How much should my gecko's be eating ?

[LNK89]

Hi,


I'm a new owner of 2 female leopard gecko's. I have had them for a little over a week and I am wondering how much should they be eating ? From what I have been told they are only about 5 months old. I feed them mealworms and superworms, havent tried crickets yet but I will sometime this week.

Currently they are eating upwards of 20+ mealworms at one sitting and up to 5 superworms at once if I dont feed them mealworms. I feed them every night, the mealworms are about 1/2"-1" long.

Also one seems to love the superworms and the other doesnt seem to be interested in them. I know she will eat them because the first time I offered them she ate 4. But since then maybe 1 with lots of picking at it. Should I just let them be picky or if they wont eat it they go hungry that night ?

For crickets how many would you recomend I get and what size ? I dont want to have a whole bunch left over because I hear they make lots of noise and escape and stink. Which doesnt go over well with the parents.

I also keep hearing about brumation. Which im guessing is the reptile equivalent of hibernation. Do I have to worry about that at all ?
Thanks

 

[MichaelJ]

Congratulations on your new geckos!

If you're feeding about 20 medium-size mealworms every night, that sounds about right.

Each gecko has their own personality and will favor certain feeders. We usually give them what they want (spoiled)! I would suggest using mealworms as your primary feeder, and supplement with super worms and crickets on occasion. The crickets should be no larger than the width of the leo's head. Any uneaten crickets in the enclosure need to be discarded the next day.

During the winter, many leos will slow down their consumption - but it depends on where you live and how cold the room temperature gets. We live in Florida, so our leos eat well year round.

Hope that helps! Good luck!!

 

[LNK89]

Ok thanks. I live in Canada, B.C. so it doesnt get super cold. Does get below freezing though. My room is usually quite cold will I need something other than the UTH to heat the tank ?

 

[MichaelJ]

You may want to add a heat lamp to the top of the enclosure as well... or move his tank to a warmer room in the house. The ambient room temperature should be around 75-80.

 

[MiamiLeos]

Ok thanks. I live in Canada, B.C. so it doesnt get super cold. Does get below freezing though. My room is usually quite cold will I need something other than the UTH to heat the tank ?

omg.. i live in Miami, FL.. it was 68 here last night and i swore my toes were going to fall off lmao! i cant believe below freezing isnt super cold for you haha! i am a wuss. as for the heating question, if the air temp in your room gets below 65, i would recommend a red or ceramic heat lamp for the winter

 

[ggg111]

Is that 20 for both or 20 for one?

 

[JasperStreet]

I'm in B.C. too, and my tank won't stay warm enough with just a UTH. I use a heat lamp as well, with a thermostat.

Ok thanks. I live in Canada, B.C. so it doesnt get super cold. Does get below freezing though. My room is usually quite cold will I need something other than the UTH to heat the tank ?

 

[jschaf1]

I too would like to know if that is 20 mealworms each gecko. I was wondering this exact question myself and was ready to start another thread but hopefully I can find the answer here. I am currently feeding my one year old gecko about 7-10 mealworms a day, everyday. Is that enough?