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Leopard Gecko Food and Water

Diet

The diet and dietary supplements of your leopard gecko are very important in order to maintain their health. Leopard Geckos are insectivorous which means they are insect eaters. Before you purchase your first Leopard Gecko, we would advise that you find a regular supplier of food. Check around to find your local reptile shop or find a reliable supplier on-line.

Leopard Geckos can eat a variety of different insects including: -

Crickets

There are different sizes and colours of crickets. Some make noises some don't. As a rule you should feed your gecko food items which are no more than the length, and less than half the width, of the lizards head. Black crickets are slower than brown crickets thus making them easier for your gecko to catch. Crickets are known to nibble on geckos, so it is not advisable to leave crickets in the enclosure overnight without something to eat like a small amount of grated apple or carrot.

Cricket Nutritional Analysis
Cricket type	Moisture	Fat	Ca:P Ratio	Protein
Banded Cricket	71.8	6.3	0.64	16.5
Black Field Cricket	66.7	12.0	0.82	15.8
Silent Brown Cricket	68.8	9.3	0.77	16.4
Brown House Cricket	70.7	4.4	0.32	19.8
Source Reptilia Magazine

Mealworms

Mealworms were the breeder's choice for a staple diet before crickets became widely available. Many longevity records have been set by animals that have been fed almost exclusively on mealworms. When feeding mealworms to your animals it can be an advantage to feed them newly moulted worms as this reduces the amount of chitin and increases the nutritional value ratio.

Locusts

We like to vary our geckos diet and locusts of the appropriate size can offer a high protein package. It is usually only the high cost, which prevents locusts from being considered as a staple dietary item.

Waxworms

You should not feed waxworms as a staple diet as they have a high fat content and can prove addictive. Feeding them one or two per week as a treat is sufficient.

Silkworms

Silkworms are sometimes difficult to get hold of but if you can they are a very good source of proteins, vitamins and minerals. Only purchase enough to last you one to two weeks as they have a short shelf life.

How often?

Hatchlings and young geckos can be fed 4-8 food items once per day. Adults can be fed 4-10 food items of the appropriate size every 2-3 days. Geckos being nocturnal prefer to hunt their prey at night, so it is advised to place food items with your Geckos after dusk.

Supplements

As well as our calcium dish we use Nutrobal once every week to powder their food. Nutrobal is a high potency calcium balancer and multivitamin supplement to help bone growth in snakes, lizards and tortoises. Leopard Geckos cannot overdose on calcium but they can on vitamins.

Clean Water

Fresh clean water should be available at all times. We see some of our geckos drinking regularly from our water dishes. Some Geckos have been known to use their water dish as a toilet, if this is so it will need cleaning as soon as possible. If the leo continues to spoil the water then you will have to remove the dish and only place it back in the viv until the leo has drunk its fill. Then remove the dish once more. If you keep doing this for a few days, then the gecko should pick a new location as a toilet.