Yes, leopard geckos can eat earthworms, but they contain a substance that leopard geckos find repulsive. It makes them unsuitable as staple feeder insect. Despite their high protein content, earthworms are low in calcium.
You can feed them earthworms now and then if you want, but ensure that these worms are from a credible source and not gathered from your backyard. They may contain parasites that will make leopard geckos sick.
Are Earthworms Healthy for Leopard Geckos?
Yes, earthworms are an excellent source of protein for your leopard gecko. Earthworm meal contains a high concentration of essential long-chain fatty acids. To keep your leopard gecko healthy, provide a varied diet with at most 20% of one feeder.
Earthworms are high in protein and low in calcium, making them an excellent choice for your leopard gecko. They have a low natural fat content (less than 2%). Earthworms are among the lowest-fat foods for reptiles.
The Nutritional Content of an Earthworm
Earthworms have a nutritional profile like other protein sources. They are reportedly used in poultry feeds, particularly fish meals. Earthworms contain 60-70% protein, 6-11% fat, 5-21% carbohydrates, and 2-3% minerals and vitamins.
These vitamins include niacin on a dry matter basis. Earthworms contain more essential amino acids, like lysine and methionine, than meat or fish meal. Earthworm meal also contains a high concentration of vital long-chain fatty acids.
Do Leopard Geckos Eat Earthworms in the Wild?
No. As strict insectivores, leopard geckos feed on a wide variety of insects in the wild. It includes crickets, locusts, flies, beetles, spiders, grasshoppers, snails, cockroaches, silkworms, and others.
Earthworms are generally not part of their diet for two reasons. The first reason is that the earthworm is too large for their needs and can restrict their intestines if they eat them whole. The second reason is the revolting taste of the mucus-like stimulant earthworms expel when in distress. It is why, unless they are starving, they will not approach earthworms in the wild.
Can You Feed Earthworms Found in the Wild?
No. Do not collect earthworms in the wild because they may be contaminated with various pollutants. These pollutants are limited to insecticides, pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, etc. Earthworms have also been discovered to carry parasites such as platyhelminths, protozoa, and nematodes. These are harmful to your pet and can cause serious illnesses.
A few contaminated earthworms will not immediately harm your pet, but they will harm them in the long run. They contain toxic substances that will make your pet sick.
While you can sometimes feed earthworms to adult leopard geckos, you should never feed them to juveniles.
Even for adult leopard geckos, you should buy them from a store to prevent any health risks. You should always get your pet’s food, including earthworms, from a reputable and authorized pet store or supplier. You can order online if you need help finding a reputable store.
Is Earthworms’ Long Size Suitable for Leopard Geckos?
Adult leopard geckos, hatchlings, and juveniles eat worms and insects measuring 21/2 inches, 3/8 inch, and 1/4 inch in length, respectively.
The average size of an earthworm is 10-14 inches long. The size of an earthworm is far beyond the range of your leopard gecko.
Leopard geckos have difficulty or fail to consume adult earthworms. If you must feed them earthworms, you may have to consider going for juvenile earthworms, which may be difficult to find and incur additional costs.
Can Leopard Geckos have Digestive Problems after Eating Earthworms?
Suppose your gecko begins to reject earthworms in its diet. The possibility of impaction increases. Any gecko that ceases eating earthworms may have difficulty digesting them. In leopard geckos, such digestive issues may accompany impaction, constipation, and vomiting.
Only feed earthworms to your leopard geckos when they are attracted to this insect. When earthworms become inappropriate for your gecko, stop feeding them to your reptile.
How Often to Feed Earthworms to a Leopard Gecko
It is not recommended that leopard geckos eat earthworms daily. Aside from moisture, earthworms have little else to offer your pet leopard gecko’s diet.
If you continue to feed leopard geckos too many of these earthworms, they may become deficient in essential nutrients for their health. They are recommended to be fed earthworms once or twice every two weeks.
Can Baby Leopard Geckos eat Earthworms?
No. Do not feed your baby gecko earthworms. Earthworms are far too large. Baby geckos, about 1/4 inch long, can only eat worms and insects, whereas a grown earthworm is 10-14 inches long.
Your baby gecko will almost be unable to digest an earthworm. They can wreak havoc on the baby gecko’s digestive system. Roaches, crickets, and small mealworms are the best foods for baby geckos.
Conclusion
Leopard geckos can eat earthworms, but they may not be the most important food source for these reptiles. They expel a foul-smelling mucus content that can cause a slew of issues for your gecko. Because of its foul-smelling mucus, some leopard geckos will refrain from eating earthworms.
Because earthworms are large and oversized, they are unsuitable for baby leopard geckos. You can feed them to your adult pets, but you should keep changing your leopard gecko’s diet to keep it varied.
Buy the earthworms only from a reputable pet store. Feed your Leo various foods but don’t force it to eat anything you don’t think is good for them.
