Food & Diet

Leopard geckos eat primarily insects. The most common insects available commercially are crickets, mealworms, superworms, wax worms and silk worms. If you use crickets and mealworms as the primary food and wax worms as treats, you should have a happy gecko.

Crickets
Crickets are a good source of food and nutrition in your leopard gecko’s diet. You should “gut load” your crickets before feeding them to your pet.

“Gut loading” is making sure the crickets are well fed. This way they pass the maximum amount of nutrients when your reptile eats the insects. You can feed the crickets commercial cricket food and liquid or just use a piece of potato and some oats. 

Crickets are very resourceful and are sometimes difficult for the gecko to catch. If this is the case, you may have to remove the rear jumping legs of the cricket.

It is always a good idea to leave a small piece of potato, carrot, or apple for the crickets to eat. The food will also draw out the crickets and make them easier to catch.

Mealworms & Wax Worms
Mealworms are another good food source. Feeding mealworms to a gecko is a simple task since they can be placed in a food bowl and are available whenever the gecko is hungry. The bowl must be smooth to prevent escape.

Leopard geckos really enjoy wax worms, but the worms are too fatty to be a part of the main diet. Wax worms do make excellent treats and are a good way to fatten up a female after she has laid eggs.

Supplements
Vitamin and mineral supplements are an important part of your leopard gecko’s diet. Calcium is the most important mineral and should be available to your gecko at all times by placing a dish with calcium powder in the cage.

The feeder insects should also be coated with calcium powder prior to feeding. For adult geckos coat the insects 1 to 2 times per week. For babies, juveniles, and breeding females coat the insects daily.

Vitamins are also a necessary part of the gecko diet, but should be used sparingly and not on the same day as calcium. Feeder insects should be coated with vitamins once every 7 to 10 days.

To coat the insects place them in a bag or cup with the vitamin or mineral powder. Shake the container around until all the insects are dusted with powder.

Water
Your leopard gecko needs water so keep a dish with water in the cage. Water dishes tend to trap and drown crickets, wasting the insect and fouling the water. It is best to use a dish that is shallow in order to give the insect a better chance of escape. You should clean the dish every few day to help prevent bacteria and fungus from growing.