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Eternally smiling and heartbreakingly cute, leopard geckos have quickly overtaken even the bearded dragon in terms of popularity as pets. Nowadays, the leopard gecko, formally known as Eublepharis macularius, is considered the best low-maintenance pet for both novice reptile enthusiasts and experienced herpetologists. One of the first questions that people interested in this handsome spotted lizard ask is: what do leopard geckos eat?
Whether you want to own a leopard gecko or are just curious about what this feisty but friendly little one lizards eat in the wild, we’ve got you covered. Let’s take a closer look at the diet of the average lion, both in captivity and in their native habitat.
What do wild leopard geckos eat?
Of course, leopard geckos didn’t just appear overnight in homes around the world. They are native to very dry, harsh deserts and mountainous grasslands in the Middle East. More specifically, they occupy the countries of Iran, Afghanistan, India, Nepal and Pakistan. So, what could a little gecko find to eat in such an unforgiving region?
Well, it turns out that these rugged conditions are perfect for wild leopard geckos looking for a feast! Being highly opportunistic predators, they will eat just about anything that crosses their path, as long as it is an insect or other small invertebrate. Lions are primarily insectivores, so they will generally only eat small to medium-sized insects and other invertebrates. On rare occasions they will eat small rodents, other lizards, spiders or scorpions, but only if they are desperate and/or starving.
In addition, these small but mighty dusky geckos will only chase live, moving prey. This means they won’t eat anything that’s already dead or won’t fight. However, despite these rather finicky preferences, they still manage to find a wide variety of succulent insects to munch on in the wild, including:
How do wild leopard geckos hunt their prey?
As we mentioned earlier, leopard geckos are extremely opportunistic predators. They will pounce on just about any insect or invertebrate that wanders too close. In general, they are dusky or nocturnal hunters. Twilight geckos are usually active around the hours of sunrise and sunset, while night geckos are usually active at night when the sun has set.
Fortunately, leopard geckos have great vision, especially night vision. This adaptation greatly aids them in stalking their prey during such odd hours. In addition, they are ambush predators, so the way they hunt is simple and straight forward.
A leopard gecko looking for a meal usually hides behind or around rocks or bushes, waiting for an insect or other invertebrate to cross their path before quickly leaping for their prey. They use their unique sticky tongue to pick up their unfortunate meals in the blink of an eye!
What do pet leopard geckos eat?
In the mid-1970s, reptile breeders began capturing and transporting leopard geckos away from their native habitats to breed and sell them. They became fast popular pets among reptile experts and beginners because of their simple care requirements and unusually friendly, outgoing personalities.
The ideal diet of a leopard gecko as a pet is very similar to the diet of its cousins in the wild. Being strict insectivores, they eat a wide variety of feeder insects that have been bred and raised under careful conditions to prevent the spread of parasites and disease. This is one of the reasons why captive geckos tend to live longer than those in the wild, as their food is much less risky to eat.
There are many nutritious and delicious (at least for your gecko!) feeder insects on the market to choose from, such as:
- mealworms
- super worms
- dubia cockroaches
- crickets
- wax worms
- hornworms
- butterworms
- Phoenix worms (also known as black soldier fly larvae or NutriGrubs)
How do you feed a leopard gecko as a pet?
Feeding a leopard gecko as a pet is both simple and incredibly entertaining to observe firsthand. They hunt in much the same way as their wild counterparts: they ambush their prey after stalking it from a distance or simply wait for the insect to get too close.
If you’re feeding a leopard gecko, it’s best to offer them as much as possible insects because they will eat within 5 to 10 minutes. Additionally, to avoid choking or impaction, always choose insects that are smaller than the width of the space between the gecko’s eyes. Variety is key, as your gecko will soon tire of eating the same thing every day.
Most reptile owners simply drop the feeding insects one at a time into their gecko’s housing or food dish so that the gecko can pick them up at their leisure. Feeding tongs are also available if your gecko is particularly fussy (or is otherwise aging/disabled) and needs a little more help. Hand feeding is also an option, but this will discourage your gecko’s natural hunting behavior and can make them lazy over time.
Do Leopard Geckos Need Vitamin Supplements?
It is critical to a captive leopard gecko’s diet to add a calcium and vitamin D3 supplement to all of their meals. Here are a few important health reasons for this.
First, while wild geckos naturally get enough calcium and D3 from their diets, pet geckos require a supplement. This is because most commercially sold feed insects are very high in
p
hosphorus and relatively low in calcium. In addition, vitamin D3 is necessary for the gecko’s body to properly absorb and use calcium.
Without adequate calcium and D3 in their diet, a captive leopard gecko will quickly become prone to malnutrition and metabolic bone disease, a painful and often fatal disease that significantly deforms their bones. While partially reversible to some extent, MBD is incurable and highly stressful for those affected reptile.
Ideally, a captive leopard gecko’s calcium supplement should have a calcium to phosphorus ratio of at least 2:1, with 3:1 or higher being even better. Most supplements come in powder or liquid formulations and are designed to either be added directly to the insect via “dusting” or fed directly to the gecko via a syringe or pipette.
Can Leopard Geckos Eat Fruits and Vegetables?
Neither wild geckos nor captive geckos are allowed to eat anything other than insects and small invertebrates. Fruits and vegetables should be avoided at all costs. The main reason for this is that their bodies cannot properly digest plant matter. If eaten, the undigested fruits or vegetables can cause impaction, a painful blockage of the digestive tract.
In addition, most leopard geckos are simply not interested in eating non-moving prey. You can mistake a banana or lettuce for a gecko for as long as you like, but they will almost certainly turn their noses at it and run away.
Finally, plant matter does not provide much of the nutrition that leopard geckos need to thrive. Most fruits and vegetables are quite high in oxalates or oxalic acid, which interferes with the gecko’s body’s absorption of calcium.
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