Can leopard geckos eat nightcrawlers?
Leopard geckos love to eat and sleep. If you have a pet, then the chances are, you know how happy they become when they find food. Leopard geckos are insectivores, which means they like to eat insects. In the wild, they are opportunistic predators, which means that they hunt for and eat a variety of prey items.
Nightcrawlers are a delicious meal for some wild animals as well as some domesticated pets, since they are an invasive species, getting rid of them from your garden and lawns by turning them into a beneficial and healthy treat for your pet sounds like an excellent idea, and that’s why we need to find out if they’re safe for our leopard geckos.
It’s a fact that our leopards like their meals varied with crawlies, that’s not to say that every little crawling or flying thing in your yard is an excellent addition to its diet. If you toss a few random insects into your pet’s aquarium, they may not even notice. Leopard geckos are picky creatures. They won’t consume anything that doesn’t move.
In this article, we will discuss a topic that is hotly debated among Leopard Geckos owners. Whether or not our pets can or can not eat nightcrawlers.
What do Leopard Geckos eat?
Let’s start by looking at what Leopard Geckos can eat. It’s important to remember that your Leo (like you) needs proper nutrition to stay healthy. The fact that these creatures are picky insect-eaters makes things worse. Here are some of the most common Leopard Gecko meals (keep in mind that certain items are only available as snacks)
Crickets: This is probably the most regular food for Leopard Geckos. You can choose any cricket (black or brown) to feed them. However, you should know that black crickets are very aggressive and will likely bite your gecko. We usually recommend our customers buy crickets from this seller because they have an excellent reputation in the reptile ownership community. You can read many positive reviews from other reptile owners.
In any case, they are highly nutritious and easy to digest.
Remember to dust powders of calcium supplements on your crickets before giving them to your Leopard Gecko.
Mealworms: If your Leopard Gecko is tired of crickets, try mealworms. However, it should be noted that Super Worms are not the same as mealworms. The mealworms will provide your leopard geckos with all the nutrients they need. Although crickets are more challenging to digest and do not provide as much nutrition as crickets, they do not pose any significant or worrying risk to your pet. We continue to recommend these mealworms to our readers because, once again, the business has an excellent reputation and hundreds of positive community reviews, which you can read if you wish.
Your Leopard Gecko should be fed wax worms, silkworms, and super worms every week. Because they are much smaller than mealworms and crickets, they are best served as an appetizer. They are also very high in fat. If fed too much, these insects can become overweight.
Dubia cockroaches are an excellent addition to their diet. This is not only because of their intrinsic nutritional value but also because of their rapid reproduction. If you have a few dubia roaches, you can let them reproduce and provide leopard gecko feed for the rest of your life.
Can leopard geckos eat nightcrawlers – Nightcrawler facts
- Nightcrawlers are beneficial earthworms that provide natural aeration to the soil.
- They make it easier for water and oxygen to permeate into the ground.
- Their feeding and excrement help recycle nutrients and fertilize the soil.
- If you have nightcrawlers in your lawn, you will notice small, tapered bumps randomly distributed throughout the lawn.
- Tolerate nightcrawlers in your lawn as much as possible and do not use insecticides.
- Many Earthworms, including nightcrawlers, are invasive species.
Can Leopard Geckos eat nightcrawlers?
Now that we have discussed and established the basics of what Leopard Geckos should consume, let’s tackle the multi-million dollar question.
In general, your Leopard Geckos will most likely eat nightcrawlers. Although several pet owners do have an inconclusive answer to this pet feeding question.
There is a consensus that your Leopard Geckos can be fed NightCrawlers. my feelings are exactly the same—allowing NightCrawlers to be added to their diet. It diversifies their nutrition. They are also very nutritious.
On the other hand, should you give your leopard gecko nightcrawlers? The answer to this part of the question depends entirely on several factors.
Where are you getting your nightcrawlers from?
While feeding Leopard Geckos Nightcrawlers isn’t a bad idea, feeding the pet nightcrawlers you caught outside is. The nightcrawlers may be infected with parasites that could kill your pet within minutes. They may also be sprayed with chemicals that are harmful to your pet.
I only advocate feeding geckos, insects, and worms that you produce yourself or buy from a pet store. Some bait stores where nightcrawlers are sold may also contain pesticides or chemicals, so always make sure you buy from a trusted supplier that sells nightcrawlers for use on reptiles.
How often do you plan to feed nightcrawlers?
This depends on whether or not your leopard gecko likes to eat nightcrawlers. Some leopard geckos may not like the taste of nightcrawlers because they are picky. However, it is not a terrible idea to add night crawlers to the menu if they do. Be sure to mix it with the rest of the diet you are giving your pet. They will not gain weight in this way.
Should you gut load or dust your pet before feeding Nightwalker to them?
Gut loading requires that the gecko’s feeder be provided with food containing essential nutrients before being fed to the gecko.
This ensures that the nutrients needed for the leopard gecko’s health are already in its feeding system.
Dusting means using vitamin D to substitute the calcium shortage in the feeding system. Dusting is highly recommended if you want to feed your Leopard Geckos during their juvenile years.
Be sure to get your pet before giving them a nightcrawler. There is no doubt that this is a wise choice. Nightcrawlers should be gut-loaded 12 to 24 hours before they become food for the geckos. However, it is only recommended to do so as often as your pet is young when it comes to gutting.
As they grow, limit dusting to every 2 to 3 feedings.
Can leopard geckos eat nightcrawlers? – The Conclusion
Of course, your leopard gecko can eat nightcrawlers. They include all the nutrients that geckos need to be healthy. You need to make sure they like it because leopard geckos are picky creatures.
Also, feed them in the same way as other creatures such as crickets and mealworms. However, know how to ration them with other feeders because overfeeding can lead to obesity. Finally, be sure to load your leopard geckos with nightcrawlers before feeding them.
This way, you won’t deprive your pet’s nocturnals of the nutrients they lack.
How to gut-load for feeding
Sources
- https://timberlinefresh.com/blog/understanding-dusting-and-gut-loading-why-it-may-be-necessary-its-risks-and-pitfalls/
- http://www.leopardgeckowiki.com/index.php/Food
- https://extension.umn.edu/yard-and-garden-insects/nightcrawlers
