Leopard geckos’ diet can be simple or complicated depending on whether you are a new or seasoned owner. These lizards feed on insects, but most people don’t know which insects are good for the reptile and which are toxic. Given that mealworms are some of the most common food choices among most pet reptile owners, it is good to ask yourself;
Can Leopard Geckos Eat Mealworms?
Yes, mealworms are safe and a good feeder insect choice for the lizard. Even so, mealworms also have a significant amount of chitin that can cause impaction, besides having high-fat content and being a poor source of calcium for the leopard gecko. Therefore, mealworms are suitable for the lizard, but only occasionally, not as a staple feeder insect.
Food choice determines many things, including the pet’s health, lifespan, and general quality of life. As such, it is vital to be keen on the food you give the gecko. High protein content, calcium, other minerals, and moderate moisture and fat amounts are some crucial factors to pay attention to when choosing a suitable food for leopard geckos.
Below, we discuss whether mealworms make an excellent staple feeder insect and other worms you can give your leopard gecko.
Nutritional Value of Mealworms
Nutritional Value of Live Mealworms
| Nutrient | Content |
| Moisture | 62% |
| Fat | 14% |
| Proteins | 20% |
| Fiber | 2% |
Nutritional Value of Dried Mealworms
| Nutrient | Content |
| Moisture | 5% |
| Fat | 28% |
| Proteins | 53% |
| Fiber | 6% |
Benefits Of Mealworms for Leopard Geckos
There has to be a reason why mealworms are so popular among leopard geckos and other pet reptile owners. Below are the reasons most people choose these worms for their pet lizards.
Long Lifespan
Leopard geckos do not feed on many insects compared to most other pet reptiles. Luckily you can buy mealworms in bulk and still give them to the lizard without wastage since the worms live for a long before turning into the pupae stage.
Once you refrigerate them, they will remain inactive but alive. Ensure that the refrigeration temperatures are 45- to 50 – degrees Fahrenheit and that you remove the mealworms for feeding at least once every two days.
Affordable
Food is a recurring cost, and given that these lizards can live as long as 20 years in captivity, food can be costly in the long run. Luckily, mealworms are easily available and cheap. They are also readily available in pet stores or from breeders.
Easy To Feed
Mealworms do not jump, bite, smell or make noise. In addition, they move slowly and thus won’t escape from the feeding bowl. These qualities make it easy for you to feed the leopard gecko.
Risks Of Mealworms for Leopard Geckos
Risk of Impaction
Mealworms have plenty of chitin which is often hard for the lizard to digest. Poor digestion of the same can lead to impaction, which is uncomfortable and painful for the leopard gecko. As such, it is not good to give the pet too many mealworms at a go.
Low Calcium Content
Mealworms are not an excellent source of calcium for leopard geckos. The mineral is crucial for the lizard and needs to be available in reasonable amounts in the staple food you choose for the lizard.
In addition, mealworms have plenty of phosphorus compared to calcium, and phosphorus inhibits the absorption of the already insufficient calcium amounts.
High In Fats
Mealworms are rich in fat which poses the risk of obesity for the leopard gecko. Moreover, the fat content is higher in dried mealworms than in live ones.
How To Prepare Mealworms for Leopard Geckos?
Even though mealworms are not optimally nutritious for a leopard gecko, you can still provide them to the lizard as a varied diet. The tips below will ensure that you give the lizard safe and optimally nutritious mealworms.
- Remove the mealworms not less than 24 hours before giving them to the leopard gecko, then keep them at room temperature so that they become active again.
- Give the insects nutrient-rich foods to gut-load them. Some of the best gut-loading options include carrots, kale, collard greens, veggies, etc.
- Dust the mealworms with calcium powder and multivitamins. It helps enhance the nutrients your lizard gets from eating the worm.
Can Leopard Geckos Eat Mealworm Beetles?
Yes, you can provide your pet leopard gecko with mealworm beetles. Even so, it is worth noting that mealworm beetles are a grown version of mealworms. As such, mealworm beetles are bigger and have more chitin.
In addition, just like mealworms, mealworm beetles are not very rich in vital nutrients for the leopard gecko. It means that these insects are only ideal for the lizard as a treat. Furthermore, they have jaws and claws that may hurt your pet.
Can Leopard Geckos Eat Darkling Beetles?
Darkling beetles refer to mealworm beetles. Therefore, as discussed above, darkling beetles are only suitable for leopard geckos when given occasionally but not as a staple.
Can Leopard Gecko Eat Dried Mealworms?
Yes, these fat-tailed can feed on dried mealworms. However, the gecko might not recognize that the dried mealworms are food since the lizard often eats moving insects.
Another drawback of dried mealworms for leopard geckos is that the insects have lower moisture and higher fat content than dried ones. Therefore, consumption of such by the gecko can cause obesity, besides risking dehydration.
Can Leopard Geckos Eat Dead Mealworms?
No, you shouldn’t give your pets leopard gecko dead mealworms or any other dead insect. Dead mealworms might be decomposing, and this presents the risk of having bacteria or fungi. In addition, if your leopard gecko eats such, they might suffer illnesses, including digestion challenges.
Whether the dead mealworms are in your home or from the wild, they are not conducive to a leopard gecko.
Can Leopard Geckos Eat Mealworm Pupa?
Mealworm pupa is the younger version of typical mealworms. They are smaller, richer in fats, and have less chitin. As such, mealworm pupa is easier for the leopard gecko to digest, making them an excellent choice, especially for baby leopard geckos. Besides being easier to digest, adult mealworms and pupa have the same nutritional value.
How Many Mealworms Should a Leopard Gecko Eat?
The number of mealworms that a leopard gecko should eat primarily depends on the size of the gecko and the size of the mealworms, among other things.
Babies can have two tiny mealworms during each feed. It is best to provide such alongside more nutritious insects such as dubia roaches and crickets. As for adults, you can give them a maximum of 3 mature mealworms but not more than four times weekly.
A more effective method is giving the leopard gecko two mealworms for each inch in length. Thus, if your pet gecko measures 3 inches, you should give it six mealworms during each feeding.
How Many Mealworms to Feed a Baby Leopard Gecko?
Baby leopard geckos need to be fed with small mealworms to make it easier for them to digest. 2 mealworms daily plus other insects is enough for the pet. You may increase the number as they grow, but it should never exceed twice its length in inches.
Other Worms for Leopard Geckos
Besides mealworms, here are other worms you can add to your leopard gecko’s diet.
Superworms
Superworms have almost the same protein content as mealworms. Such makes them great for sick geckos or underweight ones. However, owing to their big size, it is only suitable to give the superworms to adult leopard geckos.
While superworms are great for adult geckos, you should not include them in the lizard’s staple diet, as frequent feeding can cause obesity in the pet.
Hornworms
Unlike most other worms, hornworms are low in fat, with only about 3% content. Thus, they are less likely to make your lizard obese. In addition, their high moisture content makes them a good choice for a dehydrated leopard gecko. However, on the downside, they don’t have good calcium and protein amounts.
Butterworms
These worms are in the larval stage of Chilean Moths. While they have decent amounts of moisture and proteins, they are also high in fats, making them unsuitable for a staple diet. You can give butterworms to your adult leopard gecko occasionally, but you should avoid them with baby geckos because they may get addicted, which is unhealthy.
Waxworms
These worms are non-toxic and easier to digest than most other worms. Even so, as with most other worms here, waxworms are rich in fats which can make them addictive to the lizard, which poses the risk of obesity for the pet. These larval stages of wax moth will make a great treat food choice for the pet.
Silkworms
With silkworms, you don’t have to worry that they will mature and become waste. The good thing is that leopard geckos still eat silk moths, the mature version of silkworms. They are some of the best worms for leopard geckos because of their high protein content, and they have more calcium and less fat compared to other leopard gecko worms.