What to Feed a Leopard Gecko: Diet Table

Leopard geckos are fed live feeder insects: their diet usually consists mainly of crickets, roaches, and larvae of suitable species. Choose insects that are the right size for the lizard and gut-load them with nutritional supplements before feeding; plant foods and meat are not substitutes for this kind of food.

Feeding frequency and the number of insects depend on the leopard gecko’s age and body condition, so it is important to monitor your pet rather than rely on appetite alone. This diet table explains which feeder insects to offer and what to keep in mind when feeding.

What makes up the basis of a leopard gecko’s diet?

Feeder insects form the basis of a leopard gecko’s diet, primarily crickets and roaches. You can add variety to its home diet by combining these two types, rather than substituting larvae for staple foods.

Crickets and roaches on the menu

Crickets are suitable for leopard geckos of different ages: they are listed as food for animals aged 0 to 2 months and for adults. The feeding guidance for young geckos specifies 2–3 crickets per feeding; for geckos aged 1 year and older, it gives 10–15 large crickets. These figures describe a feeding regimen, not a universal portion for every leopard gecko.

Roaches can be offered alongside crickets to provide variety in feeder insects. Mealworms and superworms should not be considered equivalent substitutes for staple foods: they are mentioned as treats, not as the basis of the diet.

What do leopard geckos eat in the wild?

In the wild, leopard geckos also eat spiders, small lizards, and rodents. This list describes their natural prey, but it is not a recommendation to include these animals in a pet’s diet: feeder insects, particularly crickets and roaches, make up the diet’s foundation.

How many crickets should you feed a leopard gecko at different ages?

A portion of 2–3 crickets is specified for leopard geckos aged 0 to 2 months, while the guideline for geckos aged 1 year and older is 10–15 large crickets. The guidance for young geckos gives contradictory feeding schedules alongside the portion: it says both “every day” and “once every 4 days,” so these statements do not establish a clear frequency.

How to interpret the age-based guidelines

For leopard geckos under 2 months old, the figure of 2–3 refers to the number of crickets per portion, but it does not resolve the contradiction between daily feeding and feeding once every four days. Do not choose one of these schedules based only on this information; ask a reptile specialist to clarify the schedule.

The guideline for leopard geckos aged 1 year and older is 10–15 large crickets. The word “large” matters, since insect size affects the actual portion. Age-based figures alone do not establish the right amount for every individual, so take cricket size and the animal’s condition into account, and do not treat the disputed feeding frequency for young geckos as definitive advice.

Can you feed mealworms and superworms?

Yes, you can offer mealworms and superworms to a leopard gecko, but only as treats, not as the basis of its diet. The main diet should consist of crickets and roaches; to add variety, choose these insects rather than larvae.

Mealworms and superworms are treats, not foods to offer as regular substitutes for crickets and roaches. Feeding guidance also warns against fatty foods, including various types of worms and larvae.

How to interpret the word “occasionally”

“Occasionally” and “treat” describe the role of mealworms and superworms, but do not specify an exact frequency or portion. The recommendations provided therefore do not support setting a feeding schedule for these foods—for example, a specific number of larvae or a number of days between treats.

Do not apply the cricket guidelines to worms: the guidance separately specifies 2–3 crickets a day for leopard geckos under two months old and 10–15 large crickets for animals aged 1 year and older. These figures apply to crickets and do not set a serving size for mealworms or superworms.

Why shouldn’t fatty larvae be a staple?

Fatty larvae should not be a leopard gecko’s staple food because crickets and roaches are recommended for a regular diet, while mealworms, superworms, and waxworms are treats that should be given sparingly. It is important to distinguish an occasional treat from food the lizard receives regularly.

Staple foods and treats are not the same

For a leopard gecko’s regular diet, feeder crickets and roaches are the safer choices: these are the insects named as dietary staples. Mealworms and superworms may be offered as treats, but their presence in the diet does not make larvae suitable as regular food.

• Crickets and roaches — the feeder insects identified as dietary staples.
• Mealworms and superworms — treats, not daily substitutes for staple foods.
• Waxworms and other larvae — examples of fatty foods that are not recommended.

The recommended share of larvae in a leopard gecko’s diet is not specified, so assigning them a specific percentage or feeding frequency would be unjustified. The practical guideline here is not an invented numerical target, but the distinction between a staple diet of crickets and roaches and an occasional mealworm or superworm treat.

Which dietary guidelines should not be applied to all lizards?

The diet and feeding schedule given for leopard geckos should not be treated as the standard for all pet lizards: 2–3 crickets applies to feeding young leopard geckos, while the guideline of 10–15 large crickets applies to animals aged 1 year and older. These figures should not be applied to other species.

What exactly do these recommendations apply to?

These intervals conflict with each other, so they do not allow you to determine the feeding frequency confidently even for leopard geckos.

• Natural prey: Insects, spiders, small lizards, and rodents are listed as foods leopard geckos eat in the wild. This list does not mean that all of these should be offered at home.
• Food at home: Crickets and roaches are named as dietary staples, while mealworms and superworms are treats. This information applies to leopard geckos and does not prescribe a diet for other pet lizards.

Thus, the figures 2–3 and 10–15 describe specific recommendations for leopard geckos, not universal portions for lizards.

How to read the feeding table without implying false precision

Read the leopard gecko feeding table as a set of specific guidelines, not as a fully consistent schedule: it gives 2–3 crickets for animals aged 0 to 2 months, but the stated frequency is contradictory. One version says “every day,” while another says “once every 4 days,” so the table does not let you choose between these schedules without further guidance.

What the table actually shows

• 0 to 2 months: Keep the specified portion of 2–3 crickets; do not combine the two conflicting statements about frequency into a single precise schedule.
• From 1 year: 10–15 large crickets is the guideline given for this age group, not a universal portion for every leopard gecko.
• Diet staple: Crickets and roaches; mealworms and superworms are listed as treats, not equivalent substitutes for staple foods.
• From 2 months to 1 year: Do not calculate an amount based on the adjacent age groups.

This way of reading the table preserves its figures without creating an impression of precision where there is not enough information. This is especially important for the period from 2 months to 1 year and for the contradictory feeding frequency given for young geckos. Mealworms and superworms should not be treated as everyday staples either: the article identifies them specifically as treats.

Key takeaways

• Crickets and roaches are the staples of a leopard gecko’s diet.
• For ages 0–2 months, 2–3 crickets are specified, but the feeding frequency is described inconsistently.
• For leopard geckos aged 1 year and older, the guideline is 10–15 large crickets.
• Mealworms and superworms are treats, not dietary staples.

Frequently asked questions