Mealworm Article by Dr. Danny Brown

I just wanted to share some information that I think is important for everyone who feeds mealworms.

http://www.geckodan.com/articles/Pros%20and%20Cons%20of%20Mealworms.pdf

crickets have 55.3% of protein?
i dont think so...

At least not on the diets we feed them.

dubia roaches are the best thing that you can feed a leopad gecko as a staple diet....especially if you only feed one type. it is better to vary if at all possible. i know some breeders who feed mealworms only, and have done so for twenty plus years, and he produces some of the nicest leopards in existance...they are insectivorous, so they are not really that complex as far as what they need in thier diet...i understand not all insects are equal in terms of nutrition and different qualities, but it is what it is, and it is not rocket science. if you are looking for the best thing to feed almost any insectivorous reptile is the dubia roach, hands down.

edit* ...one breeder i know in particular has fed only mealies for 20+ years, and he produces some of the nicest stuff out there, and all are VERY HEALTHY. suppliments, although not overdone, are very important.

Hmmm.... I think they do benefit from eating the more nutritious bugs. When they're small, mealworms are OK, but when they are starting to breed and are adults, I think they do better on roaches and crickets. Breeding females especially need good nutritious bugs. Just like some people can eat pizzas and other junk food all the time with no ill effects and live to be 100 and some falls ill eatin' them.

Crickets are the worse to feed a gecko. Not as far as health but as far as girth. I can actually tell what a person is feeding their gecko based on the size of their gecko. Crickets make a gecko look skinny. Then there are mealworms that put the gecko at a healthy more body proportionate size. In my opinion the best to use are super worms because super worms continue to give a good amount of fat content. I have tried dubias at one point in time and still I return back to supers. The choice is to each is own but I honestly suggest Supers.

i agree with you again chaz... my geckos will NEVER get crickets! i feed mealies and dubia roaches...alot of poeple like the supers too.

and eating more nutritious insects is OBVIOUSLY better for them, that is why so many people over suppliment, because they feed crappy feeders, or simply dont understand how their digestive systems utilize the nutrients in thier food.

Being chubby and obese is not the same thing. You can be really skinny and be very sick like my friend. Being chubby would be like a football player who can do rigirous excercise for hours on end more than a lot of skinny people could. Obese is unhealthy which is morbidly overweight. Having a little body fat isn't so bad. I've heard some people can smoke and still live a long life while others get sick really quickly and die. I think it's the same thing with mealworms.

overwieght animals often die from fatty liver disease too, and make really crappy breeders.

Mine bred just fine and i feed them mostly dubias and crickets. Mine weren't very fat when I fed them crickets...they have very good body weight and fat tails. In fact, they started packing on more weight right after I feed them the dubia roaches.

Here is an artical on fatty liver disease about myth and facts about this disease: http://www.anapsid.org/heplipidosis.html

The misconception continues. A bigger framed leo does not mean it's healthier than a smaller one. Some are naturally smaller framed no matter what you feed. They will only get wider and end up obese. There are so many keepers that believe their geckos are so healthy yet in reality the geckos are overweight. To switch from roaches to superworms is a bad move.

Why a diet of one insect? I find that sad.

What i mean is robust looking animals. That's the word: robust. And I think some people think that the skinnier you are the healthier you are. That's not necessarily true. IF you are very heavy, that would be a different story. But I football player could put you and I to shame when it comes to sports and doing hard physical work.

My comment was not towards yours I gave you the thumbs up on your dubias and crickets comment.

oh i know, nor was my last one towards you ...it is just funny how alot of people dont see the obvious. to argue about this is moot to me, i have been doing this along time, and understand alot about reptile diet, nutrition, and how each is affected on the body. it is better to have an 'athletic' animal with good body mass. i think probably 90 percent of EVERYONE that keeps reptiles overfeeds them. i have done TONS of research, and spent years and years studying and doing different testing as far as different amounts of foods and how the animals react to different feeding schedules, and different amounts of food9(among alot of other studies with reptiles). i worked very closely with a college professor that was a science and animal genius, literally. i learned ALOT from him and his work. i could honestly write a book on it. it is all irrelevent when you tell someone who already 'knows it all'. and no matter how much research and study is done on the subject, some people will just never listen, as they already know it all. i am not talking to, or about anyone in this thread, i am just gerneralizing. but again, there is alot to it, but there is not alot to figuring out a good feeding regime for your reptiles. common sense, and learning your animals, along with experience goes along way.

A bit confused:oops: The quote and edit button does not seem to work for me. Maybe it's time to read the FAQ section.

There are just too many details to take in consideration when it comes to feeding: age, frequency, temperatures, housing space, ect. I just wish every owner would take some time to educate themselves in regards to feeder nutrition and comparison. It's obvious the first few years they will appear healthy with a ton of fat, but it's almost guaranteed to shorten their lifespan.

I didn't mean to say that you. I'm sorry! Anyway, it couldn't hurt to feed them more nutritious preys.

i agree. and dont worry about offending me, or thinking i may take something wrong...no worries here, i take things for what they are...if im wrong or stupid, i admit it, and move on. it seems some people can read things wrong, or just take them wrong...or think something was directed at them, when it was not...i have done it myself. its all good. i have just read something where someone thought i was being snippy, when i only posted what i saw, and what was obvious to me...just because someone may disagree with something posted, does not mean that they are attacking someone! lol, oh well, i guess it happens, and im sure it will happen again. i just post what i see, i have no reason to attack or belittle ANYONE, as i am no better than anyone else. we are all equals, at least in my eyes. so it is what it is...i just wanna help others out, and learn as much as i can, to help myself, and others make this hobby, or way of life, as good as possible...ya know!

I agree. Take it all with a grain of salt lol. Live and learn. We all had to start somewhere.

lol gotta love writing over the internet. It seem most comments get misconstrued.