A leopard gecko’s staple meals include crickets, roaches, and mealworms. However, it is always advisable to vary the diet, especially for adult leopard geckos, to include other meals like hornworms, wax worms, and superworms. In this article, we’ll discuss whether leopard geckos can ear superworms, their nutritional value, and how to feed them to your Leo. Also, you can check out our ultimate guide to feed your leo.
Can a Leopard Gecko Eat Superworms?
Yes, a leopard gecko can eat super worms. However, it should not be a staple meal for your leopard gecko because of its high-fat content. Use super worms to feed your Leo occasionally as a treat once a week or when you want it to add weight.
What are Superworms?
Superworm, also known as king mealworms, are large worms that are the larvae of the darkling beetle. A Superworm makes a hearty meal for leopard geckos and can grow to about 2.25 inches or six centimeters. After their full growth, superworms transform into adult beetles.
Superworms
Superworms will thrive in the same conditions as mealworms and usually feed on the same meals. Feed nutritious fruits like apples, non-toxic vegetables, and other foods to gut-load your super worms. Remember, if your superworms are well-fed and nutritious, your leopard gecko will also be healthier.
Nutritional Value of Superworms
Compared to other meals you can feed your leopard gecko, superworms always make for a debate when you mention them in most forums. The main reason for this is their fat content, which most people see as too much. Below is the nutritional content value of super worms.
- Moisture – 58%
- Protein – 20%
- Fat – 18%
- Fiber – 3%
As shown above, superworms are rich in fats compared to other insect feeder meals you can provide to your leopard gecko. This is why I recommend feeding super worms once a week to your Leo fat buildup. However, the extra fat might be handy for a breeding female leopard gecko that is laying eggs. If you’re also preparing your leopard gecko for hibernation, feeding it with superworms will help it go through this period easily.
A Full Grown Superworm
Other than the fat percentage, super worms are a good source of proteins which can be compared to the likes of crickets. However, like many feeder insects, they are low in calcium and other minerals. So, to improve the percentage of calcium and other minerals, you’ll need to gut load or dust them with calcium powder before feeding them to your leopard gecko.
How to Feed Your Leopard Gecko Superworms
To feed your leopard gecko a super warm, it is best to use forceps and feed it individually. You can also place them in a shallow bowl, just as you would feed mealworms. However, don’t place your super worms on the substrate because they can burrow into it.
Before feeding your leopard gecko super worms, you’ll need to gut load and later dust them with calcium and other multivitamins to improve their nutritional content. You can use a commercial gut-loading formula or feed them pieces of nutritious fruits and vegetables. Avoid gut-loading super worms with toxic vegetables and fruit like avocado or onions that may harm your leopard gecko.
Gut loading should be done at least 24 hours before you feed your leopard gecko. Apart from gu loading, you’ll need to dust the super worms as you feed them to your Leo. To dust super worms, through them in a plastic bag or clear plastic container. Add calcium powder and lightly shake it to get the powder all over the super warm. Once done, feed it to your Leo.
Superworms vs. Mealworms
Mealworms are smaller prey that grow up to 1 inch or 2.5 centimeters before they pupate and become adult beetles. The nutrition composition of mealworms is similar to that of superworms, but the fat percentage is lower at 13%. Unlike superworms, you can use a mealworm as a staple meal for your leopard gecko if you gut load them and dust them with calcium powder.
Superworm vs Mealworm
Mealworms are easier to maintain, and I usually keep a small colony at all times to feed my lizard pets. Set up a container by adding grains like oatmeal and wheat bran, some dump paper towels, or moist vegetables and fruits. Once set up, through your mealworms and watch as your colony grows.
Given enough time, your mealworms will grow into adults and reproduce. This will provide you with a sustainable colony that you can use for feeding your leopard gecko. Always check on them to prevent the growth of mold. With enough grain, both the adult and mealworms will stay in the food and multiply to create a colony and enough supply for your pet lizard.
