Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Just wanted to see what you guys and gals thought were better to feed your leos with, Mealies or Crickets?

I have heard some breaders say they only feed them mealies and never crickets.

i am currently feeding them mostly crickets and a few mealies once and awhile, even though crickets are more of a pain in the butt to keep lol

I have only ever used crickets. My Zubi is happy and healthy. I have heard that some breeders use only mealies. I like the hunting that goes on with the crix.

Yeah the hunting is great to watch, mostly the main reason i use crickets right now

i do a 50/50.... crickets suck cause they can hide. i have to feed them in a seperate container so the leos dont lose out. its kinda more like what ever i have lying around. i always have a tub of mealies in the fridge, if i have crickets they get crickets. otherwise its mealies. all but my leo that has not eaten at all while in my possesion, are doing great and love both...
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there are things known, there are things unknown. inbetween are the doors.
-jim morrison-
1.2.0 leopard geckos
0.0.2 crested geckos
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When my leo's are babys/young i give them mainly small crickets and (Tenebrio)type mealworm-not the giant-Tenebrio every now and then but they don't seem to be that keen on the (Tenebrio) mealworm but they do peck at them.

When they are sub-adult/adult i give them mainly mealworms but the (zoophobas)-type these are way more lively and faster than (Tenebrio)-type letting the leo's hunt abit and my leo go for them like there giong out of fashion and i give them crickets now and then with a couple of waxworms as a treat .

I'm not sure how much of a fact this is but i've herd that lizards can digest (Zoophobas)-type mealworms a lot better than (Tenebrio)-type mealworms.

I feed mostly mealworms, cause they are easier to keep and I'm in a dorm room. The only get crickets when I happen to have some. My geckos are all fat and healthy, but its obvious that some clearly prefer the cricket. But they get mealworms for the most part.
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Corn Snakes: Eden, Mars, Sierra, Lavendar, The Tweedle Twins
Crested Geckos: Parker, Emily Dickinson, Bonnie, Benz, Jude, Cali
Leopard Geckos: Paris, Helen, Annabelle, Artemis, Vesta
Jambea Dwarf Retic: Montague

cool thanks for the replies guys. It seem like both mealies and crickets are good for them and pretty much are a 50/50 split between what to use. it seems like it all depends on the leo and what they were raised on, but this is good to know.

thanks again.

Crickets are nutritionally a bit better than Mealworms (Tenebrio Molitor) but Superworms (Zophobas Morio) are also better than Mealworms, less chitin making them easier to digest. They are not the same thing at all, 2 totally different species. Mealworms are fine for your Leo though, many breeders feed strictly mealworms. I stopped using them in favor of Superworms and my Leos definately prefer the Superworms. I feed them to all my Leos from hatchlings to adults. The downfall is, you can only buy large Superworms in pet stores which can only be fed to adult Leos because they get huge, between 2-2 1/2" long. I order smalls and mediums online (until my colony gets going). Superworms are easier to keep too, you don't put them in the refrigerator, they are kept at room temps & will not morph into beetles, they have a shelf life of MONTHS. I do also feed crickets, but only until my Discoid roach colony is finally big enough to start feeding off, then it's GOODBYE CRICKETS forever (I hope anyway) LOL