What Else Can I Feed My Gecko Besides Crickets?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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What else can I feed my Besides crickets? The best insects to feed your Leopard Gecko are crickets and mealworms. However, you can also feed him

waxworms, butterworms, silkworms, tomato hornworms, beetles, sow bugs and cockroaches

. Waxworms and superworms should be fed as a treat as they're high in fat.

What human food can geckos eat?

  • Mealworms.
  • Crickets.
  • Dubia roaches.
  • Hoppers.

What household foods can geckos eat?


Crickets, cockroaches, mealworms, waxworms and hornworms

are all healthy and safe foods for a leopard gecko to eat. However, not all of these foods are equal in terms of nutrition. The most common leopard gecko Food is house crickets, as they are sold in bulk at pet stores.

What can geckos eat other than insects?

Some species of pet gecko eat fruit as well as insects. These geckos can eat pureed fruit mixes or prepared fruit mixes formulated for geckos. However, most pet geckos are primarily insectivorous, meaning they eat insects and other creepy crawlies.

What can I feed my leopard gecko if I run out of food?

The best insects to feed your Leopard Gecko are

crickets and mealworms

. However, you can also feed him waxworms, butterworms, silkworms, tomato hornworms, beetles, sow bugs and cockroaches. Waxworms and superworms should be fed as a treat as they're high in fat.

How long can geckos go without food?

Many adult can go without food for

ten days to two weeks

because of the fat storage in their tails. It is completely normal for leopard geckos to go without eating for long periods. Unlike mammals, reptiles do not require food every day to survive, particularly during the winter.

What do geckos drink?

Give your gecko

fresh water

every day.

Most geckos will drink water droplets from daily misting, rather than from their water bowl. Always give your gecko de-chlorinated water, as distilled water can cause medical issues for your gecko due to its lack of nutrients and minerals.

Can geckos eat lettuce?

Leopard geckos are insectivores, which means that they need to eat insects to get the nutrition that they need, not greens and other vegetables. Your leopard gecko

most likely won't eat lettuce or other vegetables as they don't like the taste and they can't digest them efficiently

.

Can geckos eat banana?


Geckos can eat bananas

, nectarines, cantaloupes, etc., but these fruits have poor calcium-to-phosphorus ratios, making them unsuitable for regular consumption. However, geckos can eat figs, raspberries, and papaya based on their favorable calcium-phosphorus content.

What can I feed my leopard gecko if I have no insects?

Leopard geckos will not eat fruits or vegetables of any kind. In captivity, leopard geckos thrive on a varied diet of commercially available insects:

crickets, mealworms, superworms and roaches

are excellent dietary staples.

What do geckos eat at night?

Geckos in the wild are known to eat just about anything that they can easily overpower, including crickets, spiders, small rodents and grasshoppers. At night, geckos will snatch up

insects using their long, sticky tongues

.

How often do geckos eat?

Adults can be fed 6-7 large crickets or mealworms

2 to 3 times a week

. When using supplements such as waxworms, or Calciworms® Leopard Geckos should be fed 3 to 5 worms 3 times a week.

Will my gecko eat dead crickets?

Leopard geckos are insectivores, meaning they only eat insects, and that too, live ones. So, if you try feeding your pet a dead roach or a dead and silent cricket,

they won't eat it

. Their diet is really important, and you need to be careful about their eating habits to maintain their health.

Can leopard geckos eat scrambled eggs?

When it comes to a leopard gecko's diet, you can safely stick to the rule: if it's not the food the gecko would normally eat in nature, don't feed it to your pet in captivity. In other words,

most leopard geckos will not eat scrambled or boiled eggs

.

Can leopard geckos drink tap water?

Can leopard geckos drink tap water?

Yes, leopard geckos can drink tap water

. That said, all tap water is not created equally (just ask the folks in Flint, Michigan) and may need to be treated before consumption.

How often should I mist my leopard gecko?

It is recommended to mist adult geckos

twice a week

or when they are preparing to shed. Humidity or moist boxes eliminate the need to mist adult leopard geckos. What is this? Hatchlings and baby leos up to three months old require daily misting even with a humidity or moist box.

How do you know when a leopard gecko is hungry?


If your leopard gecko explores his tank, goes back and forth between the warm and cool spot, and approaches the glass whenever he is hungry or sees you

, he is likely really happy. If he looks bright and alert, that is even a better sign. In contrast, an unhappy leopard gecko will be really lethargic and sluggish.

Do leopard geckos like to be held?

Unfortunately,

leopard geckos do not like being handled

. Even if your pet does not run away from you or show any signs of fear, it still does not look forward to the handling experience. At most, leopard geckos are indifferent to being handled.

What do geckos need in their tank?

  • In a Leopard gecko tank you will need substrate, a heating device, places to hide, water, a food dish, a thermometer and a hydrometer. …
  • Best Substrates: Tiles, reptile carpet, slates/stones, sand mats, Excavator clay, and if you want to keep it simple, newspaper or paper towels.

Do house geckos like light or dark?

If you've seen an animal lurking near porch lights at night, you've probably seen a common house gecko waiting for its prey: bugs that are

attracted to light

. Being nocturnal animals, these reptiles seek their prey at night.

Do leopard geckos need baths?


Leopard geckos rarely need to be bathed

. In fact, over-bathing your gecko can dry out its skin and cause disease. You should only bathe your gecko if it is having difficulties shedding or a veterinarian instructs you to wash it. You can also wash your gecko if it is noticeably dirty.

What is toxic to leopard geckos?

Other common plants and seeds that are poisonous to geckos include

apple seeds, apricot pits, peach pits, pear seeds, oak trees, English ivy and tomato plants

. Be safe and double check any plants that are in pet geckos' habitats, including both the vivarium and any areas where they are allowed to roam.

What are leopard geckos favorite food?

Leopard geckos (also known as Leos) go crazy for

a succulent mixture of worms and “gut-loaded” crickets

— that is, live crickets that have been fed the vitamins geckos need. Adult Leos only need to eat four to five times a week, which makes them a relatively low-maintenance lizard.

How often should I feed my leopard gecko?

Leopard geckos feed primarily on live, moving insect prey. An appropriate diet may consist of commercially-raised crickets with smaller numbers of silkworms, roaches, mealworms, superworms, waxworms, and other live insects.

Juveniles should be fed every 1-2 days and adults 2-3 times per week

.

Can geckos eat baby food?

Registered.

Leopard geckos can digest baby food fine

. Its ideal to use if you have a sick gecko thats off its food. Not only does it give it a nutrient boost but it helps rehydrate them.

Can geckos eat oranges?

Can crested geckos have oranges?

Crested geckos should not eat oranges

, as citrus fruits are high in oxalic acid. The high oxalic acid content is detrimental to crested geckos' overall health. Fruits are essential to the growth of crested geckos, but not all fruits should be in their diet.

Do geckos eat strawberries?


It is definitely OK for your crested gecko to eat strawberries

. In fact, that is a fruit particularly adored by crested geckos. Whether you offer standalone strawberries to your crested gecko or mix and mash them up with other (suitable) fruits, your crested gecko is very likely to relish what is served to it.

What veggies can geckos eat?

Feeder insects such as crickets can be offered fresh fruits and vegetables which is a good way to increase their nutritional value for your gecko. Crickets or even small locusts can be fed a variety of fruits and vegetables such as

apples, oranges, bananas, carrots, squash, and leafy greens

.

How do you play with a leopard gecko?

What do geckos like?

Overall, pet geckos do best on a live and natural food diet. The backbone of any carnivorous pet gecko's diet will include crickets and grasshoppers. In addition to being cheap and readily available, these insects also pack a lot of nutrition.

Can you overfeed a gecko?


It is possible to overfeed a Leopard Gecko

, but less easy to do than with some other reptiles as they don't tend to overeat so readily. Feeding a Leopard Gecko too much food, or too many calories, can cause health issues such as impaction, obesity, and hepatic lipidosis.

What time of day should I feed my leopard gecko?

The best time to feed a gecko is in the

early evening (7-9 pm)

when it becomes active after its daytime snooze. Feeding can typically take 10-20 minutes – the gecko will know when to stop and will not ‘over indulge'. For some owners, this is the most rewarding part of having a leopard gecko as a pet.

How often do geckos drink water?

Water Recommendations for Leopard Geckos

Offer

fresh water daily

in a water dish large enough for the lizard to soak its entire body in. Additional soaks in shallow warm water for 15-20 minutes 2-3 times a week are helpful, especially during a shed.

How often should I clean my leopard gecko tank?

Try to spot clean their cage once a day to keep the cage from getting too dirty.

About once every 2 months

, take everything out, throw out the substrate, and scrub and disinfect the cage and all the items in it to help reduce the buildup of bacteria.

How often do geckos poop?

How many times a leopard gecko poops every day depends on their age, diet, food consumed and other factors. But on average, adult leopard geckos tend to poop

once in a day or two

. However, juvenile and baby dragons tend to poop more than twice every day.

Is it OK to leave crickets in with my leopard gecko?

While

crickets cannot seriously harm your leopard gecko, they can spread pathogens or start biting your lizard, which can cause an injury and potentially an infection

. Be sure to monitor your leopard gecko's eating habits and feed it as many crickets as it can eat and remove the leftovers after that.

Diane Mitchell
Author
Diane Mitchell
Diane Mitchell is an animal lover and trainer with over 15 years of experience working with a variety of animals, including dogs, cats, birds, and horses. She has worked with leading animal welfare organizations. Diane is passionate about promoting responsible pet ownership and educating pet owners on the best practices for training and caring for their furry friends.