Mealworms have been used as food for many animals over the years. They’re easy to grow in captivity, they don’t require much space or care, and you can buy them at any pet store. And if you want to feed your lizard some mealworm treats, there is no reason not to! However, it’s important that you know what kind of diet your reptile should be eating before adding these tasty snacks into their daily routine. So today we will discuss whether crested geckos can eat mealworms.
Table of Contents
- Are Mealworms Bad For Crested Geckos?
- Can Crested Geckos Eat Dead Mealworms?
- Can Crested Geckos Eat Dried Mealworms?
- Can Crested Geckos Eat Mealworm Beetles?
- Wrapping It Up!
So, can crested geckos eat mealworms? Yes, they can. But just because they can doesn’t exactly mean that they should. Mealworms, which are known to be rich in protein and also contain a lot of fat, which wouldn’t be that healthy for your crested gecko.
Are Mealworms Bad For Crested Geckos?
Well, as I said before, mealworms are not that great for your crested gecko, but that doesn’t mean that they are entirely bad. Feeding your pet lizard with a mealworm per week would always be fine. It is true that lizards need a protein diet, and a diet of mealworms could definitely fill the plate, but the case would be different to crested geckos. They need a mixed diet with different nutrient contents, proteins are also important, but too much is, well too much.
A diet with excess mealworms could cause constipation, dehydration and can make your crested gecko obese which leads to severe health problems.
Crested geckos are omnivorous lizards, meaning they consume both plant material and animal matter. So you could always find alternatives for mealworms with a mixture of Earthworms, silkworms, wax worms, soft fruits, etc… It’s always recommended to give your pet a varied diet with mixed nutrients. But I’m not sure about feeding crested geckos with butter worms; I have read before that they could damage crested geckos’ skin, so I never tried feeding them.
Can Crested Geckos Eat Dead Mealworms?
Crested geckos, like other gecko types, are not fans of eating dead food. They prefer living and moving things. So they would probably show disliking towards dead mealworms. If your pet crested geckos do eat dead mealworms, there is no bad in feeding them, only once in a while though!
However, I have heard that living mealworms can sometimes eat crested geckos from inside their bodies, though I haven’t experienced it myself, since according to my experience crested geckos chew on their food making which obviously kills them.
Also read: Can crested geckos swim
Can Crested Geckos Eat Dried Mealworms?
Most geckos, like leopard geckos and crested geckos, are picky eaters. They prefer fresh food over dried ones. So if your pet crested gecko doesn’t show any interest in eating dried mealworms, stick to feeding it the fresh ones. But some crested geckos do eat freeze-dried mealworms, if yours is such, you can feed it dried mealworms.
But use it only as an occasional treat, and not as its staple diet. Dried mealworms still contain excessive protein and fats.
Can Crested Geckos Eat Mealworm Beetles?
Even if crested geckos can eat mealworm larva and mealworm pupa, they can’t eat the fully grown mealworm beetles. This is because mealworm beetles have tough shells with lots of chitin. They also have a hard exoskeleton, which is difficult to chew and digest since crested geckos have small and weak teeth.
Some adult crested geckos might eat mealworm beetles with no trouble, but that is not at all good. It could harm the lizard’s teeth and could cause constipation due to the difficulty of digesting the beetle’s body.
Wrapping It Up!
Crested geckos are very easy pets to care for. They require little maintenance and their diets do not need any special attention. So you do not need to worry about any dangers that might happen when feeding your pet crested gecko with mealworms, as long as it is only given as a snack once in a while. One or two worms per week would be the best choice. But don’t try feeding mealworm beetles, only larvae and pupa mealworms are recommended.
If you wish to know more about crested geckos, check out our other articles like their lifespan.
