Yes, Leopard geckos can eat cockroaches and a wide variety of other insects.
So, wild leopard geckos often eat cockroaches after chasing them down and capturing them. Nevertheless, pet Leos have better food options than cockroaches in terms of nutrient value and suitability. However, the lizards still feast on the insects when provided.
Cockroaches are healthy food for your pet gecko because they provide various valuable nutrients. Reptile pets can eat cockroaches without trouble. However, roaches should be fed to pet Leos in moderation since there are downsides to overfeeding these reptiles with gut-loaded insects.
Better still, cockroaches are an ideal alternative to waxworms and crickets in nutrient content. Unfortunately, crickets often bite the gecko when not consumed within a certain period. On the bright side, cockroaches don’t bite leopard geckos, so they constitute a choice food item for captive Leos.
Do House Lizards Eat Cockroaches?
Like any other reptile, lizards are insectivorous animals. Thus, they happily feed on various insects, including cockroaches. Although cockroaches wouldn’t be a house lizard’s first food choice, they are readily available and are easy to catch.
So, house lizards do eat cockroaches. Nevertheless, cockroaches in your average home and many domestic spaces may be risky to your pet lizard.
Some of these cockroaches may carry germs, harmful bacteria, or even pesticides which can be hazardous to the health of your reptile friend.
In this case, you should buy cockroaches from your local pet shop – these are from a clean environment, specially reared or captured, and prepared as a more nutritious food source than most other popular lizard food.
Nutritional Value in Cockroaches
Cockroaches have a lot of nutrients essential to a leopard gecko’s diet. Nevertheless, they are only healthy for your gecko if raised in a controlled environment.
There are several places where you can get healthy cockroaches to feed your reptile friend. First, try the nearest pet store, and if you don’t have any luck there, you can buy from a pet shop online.
Feeding your pet lizard with roaches found in the kitchen or backyard may not be healthy. There are higher chances that these cockroaches have bacteria or fungi. As such, you should steer away from such types of cockroaches.
Thankfully, if you get your hands on healthy cockroaches, your pet lizard will enjoy a wide variety of nutritional benefits. Feeding your leopard gecko with roaches comes in handy with providing essential nutrients, including Proteins, Fats, Calcium, and Moisture.
Let’s dive into the intricacies of these nutrients.
1. Proteins
Leopard geckos only eat insects, so proteins are their main dietary requirement. Reptiles need proteins for the proper functioning of their bodies, among other benefits, including:
- Growth and maintenance of muscles
- Development of the immune system
- Brain development
- Aid in digestion and absorption of nutrients
Unlike most reptile food which contains about 20% of proteins, cockroaches hold about 35%. Therefore, they are a high source of protein which is essential to your gecko’s health.
2. Fats
Since proteins are the most common foods for geckos, their digestive systems are more adapted to work best on protein foods. Although fats are essential to a gecko’s diet, it is only fair to provide them in low quantities.
Luckily, cockroaches don’t contain a lot of fats. Generally, they hold about 7% fat which is ideal for pet lizards.
3. Moisture
Water is essential to all living things, including lizards. It not only helps in hydration but also aids in digestion.
Nevertheless, if you are an experienced reptile pet owner, you might attest that geckos rarely drink water as their primary water source is their food. Thus, it is essential to provide your lizard pet with moisture-rich foods.
Roaches hold about 70% water by weight, which makes them one of the best reptile foods in terms of moisture content.
4. Calcium
Like most other insects, cockroaches are high in minerals like calcium, copper, magnesium, and sodium. So naturally, leopard geckos and other lizards require plenty of calcium to thrive.
However, since cockroaches hold only about 20mg of calcium per 100g, your reptile friend can’t rely on roaches alone for the nutrient.
Therefore, you must provide your leopard gecko with calcium supplementation by dusting (sprinkling it over the insects) or gut-loading the feeder bugs before feeding them to the pet.
How Many Cockroaches to Feed a Leopard Gecko?
When feeding your leopard gecko, they may eat more than needed. Leopard geckos have the instinct to eat more to store fat in their reservoirs. However, overfeeding can be hazardous to their health.
The amount of roaches you feed your leopard gecko depends on several factors, including age, health condition, and body length.
Baby leopard geckos can eat around six small roaches every day. However, this greatly depends on the needs of your pet. On the other hand, an adult leopard gecko can feed on about 12 roaches each day. So, on average, an adult gecko should eat two cockroaches per one inch of body length.
However, note that the number of cockroaches your leopard gecko should eat depends on their length and appetite. Therefore, the gecko may eat more or less than the amount specified above.
7 Benefits of Feeding Cockroaches to Leopard Geckos
There are many benefits of adding cockroaches to your gecko’s diet, including the following:
Cockroaches Are Naturally Nutritious
Cockroaches are naturally nutritious and thus suitable for baby and adult geckos. They are rich in proteins, fats, and calcium. Therefore, feeding your pet lizard with cockroaches enables it to stay healthy and active.
Nevertheless, the calcium composition in roaches is lower than a gecko’s requirement, so dusting the cockroaches with calcium powder before feeding your pet reptile ensures appropriate calcium intake.
They’re Less Aggressive than Most Other Prey
Cockroaches are some of the least aggressive feeder insects. They don’t jump, so your pet can easily capture and feed on them.
Also, they’re less likely to escape and infest your home. But, most importantly, they can’t cause any harm to your pet leopard geckos since they don’t bite.
Rich Moisture Supply
A leopard gecko rarely drinks water, so it mainly relies on the food it takes as a water source. However, since the body of a cockroach has over 60% water composition, it is the preferable insect to perk up a leopard gecko’s body water.
Cockroaches neither Smell nor Make Noise
Luckily, cockroaches don’t have any foul smell that may otherwise cause leopard geckos to dislike them. Moreover, they don’t produce any annoying sounds that put off Leos.
They’re Easy to Breed
You can quickly breed cockroaches as food for your pet leopard gecko as the roaches reproduce quickly and have few requirements. Besides, the insects are available in a variety of species and morphs.
Therefore, you only need a little investment and minimal effort to kick off. Breeding cockroaches is ideal, mainly because they constitute a significant part of your pet reptile’s diet.
So, setting up a colony at home is straightforward if you have multiple reptiles to feed. On the bright side, this ensures you save on some dollars you’d have otherwise spent buying food for your pet Leos.
Nevertheless, don’t use chemicals for breeding roaches to avoid poisoning your beloved pet.
Come In a Variety of Sizes
Ideally, a leopard gecko can only prey on a cockroach that is smaller than its size. An adult gecko is around 15cm to 25cm in length. At such an age, a gecko can eat any size of a cockroach. On the other hand, a baby leopard gecko can only eat tiny cockroaches.
Since roaches come in different sizes, you can find cockroaches that fit geckos of all sizes, from baby to adult Leos.
It Supports the Gecko’s Hunting Behavior
Live insects or worms trigger the hunting instincts of a leopard gecko as they attempt to escape. Thus, feeding your pet leopard gecko live cockroaches helps maintain excellent physical and mental health.
4 Reasons Why Not To Feed Geckos Cockroaches as the Only Diet
Although feeding cockroaches to leopard geckos has a lot of advantages, they also have flaws. Therefore, you shouldn’t feed your gecko only cockroaches for these reasons:
Inadequate Calcium
Cockroaches have a low calcium level of about 20mg per 100g. Unfortunately, this particular calcium composition is insufficient for your gecko’s nutritional needs, so you must plan for the extra cost of purchasing calcium supplements.
Can Cause Metabolic Bone Disease
Leopard geckos need adequate calcium to grow and develop strong and healthy bones and other body structures. If your pet lizard gets a calcium deficit, it may lead to metabolic bone disease since the gecko will start drawing calcium from its bones.
Therefore, it is best to feed your gecko with a variety of reptile foods, including calcium supplements, to prevent the deficiency.
Purchasing Cockroaches from a Pet Store Is Costly
Let’s face it; breeding roaches for your leopard geckos is quite a hassle, especially if you are a beginner. Besides, these feeder insects thrive under strict environmental conditions and diet requirements which can be costly.
Still, the cockroaches can quickly grow beyond the ideal size of a pet gecko’s needs, forcing you to purchase the roaches from a pet store regularly.
Leos Don’t Feed On Dead Insects
Whether you are breeding the roaches or purchasing them from a pet store, mishandling and poor conditions can cause these insects to die.
Sadly, pet leopard geckos don’t feed on a dead cockroach. Furthermore, dead roaches often form ideal breeding grounds for disease-causing organisms like bacteria, parasites, and fungi.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where Can You Buy Cockroaches for Leopard Gecko?
If you are in search for roaches to feed your pet lizard, you can find them in any reptile store. In addition, you can buy them in a local pet shop or order them online.
Whichever the case, ensure that you get the correct size for your pet lizard. For instance, a baby leopard gecko can only eat small-sized roaches, while adult Leos can quickly eat more giant cockroaches.
Do Cockroaches Need To Be Gut Loaded?
It is essential to gut load the feeder insects to ensure that your gecko gets the necessary nutrient supplementation.
Since pet Leos don’t eat fruits and veggies yet require all the vital nutrients to be healthy, feeding them gut-loaded insects is the perfect way to provide essential nutrient supplementation.
However, you should gut-load the roaches a day before feeding them to your pet. Further, it’s best to provide (gut-load) the cockroaches with veggies, fruits, and vitamin A-rich foods but keep off citrus fruits lest you make your pet lizard sick.
Is It Ok To Leave Cockroaches in Your Pet Lizard’s Enclosure?
No, it would be best to feed roaches to your house lizard one at a time to ensure that there are no dead or live cockroaches left in the enclosure after feeding.
Remnant cockroaches not only add dirt to your lizard’s housing but can also pinch your pet, making it uncomfortable. In worse scenarios, the insects might die and become breeding grounds for bacteria, fungi, and parasites.
Thus, removing leftovers from your lizard’s enclosure is essential to avoid environmental hazards.
Conclusion
Leopard geckos can eat cockroaches as they’re rich in essential nutrients, including vitamins and moisture. However, keep in mind that cockroaches have a very high percentage of proteins, so you need to level it out with some low-protein foods when feeding them to pet leopard geckos.
While Leos can feast on cockroaches, it’s best to always check for the appropriate size when purchasing the roaches for your pet gecko.
Feeding cockroaches too big can cause choking, indigestion, constipation, impaction, or other gut-related complications in pet leopard geckos.
Additionally, ensuring that the roaches are healthy before offering them to your pet lizard as food is a reliable way to safeguard your pet’s health.
For example, cockroaches from your kitchen or backyard may have bacteria, diseases, pests, or pesticides harmful to your gecko. On the contrary, cockroaches specifically bred as leopard gecko food and sold in reliable reptile pet stores are usually nutritious, hygienic, and safe to pet Leos.