Question about calcium

[stayahead]

How do leopard geckos get their required calcium in the wild?

Presumably there aren't little dishes of calcium laying all over the mountains

Do they get what they need from their diet or from the rocks maybe. Or do a lot of geckos in the wild suffer from MBD. Or don't wild geckos suffer from that disease. I'm just curious about this.

 

[Retribution Reptiles]

i would assume that in nature geckos don't lay near as many eggs in the wild as they would in our tanks and tubs. which would mean the amount of calcium needed would be less in the wild. I'm sure in their natural environment that there are rocks that have calcium in them. possibly licking the rocks or even in natural springs there are minerals that the geckos get.

 

[Foreverandever]

. I'm sure in their natural environment that there are rocks that have calcium in them. possibly licking the rocks or even in natural springs there are minerals that the geckos get.

That's what I was thinking. Or maybe they have natural calcium sand that comes in pretty colors in the wild! :main_rolleyes:

 

[stayahead]

Yes good point about the captive breeding females having higher calcium needs.

But what about males and non-breeding females whose calcium needs would be the same whether they are captive or in the wild? But I think you're right about the rocks and the water they drink. Natural water would have minerals in it. And maybe its to do with the insects they eat in the wild. Possibly calcium is higher in wild insects than captive-bred feeders. Hmm.

 

[Gregg M]

In the wild, leos will ingest calcium particles via licking their surroundings and from their natural diet... Where leos are from, it is safe to say that there are not many natural springs if there are any at all...

Leopard geckos will bask in the sun during the very early hours of the day to aquire vitamin D3 via UV rays to help process the calcium they take in...

Egg production in the wild may be less than in captivity but this really depends on the overall health of the gecko and food availability... They can potentially lay the same amount of eggs in the wild as the do in captivity...

 

[shawn119]

i would assume that in nature geckos don't lay near as many eggs in the wild as they would in our tanks and tubs. which would mean the amount of calcium needed would be less in the wild. I'm sure in their natural environment that there are rocks that have calcium in them. possibly licking the rocks or even in natural springs there are minerals that the geckos get.

Perfect answer

 

[Snowy & Petra de Gecko]

They go to the local shopping district

Well they do not. But, they do get it from where ever they can.

I would also think that they get some from the food that they eat.

But, living in the wild is different. They are trying to stay alive and they do not live very long. Let say that an old Leopard Gecko is 5 or 6 old years. So if in capativity they can live over 20 years, I doubt that a wild Leo will live half that long.

They get eaten by other critters. They suffer from diseases and/or parasites.

We are trying to give vitimins and supplements to maintain the health and to extend the life of our Leos. Because we want to exceed an age of 5 or 6 years we want to make sure that our Leos have everything.

So we go to the shopping district for them.

 

[dunderpate]

Mine is 8 and he's always got his calcium from the food he eats, which in addition I dust with calcium powder. Once I tried the drops, but after a while i kept forgetting to add them to the water.

I gut load whatever i feed my Leo, for the most part he eats medium size supers who in turn eat fruit and veggies. I feed my Leo once a week, hes was at the Vet last year and all is well. Hes plump, but not over plump,I take him out often for some exercise, and he's never turned away a meal, plenty of spunk still in him to go another 8 years.

I once bought an overhead UV light, but he doesnt come out during the day, duh-- nocturnal. I dont know about early morning basking, ive never seen there behaviour in the wild before.

 

[shawn119]

That's what I was thinking. Or maybe they have natural calcium sand that comes in pretty colors in the wild! :main_rolleyes:

I think that to.