How long can a baby leopard gecko go without food

How Long Can Leopard Geckos Go Without Food?

The typical adult leopard gecko can go between 10 and 14 days without food, surviving on the fat they store in their tails. On the other hand, young geckos can only survive a maximum of 10 days without food, as they do not have as much fat in their tails as adults do.

It is normal for leopard geckos to go for extended periods without food. This is one of the main benefits of being cold-blooded. Since cold-blooded animals do not rely on food to generate body heat as mammals do, cold-blooded critters do not have to eat as much as warm-blooded animals. This is why reptiles are able to survive even months without eating, especially during the cold season.

However, despite that fact, there is still a possibility that your leopard gecko could be refusing to eat for other reasons.

Reasons Why Leopard Geckos Might Refuse to Eat

Image Credit: Piqsels

As mentioned, like other reptiles, it is not uncommon for leopard geckos to go for lengthy periods without eating. However, certain factors or conditions could cause them to either refuse to eat or be unable to. These include:

Cold Temperatures

As mentioned earlier, reptiles do not burn calories to generate body heat, relying on external sources instead. That is why all reptiles bask in the sun, as it allows them to raise their body heat. While being cold-blooded allows an animal to survive for long periods without eating, it can spell doom for a critter with no access to an external heat source.

This is because cold-blooded animals need to be warm enough for natural processes such as digestion to occur. When a leopard gecko is too cold, it is unable to digest its meal. As a result, the lizard might opt not to eat altogether.

Therefore, make sure that temperatures within your pet’s tank never go below 75° Fahrenheit.

Dehydration

Leopard geckos are averse to eating when they are dehydrated. As such, make sure that your pet has access to plenty of fresh water. Additionally, replace the water bowl daily to ensure that your lizard does not drink contaminated water.

Image Credit By: Faizal Zakaria, Pixabay

Stress

Leopard geckos tend to refuse to eat when they are stressed. Many things can stress out a leopard gecko, with the most common being a sudden change in environment, unideal temperatures within the cage, housing them with another gecko, and illness.

Common signs of stress include hiding for lengthy periods, being skittish, displaying dull colors, and tail wagging.

Consider taking your pet to the vet if it displays signs of stress.

How Often Should Leopard Geckos Eat?

While leopard geckos can go for weeks without eating, it should be out of their own volition, not yours. Therefore, make sure to follow a regular feeding schedule. It would be best if you fed young leopard geckos every day.

Conclusion

Adult leopard geckos can go for up to two weeks without eating, while young geckos can survive up to 10 days without a meal. However, it is crucial to ensure that your pet leopard gecko is not refusing to eat due to an illness or improper care. If you think that something might be wrong with your reptile, consult a vet immediately.

Featured Image Credit: Piqsels

How Long Can Leopard Geckos Go without Food?

February 26, 2020 Reptile Supply

Many adult leopard geckos can go without food for ten days to two weeks because of the fat storage in their tails. It is completely normal for leopard geckos to go without eating for long periods.

Unlike mammals, reptiles do not require food every day to survive, particularly during the winter. In nature, geckos can go the whole cold season without eating because their activity is very low during this period.

However, to keep your leopard gecko healthy, try to ensure that he regularly eats a proper diet rich in live feeding insects.

Filed in: food, leopard gecko

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Comments

Reptile Supply - June 25, 2021
Hi Makyla — Make sure to check your leopard gecko’s setup against our care sheet (https://reptilesupply.com/blogs/care-sheets/how-to-care-for-your-leopard-gecko) to make sure that she hasn’t stopped eating because something’s wrong with her husbandry. If things look alright there, we recommend taking your gecko to an experienced reptile veterinarian for a quick exam to make sure she’s not sick.

Makyla - June 25, 2021
Hi I’ve had my gecko for about a year now, and about 2 months ago she stopped eating she eats a meal worm once in a while and there are droppings but also only every now and then. She is not losing much weight but I am concerned I really thought she would eat by now.
Thanks.

Reptile Supply - April 19, 2021
Hi Cher — 21 years is impressive! Taking a 2 week break from eating is perfectly normal for an adult leopard gecko, even when they’re older. Just double-check your setup to make sure nothing has changed (too warm, too cold, too dry, too humid, etc.), and if the problem persists, bring it up with an experienced reptile veterinarian.

cher - April 19, 2021
I have a 21 year old leopard gecko. He stopped eating about 2 weeks ago. Still drinking water. He did shed his skin about 5 weeks ago which he ingested. Should I be worried? I heard this is normal but given his age.

Reptile Supply - April 1, 2021
Hi Melanie — It is normal for leopard geckos to go off food for a little while after they move to a new home, since change is stressful to them. However, it does sound like the previous owner may not have been taking very good care of the gecko. We recommend updating the gecko’s setup according to the instructions in our leopard gecko care sheet (https://reptilesupply.com/blogs/care-sheets/how-to-care-for-your-leopard-gecko). If you don’t see improvement after that, take your gecko to an experienced reptile veterinarian (http://reptifiles.com/reptile-vet-directory) for examination.

Melanie - April 1, 2021
Hello, I just purchased my gecko from another owner. She hasn’t eaten in a week there is no feces in tank. I have put several different insects mealworms, crickets, roaches still nothing. I cleaned her tank and took out sand and lined it with paper towel as I read sand is not very good. The previous owner only had a small heat lamp and said he kept it on 24/7 sometimes turning off during day time. I went out and purchased a heat pad and a ceramic bulb and a UVB bulb. Pervious owner also said he fed her in morning. I leave mealworms in tank but still nothing. She is five years old. He said he only fed her mealworms everyday. I’m starting to think this owner didn’t have any clue about owning a gecko and if he sold it because something was wrong.

Reptile Supply - March 3, 2021
Hi Kimberley — Going 10 days without food is concerning, but not life-threatening for a fully-grown leopard gecko. My best guess is that he’s adjusting to the new enclosure. However, double-check your temperatures with a digital probe thermometer or temp gun, and don’t handle him until he starts eating again.

Kimberly - March 3, 2021
I have a five yeard old lepord gecko. He is refusing to eat. It has been ten days and has lost weight. He did get moved to a bigger tank. It is typically colder but not by much. He is still energetic and appears to be out of hiding more than when he was in the smaller tank. What could be causing his food stike? How do i help? Should i take him to a vet?

Reptile Supply - February 25, 2021
Hi Dawn, I’m sorry to hear about your baby leopard gecko. If she hasn’t eaten at all since coming into your care, then it’s quite likely that there’s something off about her enclosure that makes her not want to eat. Please re-evaluate your setup with our leopard gecko care sheet (https://reptilesupply. com/blogs/care-sheets/how-to-care-for-your-leopard-gecko) and the attached resources.

Dawn Butcher - February 24, 2021
Hi we purchased a baby gecko in November since this she has never eaten we have taken her to a vet thinking she might have a parasite this us not the case and is now on end of life care how is it possible for her to survive so long with out food many thanks concerned gecko owner

Why eublefar refuses to eat, what to do

Author Svetlana Kim Reading 9 min Views 3.2k. Updated 02/05/2022

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Lack of appetite in geckos is a common problem - and one of the most annoying. Find out why your pet has stopped eating and how to treat it.

A reptile that doesn't eat for days is an owner's worst nightmare. This harrowing experience causes a lot of stress and anxiety for both novice and experienced gecko owners.

To complicate matters, there are many different causes of appetite suppression.

However, if your gecko refuses to eat, do not despair. Paying attention to other symptoms (if any), you can find the cause of what is happening and an effective solution.

In this article, you will find all the common reasons why a reptile "goes on a hunger strike" and what you can do to restore its appetite.

Content

Causes
Offering "injured" food
Force-feeding
Warm bath
Bon appetit!

Causes

Here are the most common hunger strike reasons for both leopard (spotted) geckos and other geckos.

Moving house

One of the most common stories of gecko loss of appetite has one major event - the pet has just moved into a new home. It would seem that a healthy animal does not even look at the insects that it ate with pleasure in the same place. Days of not eating turn into weeks, and it's perfectly normal for a new owner to become very anxious at this point.

Fortunately, thanks to their metabolism and body fat, leopard geckos can live normally without food for an amazingly long time. (See the next section for details.)

In these situations, the most common scenario is that after a few weeks, a healthy individual will start eating . When possible, take your pet to the vet for a check-up if the food refusal lasts more than a month. The specialist will check your pet for parasites, which is very important.

Alternatively, you can use a homemade liquid supplement called "suspension" to provide nutrition for the gecko, but more on that later.

Breeding season

The breeding season for leopard geckos lasts from February to November . At some point, geckos - especially males - can become so preoccupied with their reproductive instincts that they stop eating.

I recommend trying additional feeding stimulation if the reluctance to eat continues for more than a couple of weeks. See the section below for how to do this. However, geckos may still refuse to eat from time to time during the breeding season, this is normal.

Ovulation in females

Ovulation is the process of egg formation in our female reptiles, which occurs from January to June or July. They can ovulate even without the presence of a male. Some individuals stop feeding during this period.

Many sources state that it is perfectly acceptable for leopard geckos to fast throughout the season. However, I would still regularly offer them food and try to encourage feeding.

You cannot prevent ovulation , but you can constantly ensure that your pets are in excellent condition so that their body does not suffer during fasting during the breeding season.

Cold terrarium

Too cold terrarium can lead to food refusal as well as general lack of activity. In addition, low temperatures sometimes cause the lizard to regurgitate partially digested or undigested food.

The first and easiest thing to check when your gecko is acting sluggish and weird is the temperature. The correct daytime temperature in your baby's terrarium should be 24-29°C, and in the zone of dormancy and digestion of food - up to 32 °C.

A good infrared thermometer will allow you to quickly check the temperature on both sides of the terrarium.

Brumation (a kind of hibernation)

Even a captive gecko will certainly feel the change of seasons. Some individuals will "insist" on winter rest - called brumation - even if you don't change the temperature of the terrarium. This will not be a complete hibernation, but a significant decrease in activity for one and a half or two months.

If a perfectly healthy leopard gecko stops eating in late autumn or early winter and spends a lot of time hiding, it is likely that it is trying to go dormant.

The best course of action is to accept this. Reduce the temperature of the gecko as recommended and gradually reduce the lighting period.

Stress of living together

If you keep two or more pets together, the weakest of them may be bullied. Stress often leads to the fact that he will stop eating.

It is for this reason that responsible reptile specialists always oppose co-housing. The only way to solve this problem is to keep geckos separately.

Prey Bite

Large prey insects, especially superworms and crickets, can and will bite to protect themselves. This can be a traumatic experience for your leopard gecko, which can cause the poor lizard to avoid certain foods.

live insects

29.67%

canned, frozen insects

55.02%

I still do not feed anything, I study the question

15.31%

voted: 627

Always give your Gekko the extraction of the correct size. You can also crush the heads of large superworms with tweezers just before feeding.

Picky eaters

Some geckos are just picky eaters. One person may not like mealworms. The other does not want to touch the crickets. The bad news is that if a pet doesn't like a certain type of food, there's only a small chance that you can change it.

Ildar K.

Reptile and amphibian specialist

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A varied diet is a good way to ensure that your picky eater will always find something that suits their taste.

Diseases

Unfortunately, a number of diseases and health problems also cause lack of appetite. These include:

Parasitic infections.
Mouth ulcers and abscesses.
Intestinal blockage (especially if you have loose substrate).
Metabolic bone disease (MBD).
Organ failure (liver, kidney).

Why a young leopard gecko may refuse to eat

There are several common reasons why a baby reptile does not eat.

Food too large . Always feed your baby with pieces of food that are no larger than the space between his eyes.
Cool temperature . In order for the young to have an appetite, the ambient temperature must be in the optimal range.
Constipation . If you keep your gecko on loose substrate, especially sand, it can lead to bowel obstruction. If this is suspected, consult your veterinarian immediately.
Nutritional deficiencies and problems with their metabolism. Make sure you feed the intestines with food insects, sprinkle vitamin/mineral powder regularly, and give extra calcium/D3 powder to the leopard gecko hatchling.

How long can geckos go without food?

Due to the fatty deposits that make their tails so plump, geckos can go without food for a long time.

Ildar K.

Reptile and amphibian specialist

How long? Nobody knows for sure. It would be extremely cruel to experiment to determine this, but some evidence from gecko escapes and poor animal husbandry tells us they can go a month or more without food. The breeding season can last even longer. However, after a month, you enter uncharted and possibly risky territory.

The maximum duration of fasting differs between young geckos and adults. Due to their high energy and nutrient requirements, juveniles may suffer more damage from prolonged lack of food.

What to do, how to make a leopard gecko eat

Offer your favorite food

Offer your ward what he loves most to get him out of anorexia. Most lizards are crazy about wax worms, which in their world are the equivalent of bacon. Others love hornworms. After the condition of the gecko stabilizes, you can continue to feed him a variety of foods, as usual.

Offering "wounded" foodstuffs

Some individuals respond with appetite to the bodily fluids of their prey. Offer him a mealworm or cricket cut in half with tweezers. Refrigerate insects before cutting, as refrigeration has an anesthetic effect.

Force-feeding

Force-feeding is recommended by some as a last resort.

Personally, I would never do this myself without consulting a veterinarian first, because If handled incorrectly this will result in serious injury .

Warm bath

In case of indigestion (for example, with mild constipation), bathing in warm water will help your pet cope with it and generally improve metabolism.

Bon appetit!

Is your mind more at ease now about your beloved pet's hunger strike? I hope so.

Starvation can be normal for a gecko and should be taken lightly, but never lightly! Although the chances of this happening are slim, the real cause of your pet's lack of appetite could be serious problems with the terrarium or health.

It is best to explore all options and then consult a reptile veterinarian if any doubt remains.

Have you had problems with your gecko's appetite? How did you solve them? Tell us about it in the comments. Your experience can be useful to many!

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What to feed the gecko - feeding the gecko at home, keeping and caring for lizards

Geckos love tasty food. They quickly get used to treats and may refuse healthy and healthy food. To prevent this from happening, you need to include a variety of dishes on the menu and adhere to the feeding regimen. We tell you how to do it.

Feeding objects

Gecko food objects are divided into basic and additional. The main ones should be in the lizard's diet from birth. Additional food items include treats that can be added to the diet after the pet is six months old.

Geckos feed on insects and do not refuse newborn naked mice. It is advisable to give your pet live food so that the instinct of the hunter does not disappear. If you choose this option, then remember that you also need to take care of keeping insects at home. They must be full and active.

Another way is to feed frozen food. In this case, it is enough to store food in the freezer, and defrost it immediately before feeding. If the food has lain at room temperature for about 2 hours, it will have to be thrown away. You can not freeze insects again.

Power features

Feeding time depends on the type of lizard. Some are active at night, others during the day. For example, geckos hunt at dusk, at night and at dawn, so they prefer to eat early in the morning or late in the evening. By the same principle, feed currents, striped, viper geckos, etc.

Frequency

Geckos have a good appetite. In their natural habitat, they eat any prey that they manage to catch. Do not overfeed - reptiles have slow digestion. It is important that before the next feeding they have time to digest the previous portion. Young lizards need to be fed more often than adults.

There are two approaches to feeding:

1 time in 3-4 days for 5-7 large insects. So the reptile will definitely not overeat, but will remain a little hungry.
1 time in 2-3 days, but until full, until the pet refuses to eat.

Babies under 2 months old need daily meals.

How to understand that the gecko is full and happy? Rate his behavior. The pet must be nimble during the period of activity. After overeating, lizards become passive, they have problems with the liver, reproductive system. The state of the pet is easy to determine by the tail. In starving geckos, it is thin, in overeating geckos it is large and interferes with walking. With proper nutrition, the tail looks natural in relation to the body, as in the photo below.

Portion sizes

Portions depend on the age and size of the geckos. For a miniature adult animal, 2-3 large crickets are enough. A large lizard needs to eat 10-15 of the same insects. Newborn animals are fed from the 4th day of life 1-2 times a day with small crickets. After 12 months, the cubs switch to a common diet.

Choose the right food. Do not give the animal an insect that is too large for it, which is difficult to digest. We recommend that you follow a simple rule: the length of the insect should not be more than the distance between the eyes of the gecko.

Conditions

Lizards feel more alert if they can hunt. To create such conditions for them, purchase a terrarium with a tight-fitting lid. Then the crickets, cockroaches and moths will stay inside. But the gecko can live peacefully without hunting. Simply feed it defrosted insects with tweezers. The animal will be interested in such food.

What can not be fed to individuals?

Geckos should not be fed anything that they do not eat in nature. Vegetables, fruits, yoghurts, berries and similar foods are not suitable.

Reptiles are not given dead insects. The latter are densely fed and frozen alive. A hungry cricket or cockroach is useless for a lizard. For the same reason, moulting crickets should not be given to an animal - they are always empty. They are easily recognizable by their white color.

Insects that glow in the dark are not suitable for food. These are fireflies and lightning beetles. A chemical that is toxic to geckos is responsible for the glow.

What must be in the diet?

Mineral and vitamin supplements should not be excluded from the menu. The first contains calcium. The gecko is happy to use it in the quantities needed for growth and healthy molting. Pour the powder into a small bowl and place on the floor of the terrarium.

Vitamin supplements must be dosed. They are dry and liquid. Dry roll a few crickets 1-2 times a week. For pregnant females, slightly increase the portion. Liquid vitamin complexes can be applied to the eyes or the tip of the pet's nose. It is convenient to do this with a soft brush. The animal licks the drops.

The gecko needs clean and fresh water. Place a small bowl at the bottom of the terrarium. Rinse and refill daily. Some individuals like to swim, especially in the heat. Many reptiles stomp in the bowl and then walk around on the mineral feed. Water can be sprayed on the walls of the terrarium. Your pet might enjoy licking the drops off the glass.

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