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Leopard Gecko Feeding Question

Posted By:

ashleighdawn

In Relation To:

Ricky

Probably a pretty easy one...but something I need to know, none-the-less. haha.

I just got 2 lovely Leopard Geckos last week. The one I have a question about, is Ricky. He doesn't seem to have an "off" button when it comes to eating. He downed 20 mealworms, and then 5 superworms in one sitting. I stopped feeding him after that, in case he's like a dog and will just eat and eat and eat and eat...

His girlfriend, Lucy, (housed separately) will only eat about 5-8 mealworms a day, and if I offer her something else, she'll just walk away if she's not hungry. Ricky just doesn't seem to want to say "no".

My question is: what do I do about this? Do I keep feeding him until he eventually stops eating, or do I set a limit and feed him that limit every day? I just want to make sure I'm doing the right thing...making sure he's happy and healthy. I want to make sure I'm not over or under-feeding him.

Thanks in advance, iHerp friends! :)


Points:	50
Topics:	General Health , Feeding
Tags:	Feeding, Leopardgecko
Species:	Lizards > Geckos > Eublepharis macularius
Administrative:	Show/Hide

Accepted Answer

3/28/2011 3:09:37 PM

Justin Miller

Hi How old are they? Young leopards can be fed everyday adults every other. If they are young they will eat more, more often because they are trying to keep up with their young bodies growing. I have always kept some mealworms in a bowl in my enclosures they will find a happy medium. All insect eaters are movement motivated so if you throw food in they are typically going to go for it. A bowl will give them a centrally located spot they can access when they want. Also, if their eating it's a good sign you have good environmental conditions so keep it up. If they start looking like they are getting obese (lethargy and insanely fat tail) scale back... Herp keeping is about adjustment, none of us have it down perfect ( and I've been doing it for 20 years) it has to be fluid.

Assisted Answer

3/28/2011 3:19:20 PM

FyreFocks

I always try to set a number when feeding geckos, especially where hard shelled critters are concerned. Their [meal and super worms] chitin isnt terribly hard to digest, but if you give them too many too often then you will eventually see a regurg.

Author Comment

3/28/2011 3:21:24 PM

ashleighdawn

I'm not sure about how old Ricky is...he was sold to me as a "sub-adult". Lucy was hatched in November, so she's 4 months old.

Right now, I do put the worms in the dish, and he'll gobble them down in less than 2 minutes and then look around for more. Lucy will just pick at them when she feels hungry. So that's why I'm so confused. They're so different haha!

Assisted Answer

3/28/2011 11:37:13 PM

shellboa

Definetly a limit. Leos will eat them selves sick if you let them. Also if he is constantly ravenous you might get a fecal and make sure he is the only one utilizing his food!

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