Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I recently received an adult female leopard gecko from someone who did not want her anymore so i don't know much about them. So, I have a some questions.... i know there are alot but if anyone can answer one or two of them it would be so helpful to me!!! Thank you!!!

1.) She won't eat live crickets, she will only eat the can o' crickets (dead crickets). is this ok? i mean is she getting the nutrients she needs? I do coat the crickets with a calcium supplement.
2.) i feed her everyday, should i be coating the crickets with calcium supplement everyday?
3.) She won't eat live mealworms either, so i bought the can o' worms (dead mealworms). She actually prefers eating the worms over the crickets, however, i noticed that she was having loose stools so i stopped feeding her the worms and her stools have been solid again. Is it ok to still feed her worms or should i forget about feeding her the worms altogether?
4.) Along with the calcium supplement should i be coating her crickets with additional vitamin supplements?
5.) FINAL question, should i be misting her? i've had her for almost 2 weeks and i haven't been doing this. she seems very healthy. i do have a big shallow water dish in her tank which she walk through occasionally.

i appreciate any kind of info back even if it only answers one question. i'm just a little nervous with taking care of her, she's a gorgeous lizard and i just want to make sure she's getting the proper care.

THANK YOU SO MUCH IN ADVANCE!!!!!!
KELLY

i personally know nothing about the can o cricket products or can o mealworms product.
However if the worms give her diareah you might want to cut her back to once or twice a week feeding on that or depending on how bad it is maybe cut it out all together. i generally feed my babies once a day til they get a little larger (over 35 grams) and then cut back to every other day or every third day depending on the particular leo
instead of powedering her meal everyday get a small dish like a lid to an old jar (cleaned ofcourse) and leave calcium in with her at all times.
as far as the mmisting ijust get an old butter dish cut a small opening on the top of it large enough for her to get in fill it about 1/3 up with moist or damp spagnum moss, i know some poeple use bed a beast anywho this will be her humid hide she will use it as she needs and no misting should be requireed.
i would also try and pick up a copy of "the leopard gecko manual" it has some very good basic leopard gecko information. hopefully someone will have some experiences with the "can o' products"
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-robin day
Geckoheads And Geeks

1) I would personally go with live crickets. Fresh crickets gutloaded with fresh vegetables and nutrients are always going to be better. Even though the can o' crickets are marketed as being gutloaded with the best stuff before being freeze-dried, I don't really trust the companies. They can say whatever they want to; there's no FDA governing them.

2) No, it's not necessary to coat everyday. I dust every 2 or 3 feedings and leave a small dish of calcium in the tank at all times.

3) I would go with live mealworms also. They are much cheaper. You can leave a bowl of them in the tank overnight and see if she eats any. If she's having problems with digesting them, try to feed her the freshly molted ones.

4) I dust with vitamins once a week. I don't think it's absolutely necessary, especially if you've got a good gutload.

5) No, don't mist her. What you can do is take an old plastic butter container (the medium size ones), cut a hole in the side that's big enough for her to walk through, and put some moist paper towels (or sphagnum moss if you can hit a garden store) inside. Then put the lid on and place it on the warm side of the cage. That way, she can choose to go to a humid setting when she chooses to.
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Lovin' would be easy if your colors were like my dreams...

Hey, maybe it's the smell of the Can O' ___ that let's her know it's food, assuming that's what she's always been fed.

So just get regular mealworms and use some of the mealworms from the Can O' Mealworms mixed in there with them. Mealworms don't really move much, so I wouldn't think it's the animal being alive that bothers her.
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Got hips like Cinderella / Must be having a good shame / Talking sweet about nothing / Cookie I think you're Tame

HI there

I woudnt worry about your Leo only eating canned food. My Leo is the same way. I figure he likes the smell of the canned crickets and meal worms and its familer to him. I dust the crickets in a multi vitiman powder before feeding time and keep calcuim powder in his food dish at all times. This has kept him healthy and active for the years Ive had him.
The only time Ive a problem was when I let the canned meal worms go bad when I was away and his 'babysiter' fed them to him not knowing and he got the runs for a day but that was quickly solved.