Leopard gecko not eating...

[CrazedHoosier]

Hi, all! I ended up getting another leopard gecko! You'd think since I have already had a leopard gecko for 4 months, I would know what to do. Nope. My first leopard gecko ate on the first day. I know it's normal for them not to eat on the first few days, but after how long isn't normal? Also, what should I do if I need to encourage her to eat? Thanks!

 

[Seth9999]

How long has it been? How old ? If it's baby it eats daily . If it's year pluse with big healthy tail, it can go without for while. This time year they fall off food. Has it , or is in shedding process? How's the variety of live food you offering?
Both mine ate right away, hasn't ever fallen off. They eat anytime, if I bring it in front them

 

[ReptiFiles]

Ha! Geckos are soooo addictive. :biggrin: It's normal for leopard geckos not to want to eat for the first week after you bring them home, and even then it can take a while before they settle in completely and start eating regularly. Not handling/bothering the gecko until it starts eating is best practice.

But like Seth9999 said, if you give us a little more information (especially how long you've had it), we give you better answers.

 

[reptilelover247]

could a leopard gecko eat a minnow?

 

[ReptiFiles]

could a leopard gecko eat a minnow?

Leopard geckos are obligate insectivores, which means they only eat bugs. So, no.

 

[reptilelover247]

ok ,but can't they eat mice?

 

[ReptiFiles]

ok ,but can't they eat mice?

On rare occasion, yes. Pinky mice are only used to fatten up skinny geckos or geckos who have recently dropped their tails. In the wild, leopard geckos would have occasional access to rodents, but they would have had no access to fish, making that a very unnatural addition to their diet. It's likely that fish would be refused.

 

[reptilelover247]

Could it be for a treat?
If they liked it

 

[Seth9999]

Small young geckos eat live small crickets, small hornworms, small silkworms, small dub roches you buy from reputable place. Mealyworms being less nutrition and exoskeleton is tough .

 

[reptilelover247]

But would a minnow harm him?
He's a year old

 

[ReptiFiles]

But would a minnow harm him?
He's a year old

I would say that yes, a fish would harm him. Leopard gecko stomachs are not evolved to handle fish, and based on my reading it looks like fish contain a protein that would be difficult for a leopard gecko to digest. So firm no on offering any fish at all.

 

[Hilde]

could a leopard gecko eat a minnow?

No. They have no way of finding fish in nature, so they're not adapted to eating them.

Please DO NOT keep asking that same question in other threads.
No hijacking.

 

[reptilelover247]

Ok,thanks.
I was just wondering because we have a creek in our back yard.

 

[CrazedHoosier]

How long has it been? How old ? If it's baby it eats daily . If it's year pluse with big healthy tail, it can go without for while. This time year they fall off food. Has it , or is in shedding process? How's the variety of live food you offering?
Both mine ate right away, hasn't ever fallen off. They eat anytime, if I bring it in front them

I've had her for about 3 days. I have no idea her age, but I imagine she's pretty young. She's just 5 grams, 4 inches long. If I were to make a guess, I would say she's around 2-3 weeks old. Right now, I've only been offering crickets. Because she's so small, I'm a little nervous about introducing other insects. However, when she's around 20 grams, she will get crickets, mealworms, superworms, hornworms and possibly silkworms. Not all at once, though! My first boy has never denied food either! He's just 5 months old, and already 71 grams!

 

[Seth9999]

Let her Seattle in. Few days isnt long. I did feed mine baby mealyworms mixed with crickets. Live of course. Small crickets.

 

[CrazedHoosier]

Let her Seattle in. Few days isnt long. I did feed mine baby mealyworms mixed with crickets. Live of course. Small crickets.

She is actually scared of the crickets a bit. What should I do if she doesn't eat for an extended period of time?

 

[ReptiFiles]

She is actually scared of the crickets a bit. What should I do if she doesn't eat for an extended period of time?

How large are the crickets? She shouldn't be getting anything larger than her head. Otherwise, like Seth9999 said — let her settle in. She'll start eating regularly in about a week or two. Meanwhile, don't handle or otherwise bother her.

 

[CrazedHoosier]

How large are the crickets? She shouldn't be getting anything larger than her head. Otherwise, like Seth9999 said — let her settle in. She'll start eating regularly in about a week or two. Meanwhile, don't handle or otherwise bother her.

They're the size of her head or smaller. I guess she's just nervous. Thanks for the help!

 

[Andi]

But would a minnow harm him?
He's a year old

going outside and finding critters to feed your LG is a bad idea. Don't do it. Especially fish.

 

[CrazedHoosier]

She ate! I gave her a couple mealworms, and they were right up her ally! Thanks for all the help!