As a leopard gecko owner, it’s crucial to understand the dietary needs of your pet to ensure their overall health and well-being. One question that often arises is whether leopard geckos can eat superworms.

Leopard geckos are primarily insectivorous creatures that thrive on a diet of bugs. Superworms are an excellent protein source for leopard geckos and can be a great addition to their diet, but it’s important to be mindful of their high-fat content and offer them in moderation to avoid obesity.

In this article, we will take an in-depth look at the nutritional benefits of superworms for leopard geckos and everything you need to know about providing them as part of your pet’s diet.

What Are Superworms?

Superworms (Zophobas morio), also known as king worms, are darkling beetle larvae. They are common feeder insects for insectivorous, amphibians, invertebrates, and other exotic pets. They are readily available, easy to house, and inexpensive. They are high in fat and phosphorous hence best offered as treats.

Superworms Nutritional Value

Superworms contain about 19.7%protein, 57.9% moisture level, 17.7% fat, 2.7% fiber, 177mg/kg Calcium, and 2370mg/kg phosphorous.

One-fifth of a superworm body is fat and is also high in phosphorous. Therefore, superworms are best fed as treats or together with low-fat, high-calcium feeder insects.

What Do Superworms Feed On?

Superworms are not picky eaters. They feed on oats, wheat bran, chicken meal, and fruits and vegetables such as apples, carrots, and sweet potatoes, which are a good source of moisture and nutrition.

Do I Need To Gut-Load Superworms?

Yes, superworms should be gut-loaded. It helps your leopard gecko acquire the nutrients they need from foods like veggies that they cannot eat. To gut-load, you can use quality vegetables, carrots, sweet potatoes, and grain.

Place your superworms into a container and place pieces of foods like dark, leafy greens and apples, among others, 24-48 hours before you feed them to your gecko. You can also dust them with calcium before feeding.

How Often Should I Feed My Leopard Gecko with Superworms?

Superworms have a high fat and phosphorous content, and it’s best to feed them to your leopard gecko once a week. Also, your gecko can get addicted to them and refuse all other food, which may lead to obesity.

If your gecko is underweight and you want to fatten them, feed them superworms three times a week.

How Many Superworms Should I Feed My Leopard Gecko?

In most cases, it is best to avoid feeding baby leopard geckos with mealworms. However, you can offer them 3/8 of an inch if they are picky eaters or malnourished. Juvenile Leos can feed on worms that are 1/4 of an inch, while adult geckos can munch on adult-sized mealworms.

Feed your Leo two to five mealworms at a time or until they are full and stop showing interest.

How Do You Prepare and Feed Superworms to Your Leopard Gecko?

Leopard geckos are primarily insectivorous, and therefore don’t have a lot of variety in their diet. That is why it is paramount for you to gut-load and dusts the feeder insects with calcium powder containing vitamin D3 before feeding them to your gecko. Calcium and vitamin D3 support the growth of bones and muscles.

When feeding superworms to your gecko, place them in a shallow dish to prevent your gecko from chewing on their substrate. You can also feed them using tongs, but you should be careful with your Leo not to bite on the tongs as it will be painful and upsetting to them.

Once your Leo is done eating, remove any uneaten superworms from the terrarium after each feeding session. They can use their pincers to irritate your gecko while resting.

Do You Need To Dust Superworms With Supplements Before Feeding Your Gecko?

Yes. It would be best if you dusted superworms with calcium supplements before feeding them to your reptile friend. Calcium is a vital mineral responsible for bone development and the general well-being of your leopard gecko. Superworms contain calcium, but the phosphorous content is much higher, and when this is the case, it can cause metabolic bone disease. Phosphorous hinders new calcium absorption if it’s more in the food. Also, excess phosphorous is known to cause cardiovascular illness.

Can Superworms Cause Harm To Your Leopard Gecko?

An occasional treat of once a week will excite your lizard friend, but any more than that will lead to obesity and other health issues. Due to superworms’ high-fat content, a few are just enough, as overfeeding can cause gut impaction, lethargy, and regurgitation.

Superworms have pincers that they use to attack prey or predators. Therefore, removing any uneaten superworms from your Leo’s terrarium after a feeding session is good to avoid them getting irritated by them when resting.

Leopard geckos can also choke on superworms. Therefore ensure you feed your Leo with appropriately sized prey items. The superworm should be smaller than the width of the space between their eyes to prevent impaction, choking, and difficulty in passing stool later.

Also, feeding too much food at once can cause your gecko to choke. Therefore, it is essential to give them time to observe him closely and eat one feeder insect at a time.

What Are Other Great Feeder Insects For Your Leopard Gecko?

Superworms are not viable staple feeder insects and should be fed occasionally. We’ll look at other better options you can provide your Leo. They include;-

Dubia roaches, crickets, mealworms, silkworms, phoenix worms, and hornworms. They have a good amount and protein and moisture content but are low in fat. Mealworms, superworms, and silkworms are best offered as treats, and crickets and dubia roaches are good staples for your gecko.

Can Leopard Geckos Eat Dead Superworms?

Leopard geckos like to hunt active feeder insects and will, therefore, not eat dead superworms. Dead superworms do not contain as much nutrition as gut-loaded live insects. They lack moisture, which aids your gecko in eating and digesting their food.

An exoskeleton of a dead mealworm increases the risk of an impaction as it cannot break down properly in a gecko’s digestive tract.

Conclusion

Superworms make a great, tasty, and nutritious treat for your leopard gecko. They present several health benefits, especially for gravid female geckos, baby Leos, juveniles, and underweight geckos.

However, it would be best if you fed superworms to your leopard gecko in moderation, as they can be addictive.

Your Leo may refuse to eat any other feeder insects, which can also lead to obesity. Also, remember to feed them to your pet under supervision to avoid any accidents.