Should I hand feed my Leo? Will the crickets bite him?

[buppiboyo12]

Hi all,

Recently my Leo was having some abnormal behavior (and going off food) so I tried to switch him from mealworms to crickets for awhile. I know that crickets will give him exercise, but I've been hand feeding them to him since I've had him (almost 3 months).

Can I just drop the crickets in his enclosure and leave them there?

Or will the crickets bite him overnight? I've heard that happens often with reptiles, and they can get sick from it.

Thanks

 

[callofspacey]

Yes, it is true crickets can gnaw on a gecko's skin which can cause little sores. You can avoid this by feeding only as much as he can eat in 10-15 minutes. Usually this is 5-10 crickets but it depends on the gecko and the season!

 

[buppiboyo12]

Yes, it is true crickets can gnaw on a gecko's skin which can cause little sores. You can avoid this by feeding only as much as he can eat in 10-15 minutes. Usually this is 5-10 crickets but it depends on the gecko and the season!

Okay cool. So should I be hand feeding them to him?

 

[callofspacey]

You could hand feed them to him, or you could dump 5-10 crickets in his tank, either is fine. Usually crickets will not chew on your gecko unless he is sitting still (which won't be the case if he's chasing some crickets around his cage). That amount should be just enough to fill him up and all of them will be gone by the time he's ready to lay down and relax

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

Okay cool. So should I be hand feeding them to him?

I would not consistently hand feed a gecko. They'll get dependent upon that.

Either dump a small number of crickets into the enclosure. After he's eaten all he will (~15 minutes) remove the extra crickets.

Another way is bowl feeding. I use an Anchor 8 ounce clear glass bowl with perpendicular sides. If the crickets are bigger, cut off the back legs right below their "knees". That slows them down and prevents them from jumping out of the bowl.


/\ glass bowl in front right corner

Here's how the bowls are sold: