VERSION FRANCAISE
C’est un gecko principalement insectivore mais qui est également carnivore. Il se nourrit aussi bien d’insectes que de petits mammifères.
Son met favori reste cependant les grillons.
En captivité, il est conseillé de proposer de temps en temps des souriceaux. Il est préférable de les nourrir tous les deux jours en variant l’alimentation.
Il est également conseillé de laisser dans le terrarium une coupelle de carbonate de calcium. Inutile de leur donner un complément vitaminé trop fréquemment car à forte dose, cela devient nocif
VERSION ANGLAISE
FEEDING THE LEOPARD GECKO:
Leopard geckos in captivity typically do not have access to the selection and variety of feeder insects that they would in the wild. Captive diets typically vary from their wild counterparts in terms of:
The taste of the prey item.
The nutritional value of the prey item.
The overall appearance of the prey item.
Malnutrition in captive leopard geckos is often coupled with high mortality rates, the development of various diseases, health problems, stress and overall poor growth/development/performance. Most nutritional problems seen in geckos result from:
Poor/improper feeding practices.
Imbalanced diets.
Malnourished (ie not properly gut-loaded) prey items.
Unappealing prey items.
Providing the proper diet, environmental and overall husbandry will help to ensure that you are raising a happy and healthy leopard gecko.
Leopard geckos in captivity typically do not have access to the selection and variety of feeder insects that they would in the wild. Captive diets typically vary from their wild counterparts in terms of:
The taste of the prey item.
The nutritional value of the prey item.
The overall appearance of the prey item.
Malnutrition in captive leopard geckos is often coupled with high mortality rates, the development of various diseases, health problems, stress and overall poor growth/development/performance. Most nutritional problems seen in geckos result from:
Poor/improper feeding practices.
Imbalanced diets.
Malnourished (ie not properly gut-loaded) prey items.
Unappealing prey items.
Providing the proper diet, environmental and overall husbandry will help to ensure that you are raising a happy and healthy leopard gecko.
Although leopard geckos do have small teeth, these teeth are not used for the degree of mastication that one sees in mammals for example. They usually end up swallowing their food whole, or at least in large pieces. This is one of the reasons why it is extremely important to choose the most appropriately sized prey item.
These geckos do not have a gizzard and do not purposely swallow small stones (also known as gastroliths) to aid in the mechanical digestion of food.
Saliva found in the mouth is primarily used for lubricating the prey item only and not for actual digestive purposes.
Digestion of food is carried out by various enzymes found in both the stomach and the intestine.
Geckos must be maintained within their Preferred Optimal Temperature Zones for proper digestion of their food.
Underfeeding and Temperatures
Geckos that are underfed in warm environments typically lose weight rather quickly because of increased metabolic rates.
Geckos that are underfed in cooler environments typically lose weight as a result of anorexia and poor digestion.
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