Reptile & Amphibian Forums

This is for those of you who have starved your leos and then fed them mealworms to get them to eat mealworms.

I tried that...on my adults only. I starved them for about 5 days. Tonight I fed them mealworms. Some of them went right up to the dish and ate them like mad, while other just sat there and looked at them.

Does it work? Have you actually gotten your leos off crix and onto mealworms?

I feed crix mostly, but mealworms are so much easier. I breed my own mealworms, and I have a pretty big colony. I can still buy crickets, but can you really get a mostly cricket eating gecko to eat mealworms?

They will eat whenever they are hungry correct? I just hated the idea of starving them to see if it would work. Some of them must have been hungry to just sit and indulge tonight.

Anyways, for those of who who've done it and got them switched over successfully please let me know any advice, thoughts, or info on this subject.

Thanx in advance

Shayna
Leo Lovers Lizard Lounge

One of my females was gravid when I first got her. She only ate crickets even though I'd just decided I was through with them. I went ahead and kept buying crickets, because I wanted to be sure she was eating. But after she laid her first clutch, she was hungry! You know how they are; they slow down their eating, so after they're back to normal, they're ready to pig out. She ate everything in sight, so of course, I took the opportunity to let her try some supers and mealies. So that got her started on eating the mealies.

It was long while later before she started eating from the bowl on her own. I didn't starve her; I just didn't feed her enough. It made her go out looking for the food, so she found the bowl.

Anyway, I've seen leos be absolutely overwhelmed when they see a bowl crawling with mealies. They'll just sit there and watch. It's like they can't decide which one they want to eat first. One of mine will gobble up the mealies only if I toss them in front of him one by one.
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chickabowwow

3.2 leopard geckos (Rosie, Locke, Lisa, Caesar, Tommy)
and 3 eggs a' cookin'

(xelda-Anyway, I've seen leos be absolutely overwhelmed when they see a bowl crawling with mealies. They'll just sit there and watch. It's like they can't decide which one they want to eat first.)

lol my gecko does that,her eyes open so wide you swear there going to pop out the socket then she sits for about one solid minute deciding which meal worm is going to taste the best,then my 2 babies wiggle thier tails like mad when they see meal worms in thier bowl right before grabbing one

:> Most of mine are casual eaters, all are fed mealies except two AFT which I am trying to work into mealies. Right now I have to take them out of their cage and put in a small "feed box", and they will quickly devour all crickets in site. I am introducing a bowl of mealies in their cage and slowing down on the crickets.

But... I have one leo that is hilarious to feed. I can not leave a bowl in her cage or she will stuff her self and vomit them back up. If I dangle a mealie in the middle of her cage by a pair of pinchers, she will climb on to her hide box and leap into the air to try and grab it! Quite funny to see...
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1.3.0 Carrot-Tail Leopard Gecko's
0.1.0 High-Yellow Leopard Gecko's
1.1.0 Tremper Albino Giant Gecko's
1.1.0 African Fat-Tail Gecko's
1.1.0 Box Turtle's
0.1.0 Columbian Boa
home.cfl.rr.com/greenleesgeckos/

I have a question first. Have we decided to go off crickets due to the parasites some of them carry, and the convenience of raising and keeping mealies

Right now I do both. I think it matters on there individual personality. I have some that will gobble both up. some that won't touch one or the other even if the food item walks right up to them. I have actually had crics lay on the snout of my most finiky cric eater. I had to take it out, cuz I didn't want to stress her out, who wants a bug walkin on their head anyway?

I usually place my mealies for my colonies in a small glass bowl. I put Miner-all at the bottom and then mix them in it. My HY's are the greatest, they come at the bowl from all 4 cardinal directions. Then they all stop at the edge and peer in, as if to say umm, mmm, ummm... Then one usually Barney the male breaks the ice and its a free for all. I'll have to get a pic of it someday.
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LEOs: 3.7.0
1.1 High Yellows (Barney and Betty);1.1 Hypo Tangerines(Bam-bam and Pebbles); 1.1 Rescued Normals (Shleprock) 0.4Tremper Albinos (No names yet), Lookin for a good male breeder
BEARDIES 1.0.0
Snow and Yellow (Fred)