Does My Leopard Gecko Look Healthy To You?

[SC Geckos]

There isn't a lot on their nutritional value out there, especially 'cause a lot of the sites are calling mealworms superworms. But it looks like they're at least about somewhere in the middle

I agree. There is not alot of nutritional value on feeders because that is mostly based on what you feed them.
Two reasons Ibelieve everyone says waxworms are not good to feed is one, of course there fat content and two, you cant gut load them like other feeders because it is near impossible to simulate how they live and feed in the wild.

 

[Embrace Calamity]

I agree. There is not alot of nutritional value on feeders because that is mostly based on what you feed them.
Two reasons Ibelieve everyone says waxworms are not good to feed is one, of course there fat content and two, you cant gut load them like other feeders because it is near impossible to simulate how they live and feed in the wild.

What you feed them won't really affect their fat content though. It'll increase other things, but fat content will remain about the same - somewhere in the middle between mealworms and waxworms.

~Maggot

 

[SC Geckos]

What you feed them won't really affect their fat content though. It'll increase other things, but fat content will remain about the same - somewhere in the middle between mealworms and waxworms.

It would seem to me that what they eat would absolutely effect there nutritional content including fat. If what you feed does not effect fat content then why would it matter what you feed your leo?
If a leo has a fatty diet, its fat content goes up.... right? Then why would it be any different for feeders? The same would go for a diet with little to no fat. So why cant the fat content go down?

 

[Embrace Calamity]

It would seem to me that what they eat would absolutely effect there nutritional content including fat. If what you feed does not effect fat content then why would it matter what you feed your leo?
If a leo has a fatty diet, its fat content goes up.... right? Then why would it be any different for feeders? The same would go for a diet with little to no fat. So why cant the fat content go down?

It will increase other nutrients in the feeders, but it won't decrease the fat. You could argue that will make it a bit healthier, but the fat content will be about the same.

And yes, if you feed a leo a fatty diet, its fat content will go up. I think we all know that.

~Maggot

 

[SC Geckos]

It will increase other nutrients in the feeders, but it won't decrease the fat. You could argue that will make it a bit healthier, but the fat content will be about the same.

And yes, if you feed a leo a fatty diet, its fat content will go up. I think we all know that.

That doesn't make any sense to me how you think it can change in one but not the other. Can you state your source of this information?? I would sure like to read it.

 

[Embrace Calamity]

That doesn't make any sense to me how you think it can change in one but not the other. Can you state your source of this information?? I would sure like to read it.

Why would providing something with iron, vitamins, etc. affect fat content?

Feeding fat increases fat, hence the concern feeding high-fat worms.

~Maggot

 

[SC Geckos]

Why would providing something with iron, vitamins, etc. affect fat content?

Feeding fat increases fat, hence the concern feeding high-fat worms.

Thats not what I said or asked. I said,

The same would go for a diet with little to no fat. So why cant the fat content go down?

So where can I find this information that you obviously have stating that the fat content of feeders will not change regardless of diet??? You are so matter of fact with your statement that there has to be a source.

Leopard Gecko wiki states that superworms are "a very good staple diet for your gecko"

 

[katie_]

ALL ANIMALS NEED FAT IN THEIR DIET!

 

[DrCarrotTail]

I agree - all animals need fat in their diet in order to absorb fat-soluble vitamins. Insects are animals and need fat too. They can convert carbs and proteins into fat even if they eat a relatively "fat-free" diet like mealworms on veggies and oatmeal. Most insects don't live long enough to get "fat" and their exoskeleton doesn't stretch in the same way skin does so its hard to tell if they're fat in the same way we would think about reptiles or people being fat. However, their body composition can definitely change a few % in either direction based on what they're fed - that would probably be at least part of the reason behind the variation in the nutritional information posted from various websites.

Fun fact! There are actually a few species of wasps that are considered parasitoids - they lay eggs inside caterpillars (or other insects) and the larvae eat the fat bodies of the caterpillars as they grow. There are even secondary and tertiary parasitoids which are wasps that lay eggs inside the wasp larvae inside caterpillars and eat their fat bodies!! For really cool parasitoids check out the family Evaniidae - they parasitise cockroach oothecae!! (Yes I'm a bug geek...haha)

 

[Embrace Calamity]

ALL ANIMALS NEED FAT IN THEIR DIET!

...No one said they don't. Are you having a psychotic break by chance? o________O

~Maggot

 

[katie_]

...No one said they don't. Are you having a psychotic break by chance? o________O

~Maggot

You can be awfully rude.
I have seen you "sass" several other members on this forum and I find it to be quite disrepectful. There is no need for your snide comments. "No one said they don't" would have been good enough. Please stop with this, it isnt cute.

Youre arguing about the fat content of worms. As long as you feed a varied diet, it shouldnt matter. Fat is an important factor, that was my point. Thanks for asking me if I was psychotic.

 

[Embrace Calamity]

You can be awfully rude.
I have seen you "sass" several other members on this forum and I find it to be quite disrepectful. There is no need for your snide comments. "No one said they don't" would have been good enough. Please stop with this, it isnt cute.

Youre arguing about the fat content of worms. As long as you feed a varied diet, it shouldnt matter. Fat is an important factor, that was my point. Thanks for asking me if I was psychotic.

Well the CAPS LOCKING and exclamation point and suggesting something was said that wasn't at all even implied was a bit strange. I actually acted a bit like that when I accidentally overdosed on serotonin. Fat is definitely important in every animals' diet, no doubt. Even if you never fed a single worm to a gecko, it would still get fat in its diet from its other feeders. I was discussing the fat levels in different worms and said a high fat diet would cause the gecko to gain fat as well. I never said they shouldn't ever get any fat, and I'm not sure where you got that.

~Maggot

 

[katie_]

Rude.

 

[garner63080]

I think...think being the key word.. Maggot is saying no matter what you give your feeders wont affect Their fat content. But there was no need for the "psychotic break" comment.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2

 

[ImNotYogi]

Fun fact! There are actually a few species of wasps that are considered parasitoids - they lay eggs inside caterpillars (or other insects) and the larvae eat the fat bodies of the caterpillars as they grow. There are even secondary and tertiary parasitoids which are wasps that lay eggs inside the wasp larvae inside caterpillars and eat their fat bodies!! For really cool parasitoids check out the family Evaniidae - they parasitise cockroach oothecae!! (Yes I'm a bug geek...haha)

I've heard of insects laying eggs in a living host but never insects that lay eggs in another parasite's body inside of a host. That is pretty interesting.

 

[Kate C]

I feed my leopard geckos superworms as a staple and they are at a perfectly healthy weight.