One of the key factors in having a healthy gecko lies in the leopard gecko feed.  A large draw in having a gecko is the ease in care for this incredible little creature.  Young geckos require feedings only every other day while older geckos require just one feeding daily.  This makes a leopard geckos ideal pet for a beginner pet owner.

Learn the 10 Secrets to Save Your Leopard Gecko

They are classified as insectivores, which means they live mostly off of insects.  A possible menu selection for these lizards might include mealworms, small cockroaches, crickets, and superworms.

Adult geckos will have the ability to handle a pinkie mouse, however, it has to be just a few days old at most.  A pinkie mouse would make a superb treat for a female gecko who is in the process of breeding and could benefit from the large meal.

The only insect of caution when feeding your lizard is the waxworm.  It has been shown to be quite addictive to geckos thus promoting overeating.  You may be thinking “It’s just an insect, what is the problem?”  Well, a waxworm has the tendency to fatten geckos and lead to a lessened well being; so please treat sparingly.  It may help to think of it in terms of humans and chocolate.  A little chocolate is not going to decrease your well being, but an abundance of chocolate will pack on the pounds.

People typically don’t think about choking hazards when it comes to lizards but it does exist.  Ensure that the insects you are feeding your lizard are roughly the size of half of its head or less and they should be fine.

Figuring out how much to feed them is also quite easy.  When you offer your leopard gecko a meal they will cease to eat when they have received their fill.  You can take away the remaining.

If you were looking for an overall gauge as to the proper quantity to feed your gecko, I would shoot for 4-8  crickets to start and progress from there until they are done.  Don’t get into the habit of leaving extra crickets in the cage after feedings.  Some crickets have been known to go after the gecko if it happens to be especially hungry.  When the occasion arises where you need to leave a meal to be consumed at a later time, worms are the most ideal option as they will remain on a plate until the gecko is ready to feed.

Gutloading is a process where you take the insects to be fed to your lizard and you give them various nutritious foods.  This is done at least 24 hours in advance and the purpose is to ensure that the insects are healthy and infused with nutrition thus passing on that goodness to your leopard gecko.  Fruits, grains, and vegetables should do the trick.  An alternative to this would be to offer the insects a commercial powdered product that is sprinkled for them to eat.  If neither of these options are what you are looking for, you can give your lizard supplements directly by sprinkling the insects with calcium and vitamins.  I recommend dusting the prey with the vitamins just before offering them to your gecko because the crickets can clean themselves and that will result in lost nutrition.

Providing vitamins to your lizard is an essential step in ensuring the best possible health for your gecko; it is especially important for breeding females and infant geckos.

Learn the 10 Secrets to Save Your Leopard Gecko

I cannot stress enough the importance of water sanitation.  Keeping your lizard well hydrated throughout the day and with fresh pure water must not be overlooked.  Allowing water to sit and become stagnant is an invitation for bacteria which you definitely do not want.

Follow these tips and your gecko will be vibrant, happy, and healthy in no time.

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