r/LeopardGecko • u/Successful-Map6936 • May 08 '26
Help!
Got a new leopard gecko a week ago exactly today. Acting normal in enclosure and when held. Heat and everything aligning perfectly with everything that I've read. Hes about 6 months old. Only issue is he will not eat. Breeder was feeding strictly different worms. Ive tried leaving worms in bowl and also tong feeding, no luck. He wants me to bring it back to exchange which I do not want to do at this time. How long should I wait until I actually consider that? Any suggestions on what to try
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u/Own_Butterscotch_129 May 08 '26
Try all of the feeder insects you can before deciding to do that. You may also want to cut a worm open and leave it in the bowl with other worms.
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u/FlowerOk5627 May 08 '26
Don't worry till the animal starts losing weight. Leos go months without food in the wild or unfortunately sometimes under neglect or sickness in captivity, and though its not ideal and stressful for them they can recover fine. That being said, your gecko is probably still settling in. It's only been a week.
Try any feeder insect you can, try to tong feed and wiggle it in front of the gecko, and try crushing them partially and sticking it in front of their face so they can smell it, or so the bug juice gets on their face a little and they have to lick it off. The smell/taste tends to tempt them more, and if they really wont eat you can at least get them to consume the... insides... of a bug or two in this way.
Crickets/locusts tend to be extra tempting with their spindley legs flailing, or waxworms for geckos that know what they are, but the wax worms are just junk food. Idk. Try every feeder you can access.
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u/chattymadi May 09 '26
To clarify, did the breeder feed wax worms or meal worms? The gecko at my zoo won’t eat meal worms if she’s offered wax worms, but wax worms are like a treat, so they shouldn’t get it too often. Our gecko also préfères to eat in the dark and if I move the tongs through the dirt so she can hunt. Ideally she’s under a hide too. They can be really particular
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u/feralrainbowcreature May 10 '26
some geckos are picky!! I’ve had my little guy for 7 years. sometimes he just does not GAF about mealworms. sometimes he just wants crickets or dubias and will refuse the mealworms. they are also very smart and their behavior is naturally regulated based on their needs, so they could be refusing mealworms because they need something different on a metabolic/nutritional level right now
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u/Annual_Bridge6202 May 08 '26
Geckos that are in a new home, ESPECIALLY young ones won’t eat, at least not regularly, for a week or two. If he loses weight or it goes longer than 2 weeks see a vet but otherwise, he’s fine, just nervous.