The Leopard Gecko Diet

When caring for a leopard gecko, its diet is very important. Baby leopard geckos should be fed everyday while it is enough to feed adult ones every other day. They generally are insectivores as their staple diet is comprised mostly of insects. You can feed your pet leopard gecko with mealworms, superworms, crickets, and small cockroaches. To avoid choking, the general rule is to avoid offering them prey that is larger than half the width of its head.

You can also feed you pet leopard gecko with a pinkie mouse but only occasionally. Feed one that is just a few days old to a full grown adult only. If you have a breeding female leopard gecko, offering them pinkie mice would be great. Another treat that must only be offered to them on occasional basis are waxworms. This is because leopard geckos can easily get addicted to this fare and it can be unhealthy and fattening when consumed frequently.

As a leopard gecko pet owner, you should also be aware of the right amount of food to feed them at one time. Limit your food offer to what your pet can consume in one eating. This would depend entirely on the size of your pet. If you feed it crickets, offer 4 to 8 of this insect at one time. It is not advisable to leave crickets for a long time in a leopard gecko's enclosure. It can stress your pet if crickets are left running around and if they get hungry, they can nibble on your leopard gecko. Any food that can be put in a dish like mealworms and superworms can be left in the enclosure without endangering your pet.

Part of ensuring the health of your pet leopard gecko is to serve it healthy food. One way to do this is to gutload the food stuff you are planning to feed it for 24 hours before feeding your pet. When we say gutloading, it means you need to feed the prey you will feed your pet with high quality and very nutritious food before offering them to be eaten. Feed the insects with nutritious food like vegetable, fruits, and grains. You can also feed these insects with powdered form products that are now commercially available. Healthy food will make your pet healthier too.

Aside from gutloading, you can also nourish your pet leopard gecko with calcium and other vitamin supplements. You can do this by sprinkling the prey you are planning to feed your pet with powdered form of these supplements. You need to do this immediately before you feed your pet so that the insect will not have the chance to clean itself off. This method of introducing vitamin supplements is also recommended to enrich the diet of breeding females and baby leopard geckos.

Water is also an important component of a leopard gecko's diet. Feed your pet with fresh water. Change the water you put in the cage regularly because stagnant water can be a breeding ground for bacteria that lead to illnesses that could harm your pet leopard gecko.

Noel Patterson is a leopard gecko expert. For more great tips on leopard gecko feed, visit http:/theleopardgeckoguide.com/.