The answer is yes, leopard geckos can eat spiders, but they should not be the staple of their diet. Spiders are high in proteins and other essential nutrients that can benefit leopard geckos, but it’s important to only feed your leopard gecko spiders from reputable sources. Remember that not all spiders are suitable. Some types of spiders, such as black widow and Redback spiders, are poisonous and should not be fed to your leopard gecko.
Nutritional Value of Spiders
| Item | Content per 100 g |
| Proteins | 63 g |
| Fat | 10 g |
Spiders have more proteins than most other leopard gecko feeder insects. Such amounts are vital in meeting the growth needs of baby and juvenile leopard geckos. On the downside, the fat levels are high; thus, you must give your leopard gecko these spiders in moderation.
Besides the nutritional value, your gecko will also get enriched as spiders stimulate the gecko to hunt. Hunting also keeps the gecko active while alleviating dullness and reducing the risk of obesity. Spiders are also easily available in most pet stores or from breeders.
Is It Safe to Feed Spiders to Your Gecko?
Yes, it is safe to give your gecko most spider species. The species safe for leopard gecko consumption include tarantulas, jumping spiders, house spiders, wolf spiders, and daddy long legs.
On the other hand, you should avoid black widow and redback spider species because they are poisonous. In addition, it would be best never to give your pet leopard gecko spiders from the wild as they may carry parasites and other harmful things. Dead spiders are also not safe for leopard geckos, and besides potentially having harmful bacteria and fungi, they also have minimal nutritional value to the lizard.
Can You Feed Spiders to Leopard Geckos?
Yes, you can give spiders to leopard geckos, but as seen above, you should only choose captive-bred spiders and safe species. In addition, you should only provide spiders as an occasional meal since they do not have an excellent nutritional balance for a leopard gecko.
Do Geckos Eat Crab Spiders?
Geckos and some of the other lizards are some of the predators of crab spiders. They hunt these spiders but often attack the small ones since giant crab spiders can be intimidating and challenging for them to capture.
Crab spiders get their name from their sideways and backward walking style, just like crabs, and having a crab-like body shape.
Do Geckos Eat Small Spiders?
Yes, geckos eat tiny spiders. In fact, small spiders are ideal for baby and juvenile geckos as they are easier to capture and eat. Depending on the species, adult geckos may hunt bigger spiders.
What Geckos Eat Spiders?
Leopard, house, crested, tokay, and African fat-tailed geckos are some of the most common spider-eating geckos. Even so, they do not eat all types of spiders and will generally avoid the venomous kind.
Do Lizards Eat Spiders?
Lizards such as geckos and chameleons eat spiders, among other tiny insects. The ability and probability of a particular lizard hunting down a spider depend on the lizard’s species and size. In addition, tiny lizards might get intimidated by giant spiders and hence shy away from them.
Do Any Lizards Eat Spiders?
Most people often wonder, are there lizards that eat spiders? To the surprise of most, the answer is yes, some lizards eat spiders.
As mentioned earlier, some of the most common lizards that prey on spiders include anoles, geckos, skinks, and chameleons. Most of them prey on baby spiders and avoid adults.
Do House Lizards Eat Spiders?
Yes, house lizards typically eat cockroaches and spiders in your home. Bigger house lizards are more successful since they are not intimidated by the size of the spider, while baby house lizards prefer to prey on smaller spiders.
Even so, you should not release your pet lizards, such as a leopard gecko or crested gecko, to hunt spiders and other insects in your home. These spiders are often from the wild and may carry diseases, parasites, and toxic chemicals.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Spiders Eat Lizards?
Some spiders, such as the regal jumping spiders, target prey up to 3 times bigger than them. They feed on lizards as well as other insects in the wild. It is, however, worth noting that they are not venomous.
What Is Toxic to Leopard Geckos?
Wild, dead, and lighting insects are toxic to leopard geckos. In addition, venomous insects and any human food, including meats, fruits, and vegetables, will harm your gecko. Avoid such, and stick to the foods your vet recommends for the lizard pet.
Which Is the Best Insect for Leopard Gecko?
There are several ideal insects to include in your leopard gecko’s diet. Some of the best are dubia roaches; black soldier fly larvae, crickets, silkworms, mealworms, and super worms. Alternating these will help achieve nutritional balance for your pet gecko.
