How many insects should I feed my Leopard Gecko?
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How many insects to feed a Leopard Gecko?
Leopard geckos are some of the most popular reptile pets in America. They are low maintenance, easy to care for, and if properly cared for, can live for 20 years. But providing them with the proper diet is critical to ensure they can maximize their health and happiness.
Unlike bearded dragons, leopard geckos only eat insects. So they do not need to be fed a diet of fruits and vegetables. But their insects need to offer the proper nutritional value:
- high in protein (30-60%)
- high in fat (40-70%)
- low carbs and indigestible fiber
- phosphorus to calcium ratio – 1 part phosphorus to 2 parts calcium
There are a variety of insects available, but each one offers a different nutritional profile. It’s always best to offer a variety. But it’s good to know which feeder offers what type of nutritional value.
The have an extremely short digestive track, which means they are not able to digest the fiber in fruits and vegetables. Therefore their source of nutrition comes from insects.
It is still important to gut load and dust your feeder insects. Leopard geckos are reptiles, and need to get calcium from supplements. So be sure to dust your bugs with calcium dust to avoid metabolic bone disease.
It is important to gut load your insects. However, do not gut load theme with additional protein. Too much protein can cause internal problems for the leopard gecko, causing grout and even death.
The best time of a day to feed your leopard gecko is the in the evening, when they naturally start hunting.
How many crickets for my Leopard Gecko?
Crickets are a popular food for leopard geckos. They have a pretty good amount of fat (24%) and protein (66%) for your leopard gecko. However, they have a poor phosphorus to calcium ratio (3.7 phosphorus : 1 calcium). This means if your leopard lived only off crickets, they could potentially suffer from a calcium deficiency. So we strongly recommend that you dust your crickets with calcium powder to bump up that calcium.
- Young Leopard Geckos (0-4 months old) = 4-8 1/4″ crickets once per day.
- Juvenile Leopard Geckos (4-10 months old) = 6-10 medium crickets 5-6 days a week.
- Maturing Leopard Geckos (10 months and older) = 6-10 large crickets 2 to 3 times a week.
The length of crickets and other insects to feed will be around 1/4″ inch for hatchlings and babies, 3/8 inches for juveniles (4 months and over) and 1/2 to 1 inch to adult leopard geckos (10-12 months old).
How many superworms for my Leopard Gecko?
Superworms are a popular feeder insect for leopard geckos. They’re loaded with protein (47%) and fat (42%). But their phosphorus to calcium is worst than crickets – 1 part calcium to 1 part phosphorus. Unfortunately, this means the superworms should never be used as a staple feeder for your pet. And when you do use the superworms, you should absolutely dust them with calcium powder to bump that ratio down.
- Young Leopard Geckos (0-4 months old) = 6-10 <1” Superworms per day
- Juvenile Leopard Geckos (4-10 months old) = 6-10 1”-1.5” Superworms every other day
- Maturing Leopard Geckos (10+ months old) = 6-10 2” Superworms 2-3 times per week
How many dubia roaches for my Leopard Gecko?
Dubia roaches are quickly becoming some of the most desired feeder insects for many pet owners. And their nutritional value satisfies many of a leopard gecko’s needs. Their fat (24%) and protein (46%) are very close to the desired range. And they have a much better phosphorus to calcium ratio than crickets and superworms (1 part calcium to 1 part phosphorus). Although this ratio is better, it still falls short to the 2 to 1 ratio, so it’s important to dust them with calcium powder.
- Young Leopard Geckos (0-4 months old) = 4-8 ¼ inch roaches every day.
- Juvenile Leopard Geckos (4-10 months old) = 6-10 1-inch roaches 5-6 days a week.
- Maturing Leopard Geckos (10 months and older) = 14-16 1.5-inch roaches every other day.
The length of roaches and other insects to feed will be around 1/4″ inch for hatchlings and babies, 3/8 inches for juveniles (4 months and over) and 1/2 to 1 inch to adult leopard geckos (10-12 months old).
How many black soldier fly larva should I feed my Leopard Gecko?
Black soldier fly larvae and leopard geckos are an amazing pair. But they are a lesser known feeder option for many leopard gecko owners. But, from a nutritional point of view, black soldier fly larvae are superior compared to every other insect. Their protein (45%) and fat content (36%) is in the sweet spot for a leopard gecko. But most importantly, they have a perfect blend of calcium and phosphorus (2.6 calcium to 1 phosphorus). This means they don’t need to be dusted, but most importantly, it means they can provide the necessary amount of calcium for your leopard gecko. But it’s still important to gut load them. Black soldier fly larvae are amazing composting grubs, so they can eat practically anything. But if you’re using them as a feeder, then you’ll want to feed them nutritional fruits and vegetables.
- Young Leopard Geckos (0-4 months old) = 4-10 ¼” BSFL per day
- Juvenile Leopard Geckos (4-10 months old) = 5-10 ½” BSFL 5-6 days a week
- Maturing Leopard Geckos (10+ months old) = 5-15 ¾” BSFL 2-3 times a week
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