Leopard geckos eat nothing but live insects, which move, jump, wriggle, and crawl. When it’s time to eat, drop those crickets in the cage and watch them run for their lives! Your leo will know what to do with it.
Your leopard gecko’s diet
Leopard geckos live almost exclusively on crickets and mealworms. Both can be purchased cheaply at your local pet store or purchased in the yard for free.
Once in a while, you can give them waxworms, tiny roaches, or baby mice, but these should be for special occasions. The last thing you want is a fat, spoiled leo.
Most leos eat every other day, and you can expect to feed 4-6 insects. For babies, give them small mealworms at first and then turn them into little crickets.
Don’t forget the vitamins
Equally important to your leopard’s diet are vitamin supplements. You MUST feed them vitamin supplements and there is a great way to do this called “gut loading.”
Intestinal loading means keeping insects for about 24 hours before mealtime and letting them eat leaves and fruits. Your leopard gecko then eats the unsuspecting insects and gets the vitamins naturally from their food.
The “Shake and Bake” method
If you are not interested in raising insects, you can powder them before feeding. The “shake and bake” spray method involves putting the insects in a plastic bag with the powdered vitamin and then shaking until they are covered with it. Now, feed the leos.
You should feed them calcium and multivitamins for reptiles. Both are available cheaply at pet stores. It is also a good idea to leave a tray of calcium powder in the cage at all times so that they can lick up some vitamin whenever they want.
Always be attentive to how your leo eats. This will help you get an idea of whether you are feeding them the correct amount. Sometimes switching from one type of food to another is a good idea to vary your diet a bit. But be sure to follow a strict eating routine. Don’t spoil your little lizard!
