what would be a good feeding schedule for leopard geckos?

Question

im thinking about getting a leopard gecko but dont know how much to feed it or when...please help

Answer 1

The amount of food that should be offered to a particular gecko will depend upon several factors including:
Overall health and well-being
Age
Sex
Environmental conditions.
Activity level.
Younger and rapidly growing geckos tend to have a higher protein requirement than already established adult leopard geckos. These younger geckos will require more frequent feedings to ensure the proper development of their muscular and skeletal systems.

Overall energy requirements tend to increase due to a variety of factors including:

Eating
Reproduction
Protein synthesis (such as in wound healing).
Growth
Daily activity.
Recommended Feeding Schedule:

Hatchlings and juveniles should be fed appropriately sized, gut-loaded and supplemented insects daily.


Adults should be fed appropriately sized, gut-loaded and supplemented insects every other to every 2 days or 3-4 times per week.


Female geckos during breeding season should be fed every 1 to 2 days.


Offer your gecko its meals at the same time every day to keep the gecko on a regular schedule. You may even find your gecko waiting for its food at the same time every day.


Best time to feed your gecko is between the dusk and dawn hours (ie during the evening/night/early morning hours).
Leopard Geckos and Obesity

Adult leopard geckos that are fed an excessive amount of calories are prone to obesity. Obesity is often found as a result of the combination of overfeeding and a lack of exercise. Obesity can lead to potentially serious health problems down the road if not dealt with promptly, such as Hepatic Lipidiosis (Fatty Liver Disease).

Keep in mind that if you suspect your leopard gecko may be obese, there are other conditions that can mimic these signs that should be ruled out first. These could include pregnancy (gravid), tumors or even ascites. These conditions, including obesity should be discussed with your veterinarian.

The keys to preventing your gecko from becoming obese include:

Providing a large enclosure to ensure your gecko has lots of room for exercise.


Providing cage furniture that will allow the gecko to move around and climb.


Providing a proper feeding schedule.


Selecting the most appropriate types of prey items (waxworms for example can be very fattening and should only be offered periodically).
Regarding The Provision Of Mealworms

Some people offer to feed their geckos a diet that consists only of mealworms that are left in the enclosure at all times. Although Dr. Gecko may advise against this, it is important to list a few things to keep in mind:

Offer the mealworms in a shallow, inescapable enclosure that the gecko can have easy access to.


Be sure to dust the mealworms appropriately and provide an additional dish of pure calcium in the enclosure at all times.


Replace the mealworms daily with freshly gut-loaded ones.
Using A Feeding Dish

Some people may want to offer their gecko's feeder insects from a feeding dish for any number of reasons. The best dishes to use typically include:

Dishes that have smooth sides on the inside
Glass dishes.
Small, glazed terra cotta plant saucers.
Small porcelain or ceramic dishes.
Here are some important guidelines to keep in mind:

Ensure the dish is high enough so that the insects cannot climb out.


Ensure that the dish is low enough that the gecko can easily see what is in it.


To offer crickets from a dish, simply pinch the rear hopping legs at the knees and they will automatically be dropped.


Feeding Guidelines

Never feed more insects than your gecko can eat in a single sitting (typically within approximately 15 minutes).


Always place a small piece of carrot in the enclosure in the event the insects escape before they can be eaten.


Ideally the width of the insect should be no more than 1/2 the width of the gecko's head. The length of the insect should ideally be no longer than the length of the gecko's head.


Try and offer more smaller prey items, than fewer larger ones. The smaller ones tend to be more nutritious and easier to digest.


When possible, try and offer the freshly molted (white) insects - these tend to be easier for your gecko to digest.


Be sure to use an appropriate vitamin/mineral supplementation schedule.


Make sure the insects that you offer have been properly gut-loaded for 24 hours before being used as food.


Do not offer dead insects as food to your gecko (although you can safely use the commercially available prepared and pre-killed insects).


Do not overfeed your gecko! Obesity is commonly seen in geckos which can have detrimental effects on their health. Compound this with the fact that most captive geckos do not get the necessary exercise that they would in the wild and your gecko could develop health problems down the road.


Do not feed insects to your gecko that have come from a colony that has been contaminated with mold. This can lead to serious health problems (such as bacterial infections) - even death.


Be sure to use a varied diet to ensure the maximum nutritional benefit to your gecko.


Never feed insects that have been exposed to any sort of chemical such as insecticides, herbicides or pesticides (to name but a few).

Answer 2

A baby should be fed a few small crickets or mealworms every day.

After 6 months, you can feed every 2-3 days. Feed 6-10 medium prey items (crickets, mealworms, waxworms, etc.) at a time. Your gecko should always look nicely plump and have a thick fat tail. If he doesn't, he needs more food. If he eats a lot and is still skinny, he has worms and needs a vet.

You can leave the worms in a bowl in the gecko's cage, but crickets should NEVER be left in the cage for more than 1 hour. They can chew on your gecko.

Good luck!

Answer 3

I had a leopard gecko about 2 years ago and i kept it well for 14 and a half years. I fed it once every two days about 2 mealworms or crickets. Don't get a dozen crickets go lose around your terrarium! I did and they nearly bit my baby to death!

hope this helps alec

Answer 4

Babies need to eat as much as they want every day. I'd suggest you go to www.reptilerooms.com and click on the forums. This is an awesome site. Read everything you can about the geckos here and listen to the experts. Then you'll be able to set up a really nice house for it and it will live a long healthy life.