Reptile & Amphibian Forums

What is the best food items to offer my new leos that I brought home today? I have about a dozen mealies that are dusted with minerall & repcal in a food dish available for them. Would young crikets be a better offering to entice them to start dining? Personally, I'd prefer not to have to deal with crix, but if it will work, fine. One or more of the new gex sneaked out and ate when I wasn't looking - don't have a clue as to who! Just noted that there were tracks in the food dish and 3/4 of the mealies were gone. These leos are obviously inteligent, curious and sneaky! Second question...how to figure out who is eating??? I'm thrilled that at least one is comfortable enough to eat already - I'd just like to be able to tell which ones! Thx - RR

In my opinion are gutloaded mealworms for them as babies, dont have to deal with crickets if you dont want to. That will be a good staple for them, but sometimes babies enjoy the hunt, so if you wouldnt mind maybe offering crickets once a week, they would probably like that. That, or you can rotate back and forth (one week mealies, one week crix) so they dont get bored with they're food. To tell whos eating, instead of leaving it in a bowl, you could offer it to them by hand, so you can actually see whos eating what. L8er
MaC

Mealies are extremely easy to keep and gutload....I use crickets as a treat sometimes because they are just too annoying to deal with (in my opinion) to be an everyday staple. Just makesure you guload your mealies really well. I use powdered milk, dry oatmeal, baby oatmeal, baby rice cereal, and a dash of miner-all for the gutload and my leos are doing well.

Good to hear - another question...
The leos have mealies offered in a dish, which the they have found but the worms are not moving much (stage fright?). After reading that juvies like to chase their prey, I wonder if they will recognise the non moving /slow moving mealies as dinner? I think hand feeding is out for now, because the leos slowly move into their hides when I pass by or stand and observe. At least they are not fleeing in terror - it's more of a slow, deliberate retreat. Probably better to leave them alone and not stress them. Thx - RR

Its definetely better just to leave em alone for now since they're new. When I had a baby gecko, I fed him crickets because he wouldnt eat anything that would just let him eat it, lol. You could feed crickets now, until hes bigger, and when hes older feed him superworms. Supers are just like mealies, except alot bigger and they move around alot more so hed be attracted by the movement. They will eat mealworms though, its up to you and what he seems to like more i guess. L8er
MaC