Southeast Asian common house geckos are interesting pets although a bit shy and reclusive by nature, these nocturnal creatures are active during the night. Geckos like to spend many hours in solitude and feel safe by creating comfortable space in their surroundings. They are known as invasive species largely by hitchhiking on ships and move through other transportation sources to breed successfully at the destination.
Geckos are mostly seen in yellowish tan along with dark spots to pale grey-whitish tone. Their color gives a lighter shade during night time and brighter during day time.
What do Leopard Geckos eat? They can eat various kinds of insects most frequently mealworms and crickets, however, you can also choose butter worms, silkworms, beetles, tomato hornworms, bugs, and cockroaches. Waxworms and super worms can be given to gecko sometimes to contain a higher level of fats so frequent use is not an ideal meal plan for geckos.
Most pet geckos are likely insectivores they eat creepy crawlies, African fat-tailed geckos, leopard geckos, and house geckos are insectivorous, however, day geckos and crested geckos are frugivorous to eat fruits.
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What Do Geckos Eat
Since they adapted to live in various ecosystems a wild gecko will have a diet based on his living conditions. They are found in tropical forests, deserts, grasslands, and mountains.
Wild geckos will try to nibble almost anything available for them in a smaller size including fruits, worms, and insects; they would not even spare small rodents and other hatchling geckos.
Wild geckos are kept as a pet in different countries of the world, the leopard gecko is quite a popular wild gecko adopted as a pet. Some varieties are not suitable to choose a pet due to the lack of better living conditions and the threat of other predators.
What Do Gecko's Eat In Captivity
Geckos mostly feed on other animals, if you choose the small size of an insect for gecko it will be easier for him to eat. Gecko babies have to do more effort for swallowing and digesting a prey item while an adult one can eat a pinky mouse well.
We suggest feeding your pet gecko with the appropriate size of mealworms, super worms, and cricket. Insects have high-fat levels to become a nutritionist diet for a gecko but be mindful that various species can vary according to nutrition requirements.
While choosing the insect notice that its size should be less than the gecko`s head that would be the correct feeder for your tiny gecko. Adult geckoes are more capable to eat smaller size animals so you can occasionally feed them on selected animals and insects.
What Does Wild Gecko Eat
Wild gecko diet plan habits are influenced by their surrounding environment; they adopt food habits according to their natural habitats. Some smaller geckos will prey on insects and bugs from plants while adult ones will target the small animals from their surroundings. The mature geckos mostly bite moss plants and leaf from several plants available in their surroundings.
A wild gecko will try to eat anything small enough for him to capture easily and consume directly. Insects are the preferred food choice from their mainstream dietary choices, they will also like to pick centipedes, spiders, and small scorpions. Young rodents are their favorite diet due to their cannibalistic taste buds; it will be unpleasant to hear that they would never spare their own geckos community by swallowing hatchling geckos from their holes.
What Does Baby Gecko Eat
Baby gecko should be given 5-7 small cricket or mealworms during a single day as its growth is around 4inches it is young enough to prey and digest larger food. A full-grown gecko reaches after one year to age to be fed with 6-7 large crickets twice or thrice in a week.
Baby gecko will be feeling fine even after skipping 2 or 3 meals as they have ample fat storage in their tails to support their body for energy needs. Make sure you are misting their enclosure as keeping them hydrated should be your priority as responsible pet owners.
Do Crickets Are An Ideal Meal For Geckos
A bulk of crickets are required to feed your gecko meal plan, however, pay extra attention to the quality of crickets especially the ones living in the domestic environment, these pet geckos are not able to pray for themselves rather much dependent on their owners to take care of their food requirements.
All crickets are not of the same nutritional value, better to do some research before selecting a specific type of cricket for your gecko. This happens with crickets to be kept in stores for a longer period, so taking fresh live insects will be a great deal for the optimal health of your pet.
Crickets must be feeding well before making it a part of your gecko, supplements are available in the market. Fresh fruit, veggies, and tropical fish flakes can improve the nutritional value of your cricket to provide ample value for your lizard.
How To Feed Your Pet Gecko
A gecko that reached full adult size can be the better handle to eat the pinky mouse and the mice body has essential nutrients to keep the gecko in optimal health conditions. While feeding your gecko take care of harmful substrate that can go into their stomach along with their prey such as sand, pebbles and thorns can prove fatal for their small stomachs. To avoid such problems
- Choose a tidy place to feed your gecko and try to place his feeding insect on some paper, you can utilize used papers for this purpose.
- Right after 30mints of feeding clear the eating space from remaining food particles, it is vital to clean the area for the next feeding time
- There are fair chances of live insects trying to bite your gecko if you haven`t clean the entire space after providing the feed.
- The best solution is to use a separate enclosure for providing your lizard with clam space to eat well. Remember to provide your gecko with fresh water daily,
- Use a shallow water dish that can be sufficient enough for the gecko to sip easily.
- Make a check on daily water intake that is essential to keep your lizard hydrated and a crucial element to saving your pet from potential health problems.
Gecko Food Requirements According To Size
Geckos have various sizes; the tiny ones can be less than 2 centimeters while the largest ones can grow up to 2 feet long. Adult are typically 16.5-20 cm long, mature males have an average of 60-90 grams.
Reptile health experts suggest that feed the insect first you are going to give it to your gecko for eating. The insect must be filled with a nutritious powdered diet at least 12 hours before your gecko gets them. Special insect food is available in the market to make it easy for you, feed your cricket well before presenting it to the gecko for eating. Females are lighter in weight like 45 grams rather babies are about 6-8 grams.
Reptiles don’t need a regular feed every day instead 2 appropriate size insects are sufficient enough as a good feeding dose and can provide energy for several days. An alternative day schedule for feeding is quite reasonable such as if your gecko is 4 inches long fed him with eight mealworms 3 or 4 times a week.
About Leopard Gecko
Leopard gecko is the most famous pet lizard which is likely socially able and friendly personality. They are seen in a dazzling array of colors and fantastic designs, and more like the lovely family member to give you love. They respond by winking their ears and licking their eyes as a greeting gesture in the response to your kindness. Keeping a leopard at your home is not going to be so challenging rather they are easy-going pets. A small container would be suitable for their housing and live insects can feed them well.
You can’t expect much from this tiny creature although they will show attachment for their entire family members not much expressive to show their feelings, they are introverted and cold-blooded creatures to stay calm most of the times. A lizard will not be cuddly and warm enough like a cat or dog rather they become active during certain times.
Diet For Leopard Gecko
Leopard geckos don’t need regular feeding per day unlike other pet animals only a four-five time per week diet is sufficient to fulfill their dietary needs, Leopards are not much foodie rather they like to have a succulent mixture of worms and live crickets have proven as best diet plan for them.
For providing a full of nutrient diet, you must dust the bugs with calcium powder to make it a complete diet for your lizard. This meal plan will be sufficient enough to repeat twice or thrice in a week unless your veterinarian instructs you to follow a different schedule.
After feeding your leopard make sure to clean your hands thoroughly as the sticky substance naturally produced under their bodies can prove harmful to the human digestive system. Better to wash your hands thoroughly after holding a lizard and make your children habitual for this to avoid possible harms of salmonella.
What Does The Leopard Gecko Eat?
Bearded gecko calls a species of wild gecko, these are some of the famous wild geckoes that will eat plant materials and will like to eat small mice. They will likely to eat reptiles such as crickets and mealworms and sometimes chopped veggies.
Geckos need a vitamin supplement and calcium powder to be dusted on the insects used for feeding them. Try to feed your gecko with carrots, collard greens, and mustard greens that can give them mineral enriched food. Select fresh fruits such as kiwi, mango, or banana and sprinkle them with vitamin-enriched powdered supplements to give a boost of instant energy.
They would love to eat green leafy vegetables such as lettuce, spinach, and iceberg. They can be added to the leopard’s diet with a tint of calcium powder to add more nutritional value.
How Often Do Leopard Geckos Eat
- Younger than 1 year should be fed every day
- Healthy adult geckos should get diet every other day
- Sick geckos should be fed with daily meals to save them from nutritional deficiencies.
- Feed them early morning or in the evening because this is the prey time for the geckos.
For problem eaters prefer to give more time for eating, if the gecko show unwillingness to eat at the feeding time put the food container near him, probably they would be willing to eat after some time.
Leopard Gecko Important Facts
Leopard gecko lives around 8-10 years life on average; it is the terrestrial animal from a desert environment. Females are typically 7-8 inches long while males from 8-10 inches. This nocturnal creature can store fat in its tail for several days in case of the unavailability of food. Some geckos can live almost 25-30 years and reach sexual maturity around 9-18 months.
Geckos have the strange habit of eating shed skin, they can live happily alone and in pairs as well. They will drop their tail show their defensive power, they can regenerate their tails within a few months.
Some Health Tips
- A complete physical examination is recommended after every 6-12 months.
- Consult a reptile expert veterinarian in case of questions and queries about the health of your Leopard.
- It is vital to take your leopard for an annual parasite examination.
- Perform all kinds of blood examinations suggested by the health care provider.
- Keep yourself protected from Salmonella that can cause serious illness in humans.
Bottom Lines
Being a pet owner you have to take responsibility for taking care of the emotional and physical needs of your gecko. Make a proper diet plan and discuss the feeding schedule with reptile experts to avoid any possible health problems. Keep the living area clean and practice frequent cleaning to avoid any collection of rotten insects and their remaining particles; this can prove dangerous by emitting harmful substances after getting stalled into the living space of gecko.
