Howdy all,
I am well aware that a 'fat' tail is a sign of a healthy gecko since the tail is where they store excess fat for use in lean times. However, I was wondering if this mechanism is really necessary for leos in captivity since logically it seems to be more of a function necessary for wild leos (which may not find a meal on a regular basis) since so long as the geckos are fed everyday an adequate amount, there should really be no need for excess fat storage.
I have seen pictures of people's leo's that have ridiculously large tails and leo's that look obese or overweight. Personally I think leopard geckos look much more healthy with a moderate to lean tail (proportionally appropriate with the gecko's body). I have heard that some people feed their gecko's until they will no longer eat food, however I think that this form of 'binge' feeding (since most people feed them once every couple days all at once) might promote the gecko to eat more than they require before they can begin to properly digest it and realize they are already full (much the same way we as people can overeat if we eat too fast). I have ensured my gecko has had plenty of food for the past three years I have owned him and I find he is generally happy, energetic and even playful sometimes - mimicking my movements and facial gestures. I have only ever fed him a set amount of crickets/mealworms per sitting (he always eats all of them and I am sure he would eat more if I put them in), and his tail is a nice size (not skinny by any measure), but smaller than a lot of gecko's I see in pictures. Any thoughts on how necessary a 'fat' tail is for the health of a gecko? What kind of feeding practices do you guys generally follow?
Just curious,
- Robes
