Noob Question!

[bettafish]

So, I'm new here, and eventually I want to get a leopard gecko. I have a good idea of what I need, and a ten gallon sitting around. I dont have access to pet stores to get what I need just yet, so dont worry about me rushing into this or anything ^^ I like to learn alot before I get new pets. Anywho, I was wondering if it was okay to feed a leopard gecko just mealworms, rather than crickets. If they need both or just need crickets, then would getting "Can O' Crickets" be okay for them? Thanks, and sorry for long post >.<

 

[Coby78]

I know people who only feed their geckos mealworms so it's fine. Of course, it's always great to put a variety in their diets. And most geckos will only eat something if it's moving, so the can o' crickets might not interest them, unless you are successful with dangling it in front of their faces. My gecko doesn't even eat from the bowl, she only eats if a superworm is crawling on the ground in front of her. XD

And it's always healthier for them to eat live anyway.

 

[MiamiLeos]

Mealworms are my all time favorite staple. I also know of several large scale breeders who feed solely mealworms (along with proper supplementation) with great results. My geckos diet consists of prob around 90% mealworms. From time to time or if something is on sale I will go for some juvenile superworms, waxworms, I love butterworms but theyre so darn expensive, or phoenix worms. I do not feed my geckos crickets (because theyre a pain in large numbers and they can injure geckos), large superworms (they are dangerous, had a terrible experience where one severely bit the inside of a geckos mouth.. he had to be euthanized) and roaches... because I HATEEEE roaches lol. As for the dried or prekilled food items, don't even bother. Not nearly enough nutrition and I highly doubt your gecko will even eat them anyways. Their food drive is wired to their eyeballs

 

[ChickenChump]

So far mine is on a diet of 80% roaches and 20% mealworms. In 4 weeks it's already grown 2 inches!!! I'm not sure if that's normal or not, but it sure is growing faster than the leopard gecko I had a few years ago that was on a diet of only crickets. It likes them so much that the roaches don't have to be moving, and it takes them from my fingers eagerly.

 

[Phish999]

my staple is mealworms for most of my geckos (2 leos and 2 white lined) but i supplement with crickets twice a week but i pull the jumpers off so they are easier for me and them to handle lol my first leo thunder domed a large cricket a few weeks ago before i started pulling legs and it bit him on the top of his head! hes ok but you'd like to know that the little bugger didn't get away scott free, 2 legs missing and a partially squished body haha!