what do leopard geckos eat
Leopard geckos are strict insectivores, so they eat only insects and a few related invertebrates—never fruits, vegetables, or mammal meat. A healthy diet is built around small, live feeder insects that are gut‑loaded (well fed) and dusted with calcium and vitamins.
What do leopard geckos eat?
The main foods for leopard geckos include:
- Crickets
- Dubia roaches and other roaches (discoid, red runner)
- Mealworms
- Superworms (in moderation)
- Black soldier fly larvae
- Silkworms
- Hornworms / tomato hornworms
- Locusts/grasshoppers
- Darkling beetles and similar feeder beetles
- Occasional fatty “treat” insects like waxworms or butterworms
Leopard geckos also commonly eat their own shed skin after shedding, which recycles protein and helps hide their presence from predators in the wild.
Foods to avoid
Some foods are unsafe or simply not digestible for leopard geckos:
- Fruits and vegetables (they cannot digest plant matter)
- Human food (meat, dairy, processed foods)
- Wild‑caught insects (possible pesticides, parasites)
- Fireflies and glow bugs (highly toxic to reptiles)
- Insects larger than the width of the gecko’s head (choking or injury risk)
Leopard geckos are adapted to a meat‑only insect diet; their short, alkaline digestive tract and lack of a cecum mean they can’t break down cellulose in plants.
How often to feed them
While individual care guides vary slightly, most modern care recommendations suggest:
- Juveniles (up to ~12 months):
- Feed every day or every other day.
- Offer several appropriately sized insects (as many as they’ll eat in about 10–15 minutes).
- Adults:
- Feed every other day, or 3–4 times per week.
- Offer a measured number of insects (often 5–10 medium‑sized insects depending on size and body condition).
Always match insect size to the gecko: insects should be no larger than the distance between the gecko’s eyes to reduce choking risk.
Supplements and gut‑loading
To keep a leopard gecko healthy in the long term, it’s important to enhance their insect diet:
- Dust insects with a plain calcium powder at most feedings and with a calcium + vitamin D3 and multivitamin on a schedule recommended by your vet or a reputable care guide.
- Gut‑load feeder insects 24–48 hours before feeding by giving them nutritious foods (commercial gut‑load diets or safe fruits and veggies for the insects, avoiding high‑oxalate or very acidic items).
This combination helps prevent common issues like metabolic bone disease and nutritional deficiencies in leopard geckos.
Mini FAQ: quick scoop style
- What do leopard geckos eat in one sentence?
Mostly live feeder insects like crickets, roaches, and worms—no fruits or veggies at all.
- Can leopard geckos eat fruit as a treat?
No; their digestive system cannot handle plant matter, so fruit and vegetables should never be part of their routine diet.
- What is a good “treat” food?
High‑fat insects like waxworms or superworms can be used sparingly as treats, roughly once a week or less, to avoid obesity.
- Is it okay if my gecko eats its shed skin?
Yes, that’s normal and even beneficial for extra protein and nutrients.
| Food type | Examples | How often? | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Staple insects | Crickets, dubia roaches, mealworms, locusts/grasshoppers | [7][9][1][3][5]Most feedings | Gut‑load and dust with calcium and vitamins. | [9][1][3][7][5]
| Occasional treats | Waxworms, superworms, butterworms, hornworms, silkworms | [1][3][7][9][5]Once a week or less | High in fat or moisture; good for variety but can cause weight gain if overused. | [3][7][9][1][5]
| Never feed | Fruits, vegetables, wild insects, fireflies, human food | [7][3][5]Not recommended | Risk of toxicity, parasites, or digestive problems; geckos cannot digest plant material. | [3][5][7]
