Feeding Issues, Need Help!

[rossyy9]

Hi, I have a few issues with my leo at the moment. The first of which is that he does not want to eat mealworms, he doesnt seem interested in them whatsoever!!! This maybe because im feeding him 4 or 5 crickets everyother night. But i kinda wanted to know from a few other people if this is normal i.e. 'would he prefer a cricket to a mealworm'????? The mealies are in the viv, in the dish all day with him and at first i thought that it might be because he could'nt see them wiggling around because i only gave him 6 or so. So i added another 6 so i knew he can def see them. Its as if he's a little kid, knowing that im not gonna let him starve if he waits long enough he'll get some crickets. lol (soz, i no that is kind of a long question, LOL)

And the second is that, the 4 or 5 crickets i do put in, immediately run and hide from him a soon as they get in the viv. FINE! i can understand them not wanting to be eaten but They normally go straight for the hides and some of them hide under the bark that im using for a substrate. now the real issue here is that he wont go looking for them in the hides. He'll just wait for one to wonder in front of him or within pouncing distance to eat them. Agreed some of them are stupid enough to go wondering past him and he'll get them but others will normally stay there in the hides and il either find them there the next day or dead the following day and because he wont eat mealies im wondering if he's getting enough food. Is there any way of helping this situation????

I no the questions are a bit long winded but i kinda wanted to give all the background i could.

P.S. What are leo's eyesight like becuase even if the crickets are out in an open space he doesnt seem to notice them until they move??? It's as if, when the crickets stand still they go invisible to him, even if they are power coated WHITE with supplement

Thanks in advance

 

[leogecko88]

Sometimes leos are picky about their food. For a while, Yoshi refused to eat crickets and only ate mealworms. Now she eats her crickets again.

I don't let my crickets loose in the tank. I usually hold them by the leg in front of Yoshi so she eats them out of my hand. Or I pull their legs off and put them in the dish with her other feeders.

Leos have good vision at night. Mine can see me all the way across the room, even with no light. They don't seem to notice food unless it is moving. They need the movement as a cue that food is present.

Be sure that you replace the mealworms with fresh ones every night. They will lose their nutritional value if they aren't able to eat. Perhaps you could stop offering the mealies for a while or try offering them with feeding tongs.

 

[Dead Dreamer]

My girl is the same way with meal worms. Correct me if I'm wrong, as I am pretty new to geckos, but have owned quite a few reptiles. From what I've seen, your gecko can go through times when they really don't eat as much. Especially when the room temp gets a little colder (winter approaching). Just keep an eye on him for size, energy and over-all appearance. As for hand-feeding, mine won't even go for that with the meal worms. I tried that because she never eats them. Dude, it's cool that you hand feed your gecko every feeding, not downing that. But I think that's a little much for me personally.

 

[Dead Dreamer]

My girl is the same way with meal worms. Correct me if I'm wrong, as I am pretty new to geckos, but have owned quite a few reptiles. From what I've seen, your gecko can go through times when they really don't eat as much. Especially when the room temp gets a little colder (winter approaching). Just keep an eye on him for size, energy and over-all appearance. As for hand-feeding, mine won't even go for that with the meal worms. I tried that because she never eats them. Dude, it's cool that you hand feed your gecko every feeding, not downing that. But I think that's a little much for me personally.

1 Female Hypo Tangerine

 

[Dead Dreamer]

My girl is the same way with meal worms. Correct me if I'm wrong, as I am pretty new to geckos, but have owned quite a few reptiles. From what I've seen, your gecko can go through times when they really don't eat as much. Especially when the room temp gets a little colder (winter approaching). Just keep an eye on him for size, energy and over-all appearance.

1 Female Hypo Tangerine