Leopard geckos are insectivores, which means that their main source of food should be insects. But can leopard geckos eat anything other than common bugs? Can leopard geckos eat fish, meat, fruit and vegetables, snails, spiders, hoppers, woodlice, crickets and so on? In this post, we will discuss what leopard geckos can and cannot eat.
Can leopard geckos eat anything other than bugs?
No, leopard geckos should not eat anything other than bugs. Bugs should make a leopard gecko’s diet. Leopard geckos can’t eat any vegetables, fruits or salad. Other than insects, fuzzy mice are allowed once a month for ovulating, gravid and extremely underweight leopard geckos. Healthy leopard geckos should not be given meat.
Can leopard geckos eat fish?
No, you shouldn’t feed your leopard geckos any fish, such as goldfish. Leopard geckos are desert reptiles, and they don’t get to eat fish there. What is more, fish contain bones, that can choke or impact your leopard gecko. Fish is also high in fat and protein, which is also not suitable. And lastly, raw fish might contain parasites that can make your leopard gecko sick.
Can my leopard geckos eat fruit and veg?
No, leopard geckos won’t eat any fruit or veg. While some leopard geckos might try some types of fruit, such as bananas or strawberries, it doesn’t mean that you have to feed your leopard gecko fruit and veg.
Fruits are not good for leopard geckos due to a high sugar and acid content. Same goes with vegetables, such as a carrots or lettuce – leopard geckos won’t eat them. Leopard geckos don’t like the taste of fruit and veg, and they will only eat it if they are starving or need more moisture.
Can my leopard gecko eat wax worms?
Yes, leopard geckos can eat wax worms, but they are quite fatty (around 25% fat). You can offer them to growing, underweight or gravid leopard geckos once a week (1-2 worms).
Adult leopard geckos can enjoy a treat of waxworms once in two weeks. Wax worms that you can offer might be pupae or adult moths (they can fly).
Be careful when offering to babies, wax worms are treats and your baby leopard gecko can become addicted and a picky eater! So it can be better to wait until your leopard gecko is around 3-4 months old before offering wax worms.
Can my leopard gecko eat woodlice?
Yes, leopard geckos can actually enjoy woodlice from time to time. Woodlice are only good for an occasional treat because of their hard shell. The shell, though, is high in calcium and is good for your leopard gecko.
Woodlice are often a perfect size to feed your adult leopard geckos, but you can offer smaller ones to juveniles (make sure they are not bigger than the width between the eyes of your leopard gecko).
If you want to feed woodlice to your leopard gecko, make sure that they are only captive bred. Captive bred woodlice need to be fed decomposing matter, leafy greens, old fruit and veg and kept on some moist organic soil.
Never feed woodlice straight from the wild – instead collect or buy some, and then start a colony. Then, feed the new baby woodlice to your leopard gecko.
Can my leopard gecko eat spiders?
Feeding leopard geckos spiders has both positive and negative sides, so the answer is more no than yes. Spiders might carry nasty bacteria and viruses or might have eaten pesticide sprayed bugs.
What is more, spiders are hard to gut-load and are small to make a meal for your leopard gecko. The only plus is that spiders move around and your leopard gecko will enjoy chasing them. But also not everyone will say yes to handling a spider!
Can my leopard gecko eat snails?
No, you shouldn’t offer snails to your leopard gecko. Snails have hard shells, which can cause impaction in leopard geckos. What is more, snails might carry lots of parasites and possibly, been eating pesticide-sprayed feed.
Even canned snails are not the best choice for leopard geckos, as they are not nutritious enough and won’t be moving. Leopard geckos don’t eat snails in the wild, so it is better not to offer them at all. Snails are more suitable for larger lizards.
Can my leopard gecko eat locusts/hoppers?
Locusts are great feeder insects for leopard geckos and are not high in fat for regular feeding (11%). The only problem is, they can be rather expensive to buy. Only buy captive bred locusts and gut-load as well as dust them before feeding to your leopard gecko.
Locusts come in different sizes and small-medium sized nymphs (8-20 mm) are often the most suitable ones. Leopard gecko can eat between 2-10 locusts at a time depending on age. Please note that lubber hoppers are toxic to leopard geckos.
Can my leopard gecko eat earthworms?
Earthworms do not make the best feeders insects for leopard geckos. The problem with earthworms is that they live in soil, and are very dirty. Earthworms eat decomposing vegetables, fruit and leaf matter. They can also consume fungi and bacteria, as well as citrus fruits that are not good for leopard geckos.
If you decide to give your leopard gecko any earthworms as treats, make sure to buy captive bred ones that have been gut-loaded and kept in proper conditions. Never feed wild caught earthworms or other insects to your leopard gecko. Also, make sure to wash them to remove dirt and cut them as they are too long to be digested. Earthworms are not too fatty (7-10% fat).
Can my leopard gecko eat mealworms?
Yes, you can feed leopard geckos mealworms. Don’t make mealworms staple feeder insects – it is better to offer a diversified diet by adding other staple insects. Mealworms contain around 14% fat, compared to 6% in crickets and roaches. Feeding mealworms once a week to your leopard gecko is optimal.
Can my leopard gecko eat mealworm beetles?
Feeding your leopard gecko any mealworms beetles (darkling beetles) is not a good idea. Mealworm beetles get large and have a thick shell that is hard for your leopard gecko to digest. Beetles are also said to have a disgusting taste.
While nothing will happen to your leopard gecko if it eats one beetle (if it’s not larger than the width between the eyes), they are not the best feeder choices. Stick to mealworms in larvae state and refrigerate them to slow down the growth.
Can my leopard gecko eat mealworm pupae?
You might try to feed your leopard gecko mealworm pupae, as they have similar nutritional value to larvae (small worms). However, not all leopard geckos will eat mealworm pupae so you will need to stick to larvae.
Can my leopard gecko eat Morio worms (superworms)?
You can feed your leopard gecko Morio worms (superworms), but only occasionally. Your leopard gecko needs to be at least 12 months old before you offer superworms.
Superworms are fatty (17-19% fat), so offer only 1-2 worms once in two weeks to adults. Superworms can also bite your leopard gecko so only feed them with feeding tongs like these.
Can my leopard gecko eat hornworms?
Yes, leopard geckos can eat hornworms. Hornworms are soft, contain lots of moisture and are easily digestible. It is a good idea to feed hornworms only to adult leopard geckos, as hornworms are quite thick.
Buy small hornworms only, and don’t keep at room temperature as they can grow overnight. After buying, keep them at 55-60 degrees Fahrenheit (12.7-15.5 Celsius), but not in the fridge as they will get too hard.
Can my leopard gecko eat crickets?
Yes, and crickets are one of the best staple feeder insects for leopard geckos. Crickets are low in fat as well as cheap to buy and breed. Both hatchling, baby and adult leopard geckos can eat crickets, but you will need to choose crickets that are not larger than the width between your leopard gecko’s eyes.
Can my leopard gecko eat silkworms?
Yes, silkworms are great feeder insects for leopard geckos, but they can be quite expensive compared to other feeder insects, such as crickets and roaches. But if you can afford them, get them to treat your leopard gecko and to diversify its diet.
Can my leopard gecko eat roaches?
Yes, leopard geckos can eat roaches and they can make staple feeder insects. There are different roaches that you can feed to your leopard gecko, such as Madagascar hissing roaches, Dubia roaches, discoid roaches and others.
Can my leopard gecko eat Phoenix worms?
Yes, Phoenix worms make great feeder insects for leopard geckos. Phoenix worms, also called Calci-worms or black soldier fly larvae, have an excellent Ca:P ratio, as well as good levels of calcium.
This is why you don’t need to gut-load or dust them with Ca and Phosphorus. Read more on gut-loading insects and feeding Phoenix worms to your leopard gecko in this post.
Can my leopard gecko eat chicken?
Feeding your leopard gecko chicken is not a good idea. Leopard geckos are insectivores, so they don’t eat meat. Never feed raw chicken to your leopard gecko, as it can contain Salmonella and other parasites.
But even cooked chicken is not suitable for leopard geckos – chicken is not nutritionally optimal for them and it contains too much protein.
Can I feed my leopard gecko dog food or human food?
Some people still ask this question, and this is a strict no. Leopard geckos are strict insectivores, and any dog or human food will harm them greatly.
Dog food contains too much protein, and both dog and human food has unbalanced ratios of vitamins and minerals for a leopard gecko. Dog food is processed and not suitable at all for your leopard gecko.
Thank you for reading this article. If you want to learn more about leopard gecko’s diet, food choices, insect sizes and many more, visit this post.