Hey, I've had my leopard gecko for a couple weeks now, and I've been feeding him mostly mealworms. I read that it's best to gutload the mealworms, and one of the suggested ways to do this is to grade carrots in the container in which they're kept. The site I read this from didn't mention whether or not to refrigerate them while gutloading, but I read in Leopard Geckos For Dummies, that they won't eat while refrigerated. So, I put the mealworms I bought in a tuperwear container with some graded carrots, then the next night I went to feed the gecko, I opened the container to find tons of mold growing in it. So I was wondering if it was still safe to feed the mealworms to the gecko. The mold doesn't seem to have affected the worms, but I figured I'd ask just to be sure it was still safe. Anyone know?
2007-06-16 14:21:04 · 5 answers · asked by Dan L 3 in Pets ➔ Reptiles
mealworms a def no no ...crickets is the main diet for a geko
mealworms can kill a lizard ...crickets only need to bed put in the fridge till they sleep then u can feed ya geko with out them jumping out the container ..my geko loved them
2007-06-16 23:19:04 · answer #1 · answered by LISA G 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would say that it is better to feed your gecko crickets than mealworms. mealworms are to hide to digest for the leo. You said that you don't want to put up with crickets chirping. The crickets that you will be feeding him will not be adults, so they will not make any noise. I own a bearded dragon, which is like a larger version of a leopard gecko, only spikier and a more ferocious eater. I was worried that the crickets will be chirping all night long, but they dont! I can accidentally buy 1 or 2 adults, which barly make any noise at all!! In conclusion, i would say that stick with crickets, and only give mealworms as a treat. Mealies are not a good staple. the hard skin on them is to tough to digest. This may cause impaction (massive constipation) and as a result, could cause some form of paralysis. Aways remember to feed your leapard gecko appropriate sized food (nothing bigger than the space between the eyes) and good luck!!
2016-05-17 13:12:08 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Keep the mealworms in the fridge until 24 hours before feeding them to your gecko. Then remove them to a small container that has a couple of inches of oatmeal mixed with gutload food (the kind for crickets is fine). Place a piece of carrot on top for moisture. The mealworms will then have a chance to eat before you use them for food. If you don't buy a bunch of mealworms, you can just keep them at room temperature. Go to http://www.sialis.org/raisingmealworms.htm for great info on mealworm care and raising.
2007-06-16 15:52:15 · answer #3 · answered by KimbeeJ 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
okay, i had a leopard gecko and fed it mealworms. Well the mealworms dug into the dirt i had in the cage and lived under there if he didn't eat them right away. Well they grew pretty big and started to come out of the ground. They bit my lizard and really hurt him!
2007-06-16 17:15:01 · answer #4 · answered by Raven H 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Feeding leopard geckos a diet of mainly mealworms is not good. It is difficult for them to digest the hard shell on the mealies and can cause impaction. Also, mealworms that are swallowed live have the ability to eat their way out of the belly of the gecko.
2007-06-16 16:30:12 · answer #5 · answered by hummi22689 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋