personality.
These geckos call several countries home. This includes Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, and Northwestern India, too. Nowadays, you can find them across the globe as they are frequently kept as pets.
Your leopard gecko will likely be white, yellow, and have spotted with black/brown dots adorning its back. The hatchlings are striped, which is fascinating considering they will gradually transition to their striped appearance.
There are actually several different types of leopard gecko morphs. Some of these are more desirable and valuable than others, which means that they could cost more money. You'll find that the wild-type with the regular coloration is the most available. This also means that you'll be able to find this leopard gecko at a relatively affordable price.
Before we move on, let's quickly recap on a few essential facts you should know about your new pet. The leopard gecko's scientific name is the Eublepharis macularius. When they're fully grown, you can expect your adult leopard gecko to be somewhere between eight to ten inches–including their tails.
That's another reason why they're popular pets: because leopard geckos are relatively small. Finally, you can expect your leopard gecko to live 20 or more years in captivity. It's important to be well aware of your new pet's life expectancy when you buy them. This is because you should be sure that you can provide your pet with the resources it will need throughout the entirety of its life.
Your leopard gecko is an insectivore. In other words, this means that your pet feeds on insects. You'll need to provide your leopard gecko with a variety of waxworms, crickets, and even mealworms in moderation.
You can also sometimes attempt to feed a pinky mouse to an adult-sized, fully-grown gecko. Still, you can expect the bulk of your leopard's food to be insects. It's important that when you feed your leopard gecko, you ensure that they do not ingest any of their environment's substrate.
You can do this by feeding your gecko inside of an empty tank. You should also be conscientious about what kind of substrate you've given your gecko in the first place: never use wood shavings or sand.
We also want to note that your leopard gecko's diet and feeding frequency can be impacted by their age. Juvenile leopard geckos, for example, will need to be fed several crickets on a daily basis. Adults, however, can wait several days between feeding times.
Prior to feeding these insects to your pet, you should ensure that they're gut-loaded. Another option is to feed a highly nutritious meal 24 hours before feeding time. We also want to stress the importance of coating these insects with a vitamin D3 or calcium supplement before feeding. This will help ensure that your pet is getting all of the nutrients that they need to live their healthiest life.
The way that you can tackle this is by putting these worms or crickets into a small plastic baggie with some of the powder supplement inside. Simply shake the bag quickly and drop the insect into the tank.
You will need to provide your adult lizard with this every other feeding. Juveniles and hatchlings, in contrast, will need the supplement every time they are fed. Doing so gives your pet the support that they need.
In addition, you should always provide your pet with fresh water. This should be refreshed daily and refilled as needed. The water bowl serves a triple purpose in your lizard's enclosure. Not only will it add some humidity to their home, but your gecko will also drink out of this bowl. Additionally, you might even find your pet soaking in the water bowl.
What Should I Not Feed My Leopard Gecko?
As we mentioned earlier, your leopard gecko is an insectivore. That means that they are unable to eat fruit or vegetables, so you shouldn't attempt to feed your pet this. The leopard gecko's body is not created to manage or digest these products. The reason for this is because leopard geckos do not have a functioning cecum. That's the part of the body that is responsible for digesting cellulose, which is found in both fruits and vegetables.
Another reason for this is the fact that leopard geckos have a considerably shorter digestive tract. It's also alkaline. In contrast, a herbivore would possess a longer, acidic digestive tract.
Finally, the leopard gecko also has a skull and jaw that has evolved to eat their recommended types of foods. This means they're not set up for fruits or vegetables. The healthiest thing for your pet is to simply stick to the diet that they're supposed to follow: the insectivore diet.
What Foods Are Toxic for Leopard Geckos?
While there are certain foods that you should certainly avoid feeding your leopard gecko, there are also foods that are toxic, and your pet simply cannot have. Let's discuss some of these to ensure that your pet doesn't get something that could potentially harm them.
The first food that you should avoid at all costs is any type of bug that lights up. This includes both fireflies and lightning bugs. The reason that these present such a large danger to geckos is because these creatures contain chemicals that are exceedingly toxic.
In other words, never use this as a food source. If you fear that your pet has somehow gotten one of these, you should take them to a trusted veterinarian to discuss the next steps.
Next, we also want to mention how important it is to never, ever feed your pet a wild-caught insect. While opinions tend to be rather split on this, there's a lot of support for never feeding wild insects to your animal. Your pet was bred in captivity, and the wild insects could potentially have parasites.
In addition, they can have traces of pesticides that could possibly be toxic to your pet. The best thing to do is simply avoid this concern and buy your insects from the store.
My Leopard Gecko Isn't Eating. Why?
There are a lot of potential causes that your leopard gecko might not be eating. One of the reasons might be because of the fact that their tank is simply too chilly. The first thing you should do is check their tank's temperature. If it's low, then you can adjust it accordingly.
Your leopard gecko requires heat to digest their food, so if they're too cold, they won't be able to eat. It's important to get this fixed as soon as you can; the cold could also have a negative impact on your pet's immune system function.
Another potential cause for not eating is stress. If their environment has recently changed, this could be responsible. Try to provide your pet's tank with places for them to retreat to (called hides). This could alleviate some anxiety.
Finally, dehydration might be to blame. If they didn't have enough water, you might find that your lizard chooses not to eat. If you've looked into all of these possible culprits and nothing seems to be responsible for the problem, visit a vet so they can give you further instruction and advice.
A Delicious Diet
Leopard geckos are wonderful pets. If you nourish them with the correct food, you will find that they could live a long, happy life. Follow these food guidelines, and you can be sure that you're giving your pet the dietary support they need.
SOURCES:
A Guide to Caring for Leopard Geckos as Pets | The Spruce Pets(Great beginner article)
10 Animals That Are Insectivores | World Atlas
Leopard Gecko food and diet advice | ExoticDirect
Source: https://www.reference.com/pets-animals/leopard-gecko-food?utm_content=params%3Ao%3D740005%26ad%3DdirN%26qo%3DserpIndex&ueid=8967e256-4fb7-40d9-bd9e-d1971cb65790
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