Ideally, you should not feed your pet leopard gecko with dead insects. Such insects are low in moisture and other nutrients. In addition, they might harbor bacteria and fungi if they have started rotting.
Leopard geckos insects need to be rich in calcium, proteins, vitamins, and minerals. They should also be moderate in moisture and fats to prevent dehydration and obesity.
Insects such as dubia roaches and crickets meet this criterion, but they are only suitable if alive, else they are not great for leopard geckos. Below we discuss more on this.
Reasons Not to Give Your Leopard Gecko Dead Crickets
1. Low Moisture Content
Dead crickets have less than 8% moisture, which is significantly lower than live crickets. Since leopard geckos do not drink water often, they rely on moisture-rich insects for hydration. Thus, by giving them dead crickets, there’s a risk that your pet gecko will suffer dehydration.
2. They Don’t Activate the Gecko’s Hunting Instincts
Dead crickets just lie in the enclosure. Your leopard gecko will not identify them as food since these lizards are used to eating alive, moving insects. Even when the gecko eats the dead insects, it will still have missed out on hunting which helps alleviate stress and keeps them active.
In captivity, leopard geckos need to remain active as a form of exercise to help avoid obesity since they do not move as much as they ordinarily would in the wild.
3. Risk Of Bacteria and Fungi
Depending on how long ago the crickets died, they might have started decomposing, thus harboring bacteria and fungi. Such can cause severe illnesses in your gecko.
Given that leopard gecko treatment can be complicated and expensive, it is better to avoid dead crickets and any other dead insects when feeding your pet leopard gecko.
How Many Crickets Should I Feed My Leopard Gecko?
Now that we know that you should only provide the lizard with live crickets, you might wonder, how many are safe for my pet lizard?
Leopard geckos can eat crickets every other day because the nutritional profile of the insects is ideal for leopard gecko needs. But you should know the proper feeding schedule to avoid overfeeding or underfeeding.
Baby leopard geckos measuring less than 4 inches can eat 5 – 7 crickets daily, but the size should not be more than 3/8 inches in length. As for juveniles, you can give them the same number of crickets as the babies, only that it is safer to feed them bigger insects measuring a maximum of ¼ inch.
As for the adults, 6-7 small or adult crickets and not more than thrice times a week are okay. However, if the gecko is sick, you may offer it crickets daily till it fully recovers.
Because leopard geckos vary in body size, even when aged the same, a general guide is that the size of the cricket you give the gecko should not be more than the size of the space between its eyes.
Offer the food towards evening since these reptiles are nocturnal animals, and they come out to hunt towards dusk.
Can a Leopard Gecko Eat Freeze Dried Crickets?
Freeze-dried insects are a better option than those that have just died at home. Freeze drying helps preserve significant nutrients, including proteins, vitamins, and minerals. As such, freeze-dried insects are nutritious for your pet leopard gecko.
Even so, they are low in moisture since freeze-drying removes water through a vacuum process. Therefore, to prevent dehydration, you will need to provide the leopard gecko with moisture-rich nutrients whenever you feed them freeze-dried crickets.
Your leopard gecko might also be hesitant to eat these crickets because they are not moving. Again, it is because the lizard is used to feeding on live insects, and they hunt the same in the enclosure as they do in the wild.
While freeze-dried crickets are a good option, if you can’t find live ones, dust them with calcium powder to enhance the amounts of the mineral that your lizard gets from feeding on them. Freeze-dried crickets are also easier to feed the gecko since they don’t need any maintenance.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is Bad for Leopard Geckos?
Dead and wild insects are harmful to your pet lizard; they harbor parasites, deadly bacteria, and fungi. As such, you should avoid them. In addition, you should not give the gecko any food other than insects; some, such as glowing ones, and poisonous ones, such as scorpions, are toxic to the gecko.
Are Crickets Good for Leopard Geckos?
Yes, crickets are ideal for leopard geckos. They have decent moisture content and other nutrients vital to the lizard. When alternated or mixed with other suitable insects for leopard geckos, such as dubia roaches, they provide optimal nutrition to your pet gecko.
Are Leopard Geckos Good Pets?
Leopard geckos are hardy and easy to care for. In addition, they are cheaper to maintain since they don’t eat much and hardly need medical care. Therefore, a leopard gecko is worth considering if you are looking for an unconventional pet that meets this profile.