Leopard gecko: How much should she eat?!

[Yoshi'smom]

My guess on her age based on weight and length would be about 6 months old. If she's eating you should have nothing to worry about. Sounds like you've got a healthy Leo to me!

 

[M&S-328]

Yep it sounds like you have a very healthy young gecko!
Most pet shops and chains dont know much about the animals they are selling, especially when it comes to reptiles! and its rather sad. But its great you now have a better estimate on her age! At approx. 6-8 months you can usually accurately sex your gecko - so once "shes" settled in and easily handled you can begin that fun process! lol

As for my last comment about waxworms.... It seems a lot of people are highly against them, but Im not sure why? I heartily agree that they should NEVER be overused (no MORE then once a week - and typically less than that), but I think they make great treats. Kinda like giving your kids icecream - its not necessarily full of vitamins and healthy supplements, but its a nice gesture and they just love it so much!
So again, its just a suggestion, but I think using a waxworm once a week to help the handling process or just as a loving treat is a fine and pretty normal practice by leo owners.

 

[getgeckos]

I think that using waxworms as part of a varied diet is fine. I give a waxworm or two to all of my geckos once per week. I feed mealworms, crickets, and superworms on a regular basis.

 

[TheOneBlueGecko]

I think that using waxworms as part of a varied diet is fine. I give a waxworm or two to all of my geckos once per week. I feed mealworms, crickets, and superworms on a regular basis.

And you can have your opinion, but that is like saying, 'I think having cake as a part of a varied diet is fine.' While that is technically true, you can work in a slice of cake into your diet, it is adding nothing positive. You would be better off having something better for you. Same thing holds true for other animals.

 

[Mardy]

I personally don't use waxworms at all anymore, even as treats. I've watched 2 of my geckos go on a strange feeding schedule/behavior since giving them waxworms just once a week. One has stopped eating regularly, when back before waxworms she was eating a dubia roach every single day.

Could be coincidence, sure. But for the other gecko that got addicted to waxworms, it took him 3 weeks to get reset and get back to eating crickets & dubia roaches again. That was painful and I'm sure it may have slowed his growth. I personally don't want to chance it happening again.

They're your geckos, so anybody can do whatever they want to do with their geckos. But I feel people should be warned of possible negative side effects to feeding waxworms as "treats".

 

[Darkwishes3]

You should feed her whatever she eats in a 15 minute time frame. I feed mine one at a time in a separate container. Also I was mistakenly feeding her mini mealworms and she would eat anywhere from 30-50 mealworms at a time. Usually about 35-40 however some nights she was more hungry. She also eats about 30 crickets but I think they were to small for her.

Also Leopard Geckos dont over eat as they store the excess fat in their tails, however I have heard of baby leos over eating and throwing up however they only do that once and learn from the experience.

Hope that helps

That is way 2 meny meal at one feeding

 

[Hilde]

That is way 2 meny meal at one feeding

This thread is almost 13 years old, I think it's already been settled. There's no need to dig up old threads.