geckolovrvader
New member
Hey Gecko Lovers!! I have a question. Why do some people say mealworms are bad for Leopard Geckos but breeders use mealworms as a staple diet and have no problem (Atleast that's what I think)
Mealworms
- Thread starter geckolovrvader
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geckolovrvader
New member
If its harder to digest why do breeders use it as a staple diet
Tokaybyt
New member
convenience (laziness), adult male crickets chirp (this annoys some people), cost (very easy to establish and maintain a mealworm colony versus ordering crickets weekly), cricket bins need much more regular cleaning, cricket bins take up more space, cricket virus (when the US got hit with Europe's cricket virus, mealworms were the plan B, however mealworm breeders had similar disease happen back in the late 90s of early 00s).
I find that mealworms produce obese looking leos. There have been actual studies that express concern about this, but at the same time leos raised on mealworms appear to grow faster and larger than on a mix of crickets and mealworms or just crickets. I'm in the group that mixes, but I'm most along the lines of 90% crickets and 10% superworms, as my wife hasn't completely ok'd the use of roaches.
I find that mealworms produce obese looking leos. There have been actual studies that express concern about this, but at the same time leos raised on mealworms appear to grow faster and larger than on a mix of crickets and mealworms or just crickets. I'm in the group that mixes, but I'm most along the lines of 90% crickets and 10% superworms, as my wife hasn't completely ok'd the use of roaches.
Elizabeth Freer
Well-known member
Chris ~
There is a support group out there for desensitizing significant others! :biggrin: Blaptica dubia are pretty doable, since they don't climb glass.
There is a support group out there for desensitizing significant others! :biggrin: Blaptica dubia are pretty doable, since they don't climb glass.
Tokaybyt
New member
Per her words, as long as they aren't crawling around the house and as long as she doesn't have to touch them, she's ok with the dubia. She's trying to set the ultimatum tone with if I break those 2 conditions then I have to get her a huge diamond ring or diamond earrings. I replied with :crackup: :shock:
I've been experimenting with dubia the last 2 weeks to see who will and won't eat them. Interestingly, 3 of my 4 tokays won't touch them. In their defense, 2 of those 3 are new to my collection and are still skittish - the 3rd is just an ungrateful turd like her father, though dad is a bottomless pit. Out of my geckos, my picta, C. brevis, C. v. bogerti, and P. garrulus maculatus go nuts for the tiny dubia. The leos like them, but aren't as crazed as the others.
LEOPARD1
New member
I love these posts ( they remind me of someone I know very well) LMAO!
Were not lazy. I have Giant Mealworms, SuperWorms, Roaches, etc.....It depends to be honest with you. My Leos would not eat anything BUT Giant Mealworms, then they stopped that and HAD to have Roaches, Now they are back on Giant Mealworms and will be switching to SuperWorms.
If you read the Oxford Dictionary and see the Adj. Lazy and its definition...You will see a Roach Colony Image to the side.
Crickets are for keepers with no other options or are willing to waste the money and take the health chances. You can save money buying dozen (s) of crickets daily on your trip to the Pet Shop.
Define obese in a Leo? Is it a measurement and weight? Is it the feeder or what is in the feeders gut?
I was finishing my studies at Western New Mexico University. There was a Bio Professor who had a Leo. It fed it mealworms its whole 13 yrs (at that point). I have slender well built Leos who's primary diet consists of SuperWorms and overall diet throughout their lives consisted of some type of Mealworm. Their livers are fine, They run and jump...etc...blood tests normal....
Studies have shown us alot.........Amazing things...one study said......................
warhawk
New member
I use meal worms but one key thing to remember if you have to gut load them and dust them. If you do that they are just as nutritional as other feeders. I don't do crickets anymore because the smell and cost. I have bought them and when half die in the first few days it's wasted money. Meal worms and Dubia are both a much better choice.
I will have to disagree with the idea that lazy people use meal worms, Dubias are easier to maintain so if it was laziness I would do only those. But I keep a lot of fish also and they like worms also. And I have some geckos that won't eat crickets or dubia so I feed meal worms or they go hungry but they are pets so can't stand that.
I will have to disagree with the idea that lazy people use meal worms, Dubias are easier to maintain so if it was laziness I would do only those. But I keep a lot of fish also and they like worms also. And I have some geckos that won't eat crickets or dubia so I feed meal worms or they go hungry but they are pets so can't stand that.
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Tokaybyt
New member
Organic Value Recovery Solutions Studies - Nutrient Content of Insects
Grubco :: Nutritional Information :: Mealworms for blurbirds, crickets for reptiles, mealworms for sale
I define obese in that perceptively, 9 times out of 10, leos fed exclusively mealies tend to look like the obese lab seen on weight posters at vet clinics. Or when a leo looks like a scaled version of the overly loved, I've been fed table scraps, dachshund.
Lazy in this instance is a descriptor of both the owner and the gecko. Owner places X amount of meal worms in a bowl, puts bowl in cage, and leaves. All the gecko has to do is waddle over and gorge itself like Bubba at the local all you can eat buffet. If I wanted to watch my leos lose (exaggeration) their hunting abilities, spend little effort in obtaining food (i.e., hunting AND enrichment - both of which take cognitive skills, something I hope you learned at Western, as I know I did in Animal Behavior while at NMSU), and sit around like a dog or cat waiting for that next bowl of food, then sure I'll feed mealies. But I dont keep herps to just toss some food into a bowl and walk away, that's what my 2 annoying cats are for.
Grubco :: Nutritional Information :: Mealworms for blurbirds, crickets for reptiles, mealworms for sale
I define obese in that perceptively, 9 times out of 10, leos fed exclusively mealies tend to look like the obese lab seen on weight posters at vet clinics. Or when a leo looks like a scaled version of the overly loved, I've been fed table scraps, dachshund.
Lazy in this instance is a descriptor of both the owner and the gecko. Owner places X amount of meal worms in a bowl, puts bowl in cage, and leaves. All the gecko has to do is waddle over and gorge itself like Bubba at the local all you can eat buffet. If I wanted to watch my leos lose (exaggeration) their hunting abilities, spend little effort in obtaining food (i.e., hunting AND enrichment - both of which take cognitive skills, something I hope you learned at Western, as I know I did in Animal Behavior while at NMSU), and sit around like a dog or cat waiting for that next bowl of food, then sure I'll feed mealies. But I dont keep herps to just toss some food into a bowl and walk away, that's what my 2 annoying cats are for.
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warhawk
New member
I will agree that gecko does look over weight and so does that dog. :biggrin: And while over over feed any animal can make them fat. But there is a lot more that just feeding a few worms that will made that gecko overweight.
We all have many reasons for weight gain(I'm included in that also)
A- Lack of exercise. I would be willing to bet very few if any people here keep their geckos in large enclosures 200 square feet enclosures where they will truly be hunting for their food. Maybe some are using 75g tanks but even that isn't any where near as large as a geckos area in the wild. That boils down to the gecko will sit on its butt for 23 hours a day not doing anything.
B- Food is easy to get. If I want a burger I can stop at any one of a dozen places on my way home from work. Geckos get food brought to their house and put in a bowl just so they can eat. In the wild geckos might every few days or maybe weeks so they eat all they can when ever they can. This is how they are designed you can't change that.
C - Eating makes most people feel good and when we see our gecko eating we feel we have done a great thing and feel good, so we feed more.
There are lots more reasons to get fat but the main ones aren't the food we choice and it is easy to get over weight. Food choice does play a part in this but there is more to it.
This is where good pet keeping comes in. If you feed any pet as much food as they want they will get fat so it's our job to limit that food to what they really need.
This is what I have found works for me. I feed my growing geckos 5 worms a day until they hit 45-50 grams (normally 7-9 months) then I drop back to every other day. I also weight every reptile once a week and track the data on sheets so I know if someone is gaining weight or not gaining weight like they should. With that info I can tell if someone stops eating or is over eating very easy. During the weekly weight in I also inspect each one for stuck shed, anything that looks out of place and to see if they look like they are at a good weight. Just like people geckos have different body types and while 70 grams on one might look fat on a different one it might not. Using the data sheets I also have switched some geckos to getting feed 3 times a week to keep them from getting over weight. It is my job as the caregiver to make sure they stay health.
My point is there is a lot more that makes our pets fat then what they eat. You can't blame meal worms on fat geckos, they can be fat on crickets or any other feeder if you don't practice correct pet care. But I will consed the fact that their are a lot more overweight geckos around and a lot of them are eating worms, but there is more that worms at fault.
We all have many reasons for weight gain(I'm included in that also)
A- Lack of exercise. I would be willing to bet very few if any people here keep their geckos in large enclosures 200 square feet enclosures where they will truly be hunting for their food. Maybe some are using 75g tanks but even that isn't any where near as large as a geckos area in the wild. That boils down to the gecko will sit on its butt for 23 hours a day not doing anything.
B- Food is easy to get. If I want a burger I can stop at any one of a dozen places on my way home from work. Geckos get food brought to their house and put in a bowl just so they can eat. In the wild geckos might every few days or maybe weeks so they eat all they can when ever they can. This is how they are designed you can't change that.
C - Eating makes most people feel good and when we see our gecko eating we feel we have done a great thing and feel good, so we feed more.
There are lots more reasons to get fat but the main ones aren't the food we choice and it is easy to get over weight. Food choice does play a part in this but there is more to it.
This is where good pet keeping comes in. If you feed any pet as much food as they want they will get fat so it's our job to limit that food to what they really need.
This is what I have found works for me. I feed my growing geckos 5 worms a day until they hit 45-50 grams (normally 7-9 months) then I drop back to every other day. I also weight every reptile once a week and track the data on sheets so I know if someone is gaining weight or not gaining weight like they should. With that info I can tell if someone stops eating or is over eating very easy. During the weekly weight in I also inspect each one for stuck shed, anything that looks out of place and to see if they look like they are at a good weight. Just like people geckos have different body types and while 70 grams on one might look fat on a different one it might not. Using the data sheets I also have switched some geckos to getting feed 3 times a week to keep them from getting over weight. It is my job as the caregiver to make sure they stay health.
My point is there is a lot more that makes our pets fat then what they eat. You can't blame meal worms on fat geckos, they can be fat on crickets or any other feeder if you don't practice correct pet care. But I will consed the fact that their are a lot more overweight geckos around and a lot of them are eating worms, but there is more that worms at fault.
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