What to Feed Mealworms to Leopard Geckos
Mealworms are an excellent source of nutrition for leopard geckos. Quite frequently, mealworms are used as the staple diet item for leopard geckos in captivity but there are fewer mealworm-specifics that need to be met to ensure your leopard gecko is eating well.
Nutrient Mess
Mealworms do provide necessary proteins and fats in addition to several vitamins and minerals. However, they typically lack the necessary daily amount of calcium and other trace minerals essential for proper leopard gecko health.
Complementary Foods
To ensure your leopard gecko is getting optimal nutrition for proper growth and health, offer a variety of other calcium-rich foods in addition to mealworms. Options can include:
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- Dubia roaches: Excellent source of nutrition; much also contains more calcium than mealworms
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- Crickets: Nutritious, but should be supplemented with other foods containing more calcium
Fruits and Vegetables: Offer occasional treats of fruits or vegetables for extra vitamins and minerals, like squash, apples, collard greens, etc.
Feeding Techniques
When it comes to offering mealworms to your leopard gecko, try not to stick with one size worms every day. Vary sizes to ensure the gecko is challenged nutritionally. It’s also important to feed mealworms every other day to prevent gorging. Fresh vegetables and fruit can be offered a few times a week in addition to mealworms and other bugs.
In order to ensure the mealworms are always fresh, you can purchase them in bulk and store them in a cool, dark place to keep them alive and well.
In any case, a well-rounded diet is important to keep your leopard gecko healthy and happy. With a little effort and variety, you can easily provide a balanced diet that will let your leopard gecko flourish.
