It is safe to say that not many people have considered keeping a leopard gecko as a pet, but now that you have one, how are you supposed to be feeding this unusual animal?A leopard gecko is stunning to look at and is very low maintenance, which is probably why you adopted the lizard in the first place. The best part about these reptiles is that they can survive rough conditions!Did you know that a leopard gecko can survive for two whole months without any food? However, don’t let this fact encourage you to leave your pet alone without food while you are off on holiday! Keep reading to find out the do’s and don’ts of feeding leopard geckos, and learn some useful tips that will help you to create a fantastic bond with your pet!If you enjoy this article, why not also check out why do lizards do push ups and why do fireflies glow.How many times a day should you feed geckos?You are sure to turn some heads when people find out that you have a gecko as a pet, especially if it happens to be a leopard gecko. These insect-eating pets are fairly low maintenance if pet owners can stick to a feeding schedule and make sure that they keep a few environmental factors in mind.The feeding schedule, as well as the diet of juvenile and adult geckos, can differ to a certain extent. Juvenile leopard geckos require much more love, care, and attention since they are in a state of constant growth. Therefore, while growing leopard geckos have the same diet of insects, the nutritional value of the insects that they ingest requires much more attention than what is fed to an adult reptile of this species.As newborns, these lizards need to be fed every day. A juvenile leopard gecko will want to eat small crickets and mealworms every day. A diet that consists of 4-7 crickets and mealworms every day should be more than enough for your little gecko pet. In order to make sure that the baby reptile grows up to be healthy and strong, pet owners are often advised to dust the worms with calcium powder. Such advice regarding food supplements aims to ensure that the reptiles are healthy, even away from their natural habitat, and can grow up to be beautiful full-sized creatures.An adult leopard gecko’s dietary requirements are quite different from its juvenile counterpart’s. An adult leopard gecko does not need to be fed every day. Feeding adult leopard geckos can in fact lead to bodily issues and also end up in the regurgitation of food. To avoid this, make sure that you only feed the small animals once a day. In fact, the best advice to follow in the case of domesticated adult leopard geckos is to feed them every other day. This ensures that the lizard has had time to digest the insects and is ready to be fed another batch of mealworms and large crickets!What can they eat?Being an insectivorous animal, your pet leopard gecko will only feed on insects. Any other foods, such as fruits and vegetables, may actually prove to be harmful and can lead to health issues.This is because a leopard gecko’s digestive system is not equipped with the correct organs and glands to digest scraps of fruit and vegetables. Therefore, it is important to understand that these reptiles not only have a different sleeping schedule to ours but can also digest fewer nutrients and food groups.The most popular foods for leopard geckos (and other species of geckos) include crickets and mealworms. These foods make up a good diet for your leopard gecko. The ideal diet and feeding schedule for your lizard would be to feed it every other day, with six to seven large crickets or mealworms, when it has turned into an adult. On the other hand, if your pet leopard gecko’s age happens to be less than 12 months, it should have a healthy diet and be fed every single day. A young leopard gecko will eat every single day and should be treated to several small crickets and mealworms to make sure that it is getting the nutrients that it needs.Apart from these two insects, other worms such as waxworms and hornworms can also be given to lizards. These worms are rich in fat, so feeding them to your leopard gecko will not only make them healthy but maintain the nutritional value of their food. In addition to the fat and other nutrients found in these worms, leopard geckos should be fed supplements. It is essential that you feed your leopard gecko some calcium supplements by dusting them on their crickets and mealworms once a week. Another way to make sure that your adult leopard gecko is healthy is by gut loading mealworms. Gut loading refers to the process by which mealworms and silkworms are fed with foods containing all the nutrients that your gecko’s body requires but will not eat. However, gut loading and calcium dusting should not be done every day or during each feeding cycle, since this could make your reptilian friend feel sick.Another important thing to keep in mind is that, if you feed your gecko too many hornworms and waxworms, they may enjoy the fat content so much that they refuse to eat any other worms or insects. It is therefore important to give leopard geckos these foods in moderation.How often do baby leopard geckos eat?It can be intimidating having to figure out how many times baby leopard geckos should be fed because, in spite of the fact that these reptiles have a pretty straightforward diet of insects, they do have a rather complex feeding schedule. Unlike adults, baby leopard geckos need to be fed throughout the week in order to stay healthy.Baby leopard geckos often grow up to be weak adults if their health is not prioritized at a younger age. The insect-based diet of leopard geckos should be changed up once a week with a treat, in order to make sure that the gecko’s palate is cleansed. Until the age of 12 months, leopard geckos should be fed every day, instead of every other day. The food that you put in your pet gecko’s dish should consist of 4-7 small crickets or mealworms, and feeding is to be carried out at a set time to mimic the insect-based diet pattern of a wild gecko.It can be very tempting to treat your pets with a piece of fruit. However, for leopard geckos, fruit of any kind is sure to raise health concerns. Veterinarians, therefore, suggest that geckos only eat insects.Once your pet is around six months in age, there should be at least one day during the week when you do not feed your leopard gecko. While it can be quite fascinating to watch a leopard gecko eating, it is essential that food such as crickets and other insects is only put into your pet’s feeding dish after careful thought and consideration.Once your friendly reptile has celebrated its first birthday, a leopard gecko should be fed every other day, with an occasional treat here and there.In addition to their food, which is mostly insects, geckos also like there to be a lot of humidity. As you are feeding your pet every other day, make sure to clear out the leftovers. Geckos often get dehydrated in the wild, as well as in their domestic tanks, if the water dish has been empty for way too long. The next time you happen to walk by your leopard gecko’s tank, make sure to check that it is humid enough to replicate its wild habitat and that there is enough clean water for the animal to be healthy.Do they drink water? How much water do they need?As much as it is important to make sure that you dust the insects that leopard geckos eat with calcium, food should always be accompanied by water.Leopard geckos are in fact popular as pets because they are quite hardy and can survive with very little food for long periods of time. While this definitely shouldn’t be a reason to forget about feeding geckos, one thing to always bear in mind is that the tank in which this reptile is kept should be quite humid.The wild habitat of leopard geckos is such that these lizards can eat less food than they want to and still survive, but the availability of water is very important. Adults of the species often die when dehydrated for too long.If you have been planning to go on a vacation, there are a few important measures to take. Firstly, make sure that the water bowl is full and is sturdy enough that your leopard gecko won’t end up toppling it over. Dust a few crickets and mealworms with calcium and leave them in your gecko’s bowl so that your pet can eat even when you are not around for a while.Did You Know!Leopard geckos are crepuscular animals. This means that your pet is likely to be asleep randomly throughout the day. Leopard geckos will be most active during dusk and dawn.Since leopard geckos are crepuscular in nature, you should set your pet’s eating schedule during the early evenings. This gives the animal enough time to digest what they eat.Leopard geckos should never be allowed to eat any pieces of fruit or vegetable since it can be harmful to the animal.Gut loading worms before letting your leopard geckos eat them is a practice that many veterinarians advise. There are certain foods that these lizards cannot eat, however, the nutrients present in those food groups can be extremely beneficial to your pet. To make sure that your pet eats well, worms can be fed all sorts of nutrient-rich foods a day before they are given to a leopard gecko. This makes sure that the little reptiles are well fed.Insects that have been caught from the wild are often laced with pesticides and other chemicals that can be very harmful to your pet. It is, therefore, best to understand that your pet should only be eating insects and worms from a specialist shop. Most pet shops will have mealworms and crickets available.It is very useful to know that even supermarkets cater to leopard geckos, with a range of worms and other insects available. Remember that your leopard gecko can be fed live worms as well as freeze dried ones!It is important to wiggle insects in front of leopard geckos for them to become interested in eating their meals. Make sure to do your best at making it seem as though these insects are alive, especially if you happen to be feeding you lizard with freeze dried bugs!Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for how often do leopard geckos eat, then why not take a look at why do frogs scream, or Common House Gecko facts pages?
It is safe to say that not many people have considered keeping a leopard gecko as a pet, but now that you have one, how are you supposed to be feeding this unusual animal?
