Mealworm Size?

[Embrace Calamity]

So my leo is 5-6 months old. She's 4.5" snout to vent, about 7" in total. I've been feeding her more mealworms lately because it's difficult and very expensive to get crickets where I live, but the only mealworms I could find here were about 1" long. I know the rule of thumb regarding the size of crickets, but I don't know about mealworms. Are these guys okay to feed her? I don't want to harm her by feeding her mealworms that are too big, but they're all I've got right now. Thanks for any help.

~Maggot

 

[Taquiq]

The 1 inch mealworms are fine to feed her. I've heard of breeders who feed adult mealworms to their hatchlings, so no problems with yours.

 

[Embrace Calamity]

The 1 inch mealworms are fine to feed her. I've heard of breeders who feed adult mealworms to their hatchlings, so no problems with yours.

Great. Thanks so much.

~Maggot

 

[Ozy]

Dubia roaches are the best. That's what I feed Ozy.

 

[lisa127]

I buy mealworms right now from the petstore and I'm not sure what size they actually are. But my albino male was about 6.5 inches when I brought him home and he was just eating those at that time. I would think she'd be fine, as 7 inches is not all that small.

 

[Lindz0518]

I could be completely off here but I think that the bigger ones (not giant ones) are better because I believe I have read that the mini ones have risk of impaction... again not 100%, I will try to find where I read it. I fed my little guy just normal adult sized mealies here and there with crickets and he did just fine.

 

[cassicat4]

The general rule I've always heard and been advised is that for worms, the width of the worm should be no wider than the space between the Leo's eyes, and the length should be no longer than the gecko's torso. This can be applied to all worms - supers, mealies, kings, horns, butters, etc.

Too many mealworms fed in too short of time without sufficient belly heat or basking can contribute to impaction. As long as your Leo basks appropriately, they shouldn't have an issue.

 

[SC Geckos]

Too many mealworms fed in too short of time without sufficient belly heat or basking can contribute to impaction. As long as your Leo basks appropriately, they shouldn't have an issue.

Off topic but ANY feeders that are consumed without providing the proper temps can cause digestion issues not just mealworms. Mealworms have gotten such a bad wrap over the years for no reason at all. IMO just alot of misinformation.

As for the OP's question, you are just fine feeding any size mealies to a gecko that size.

 

[Embrace Calamity]

The general rule I've always heard and been advised is that for worms, the width of the worm should be no wider than the space between the Leo's eyes, and the length should be no longer than the gecko's torso. This can be applied to all worms - supers, mealies, kings, horns, butters, etc.

Too many mealworms fed in too short of time without sufficient belly heat or basking can contribute to impaction. As long as your Leo basks appropriately, they shouldn't have an issue.

Yeah, temps are fine, she has a hide that has a UTH under it at night, and a place to bask if necessary.

Off topic but ANY feeders that are consumed without providing the proper temps can cause digestion issues not just mealworms. Mealworms have gotten such a bad wrap over the years for no reason at all. IMO just alot of misinformation.

As for the OP's question, you are just fine feeding any size mealies to a gecko that size.

I think that's due to the fact that they have much more chitin - which is more difficult to digest without proper husbandry - than other feeders. Though obviously you're right that impaction on anything can happen if proper care isn't given, but it's probably a bit more likely with mealworms.

~Maggot

 

[SC Geckos]

I think that's due to the fact that they have much more chitin - which is more difficult to digest without proper husbandry - than other feeders. Though obviously you're right that impaction on anything can happen if proper care isn't given, but it's probably a bit more likely with mealworms.

~Maggot

Yeah, I would agree with that. Though I don't think I have ever heard of a healthy gecko under the proper living conditions being impacted by mealies.... or really any appropriately sized feeder for that matter.

 

[Embrace Calamity]

Yeah, I would agree with that. Though I don't think I have ever heard of a healthy gecko under the proper living conditions being impacted by mealies.... or really any appropriately sized feeder for that matter.

Yeah, I doubt that'd happen. As I recall, there have been a few people here say their geckos have stopped eating after being fed lots of mealworms, and the issue always seems to be that they don't have access to proper heat. I was concerned more about choking than impaction.

~Maggot

 

[Lindz0518]

I would have to agree, with proper care it would be highly unlikely. I wasn't sure at all, I just recall reading it somewhere but who knows where, there's so much bad information on the care of these guys..... I mean they still sell leopard gecko kits in the pet stores with basking bulbs instead of heat mats.

 

[Embrace Calamity]

I would have to agree, with proper care it would be highly unlikely. I wasn't sure at all, I just recall reading it somewhere but who knows where, there's so much bad information on the care of these guys..... I mean they still sell leopard gecko kits in the pet stores with basking bulbs instead of heat mats.

One of the downfalls of them being so hardy. Though I admit I use a basking bulb (which I know some don't approve of), as I like giving her as much of a natural night/day cycle as I can, but only during the day. At night, she has a UTH.

~Maggot

 

[Lindz0518]

One of the downfalls of them being so hardy. Though I admit I use a basking bulb (which I know some don't approve of), as I like giving her as much of a natural night/day cycle as I can, but only during the day. At night, she has a UTH.

~Maggot

I use bulbs too, if I need a little higher air temp or since I am in Missouri, sometimes it stays cloudy and dark for days so I use them so their day/night cycles aren't messed up by it being dark all day. You have a UTH though, that makes the different, a lot of people don't have that.

 

[Embrace Calamity]

I use bulbs too, if I need a little higher air temp or since I am in Missouri, sometimes it stays cloudy and dark for days so I use them so their day/night cycles aren't messed up by it being dark all day. You have a UTH though, that makes the different, a lot of people don't have that.

I have no idea how people keep their temps up with just UTHs. But I guess that's probably because I live in northern PA, and it gets really bloody cold here most of the time. We have, like, 8 months of winter. It's basically this:

~Maggot

 

[Lindz0518]

Lol. I thought Missouri was bad, like 5 months of cold weather but that is just, blah! In the summer when it gets in the 80s and 90s occasionally 100, and the nights are 70 to 80 then I don't use bulbs but now, at 29 degrees outside I have to use them because my house is older and my room gets really chilly, sometimes around 60.

 

[Ozy]

I live in Missouri also. I just use a UTH on Ozy's tank and the temp gradient is perfect. But my office area stays pretty warm due to the heat being on and then the ambient heat from my roach's heat lamp and Ozy's UTH. I fed Ozy just mealworms for like the first 4 months I had her, because she didn't like crickets and I was still squeamish about roaches. She did just fine. Was never impacted or sick or anything...

 

[telliott4]

Adult mealworms are appropriate for all leopard geckos hatchling to adult.

 

[lisa127]

I use bulbs too, if I need a little higher air temp or since I am in Missouri, sometimes it stays cloudy and dark for days so I use them so their day/night cycles aren't messed up by it being dark all day. You have a UTH though, that makes the different, a lot of people don't have that.

I use a low wattage night glo bulb above slate tile (to heat them up) for belly heat. There is more than one way to provide belly heat. As long as your surface temps are right, there is no problem with it.

 

[lisa127]

I have no idea how people keep their temps up with just UTHs. But I guess that's probably because I live in northern PA, and it gets really bloody cold here most of the time. We have, like, 8 months of winter. It's basically this:

~Maggot

lol....I live in northeast Ohio, so I empathize with you.