The average lifespan of a leopard gecko is between 15 and 20 years. These beautiful creatures are an increasingly popular choice of pet. Leopard geckos are beautiful creatures that make for great pets. Ensure yours is healthy with this guide to the perfect leopard gecko diet.
But one of the most important parts of owning a pet is making sure it’s on the right diet. If you’re thinking about owning a leopard gecko, keep reading to learn everything you need to know about the leopard gecko diet.
What Do Leopard Geckos Eat?
Leopard geckos are insectivores, which means they eat insects. Their natural habitats are shaded grassy, tropical, or arid areas. This means the insects most favorable to their diets can be found in these sorts of locations.
Some of the most common insects for these geckos are:
- Crickets
- Dubia roaches
- Spiders
- Mealworms
- Beetles
- Scorpions
- Centipedes
If you’re looking for dubia roaches for leopard geckos, check out dubideli.com.
Butterworms are also a good option as treats for your gecko. But be careful, some geckos like them too much that they stop eating their other food.
What Size Food Should They Eat?
The size of the insects you’re feeding the gecko depends on its age.
Young or baby geckos should only eat insects that are around ⅜ inches large. Juvenile geckos can eat insects up to ¼ inch in size. Adult geckos can eat adult-size crickets.
A general rule of thumb is to make sure the insect is smaller than the space between the gecko’s eyes. This is an easy way to track the proportions and know if your gecko can handle eating something that large.
How Often Do Leopard Geckos Eat?
For every inch of its body length, you should feed your leopard gecko two insects of appropriate size.
When geckos are still babies and juveniles (up until one year), they should be fed every day. But when they’re adults, feed them every other day. If the gecko seems weak or sick, feed them every day to help build their strength.
To stick with their natural feeding routines, feed them at the end of the day once the light starts fading. This is when they would naturally hunt for food.
What About Other Foods?
Leopard geckos are not designed to eat anything other than insects. If you give your gecko fruits or vegetables as a “treat”, you are risking its health. Their bodies are unable to process cellulose, which is found in fruits and vegetables.
Other processed foods are also a strict no for your gecko. If you wouldn’t find the food in their natural habitat, don’t consider it for your gecko.
Keeping a Strict Leopard Gecko Diet
Owning a lizard like this means you’ve got to implement a strict leopard gecko diet to keep it healthy.
Make sure you’re feeding it the right insects, of the right size. Do this as often as needed, and avoid other risky foods. If you follow this diet, your gecko should live a long and healthy life.
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