Superworm Worries

[Kiowakaykay]

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I fed my leo a superworm and i didn't know I was meant to crush their mandibles. I only fed her one, and it seemed fairly small, but I don't know if she'll be ok. She seems fine right now, not lethargic or losing color. But I'm worried about her. I genuinely didn't know. Will she be OK? The worm stopped wiggling after a few seconds when I grabbed it with my tongs.

[IHaveNoIdea]

Calm down.. You don't have to crush their heads, it's just a myth. My geckos usually eat 3-4 of them. You can crush their heads, but it's not necessary.

[Sg612]

I fed my leo a superworm and i didn't know I was meant to crush their mandibles. I only fed her one, and it seemed fairly small, but I don't know if she'll be ok. She seems fine right now, not lethargic or losing color. But I'm worried about her. I genuinely didn't know. Will she be OK? The worm stopped wiggling after a few seconds when I grabbed it with my tongs.

They can’t eat through your gecko’s stomach if that’s what you are worried about, but they can bite. The bite is not strong enough to penetrate human skin, but the mouth of a leopard gecko is softer so I would pinch it. Just so that I’m not the only person saying this:

https://flukerfarms.com/reptile-u/ca...orm-care-sheet

Superworms also have the ability to bite, unlike mealworms, and have a small pin on their backs they can use for attacking, similar to a scorpion, so use caution when feeding to a younger animal!

[Kiowakaykay]

Both of my geckos are a year old, which I believe is considered adult. She seems perfectly fine and is still eating. Thanks guys~

[Elizabeth Freer]

Both of my geckos are a year old, which I believe is considered adult. She seems perfectly fine and is still eating. Thanks guys~

Just stopping by to mention that most leopard geckos continue to grow until they are about 18 months old.

[Whiplash]

My gecko is five months old and is pretty happy with meal worms. When is a good time to switch to superworms or is there a need to? Also, I will be going away for a week and I am having trouble finding someone to look after Whippy. Can he/she last that long without food? I was thinking of giving a meal just before I leave and just putting some extra mealworms in the cage and Whippy will eat them when hungry.

I'm not sure about Whippy's gender, but I think she's a girl.

[IHaveNoIdea]

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You don't have to switch exactly to superworms, but you will eventually have to switch to something else. Variety is a key to proper diet. You can try crickets or roaches.
If you leave for a couple of days, just leave some mealworms in the cage. Make sure that she/he has enough of water, that's more important than food. They can last weeks (and months when they are older) without food.