# Crickets for Leopard Geckos



## burrow (Nov 5, 2007)

I'm getting a leopard gecko after xmas and i was just wondering a few things about the crickets!

First of all, i read somewhere that there are crickets that are quiet and dont make a sound like others that u can feed them. If so what are they as i would really prefer to have quiet ones.

Also, how long do crickets survive? I'm tring to get an idea of how many to buy at one time and how long they will last. Ideally i want a baby gecko, so i wasnt sure if its best to buy in bulk, saving me going to the shop all the time, or whether its better to buy a few at a time.

Any help would be great. Thanks!

Beccy


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## Akua_Ko_Nalu (Feb 15, 2007)

First of all, they are simply called Silent Crickets, although I'm not so sure they actually are silent on experience! :rotfl:

And as for their lifespan, if you throw in a few vegetables every few days to gut load the crickets they will last until your Leo gobbles them all up!


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## labmad (Sep 23, 2007)

I wouldn't buy on bulk for a baby gecko to be honest, especially if it's all new to you......best thing I think would be to buy 2 or 3 tubs and see how you go........as for keeping them alive, I have the cricket keeper plastic boxes, and for food the crix get fish flakes or crushed weetabix or the cricket diet stuff......I did use salad leaves but found they STANK the room out .......also put some cotton wool balls that have been wet under the tap and this will keep the crix hydrated with no risk of them drowning 

Lastly, you'd be wanting brown crickets as these I believe are the silent ones, whereas the blacks make the noise :

Hope this helps

cheers


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## RachelGC (Jul 24, 2007)

my gecko eats the silent ones, they are called silent brown crickets and they're very lightly coloured - the pet shop will show you which ones they are.

HOWEVER having said that, i have experienced that if you are keeping the crickets for a while they grown and when they're nearly adult size they do actually make noises, not as loud as a black cricket would but they do it when they're nearly full size.

You might want to feed your baby gecko on mealsworms and crickets, for a bit of variety and so it doesn't become a fussy eater.

if you get meal worms and have had them for a while, you might notice them starting to turn in to beetles - these are still fine to feed to your gecko.

I agreed that you ought to start with tubs of food, pet shops noramlly do 3 tubs for £4.50 or somehting like that.

Hope this helps :2thumb:


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## RachelGC (Jul 24, 2007)

oh yeah and i forgot to add, all live food must be gut loaded (fed fruit and veg) before given to the gecko otherwise it's just like feeding an empty shell to your gecko :2thumb:


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## vicky1804 (Dec 12, 2006)

My leo is only 4 months old and Iv found buying a tub at a time works best.
My boy also has a bowl of mealie's available at all times, but iv been advised to not feed them to my leo once they have turned to beetle.They arnt ment to taste very nice.
I kept my meali's in the shed for 3 weeks and recently moved them to the house.Iv had them about 4 weeks and iv got no bettles yet


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## burrow (Nov 5, 2007)

Cool thanks =)


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## Rainwater (Apr 18, 2007)

Mind you, some geckos (especially if they're adults/sub adults) sometimes like to be troublesome and refuse new colours/breeds of crickets.

For example, my Blizzard leopard gecko will ONLY eat black crickets, she turns her nose up at browns/bandeds yet the rest will eat a mixture of all three breeds quite happily!!

If you get a juvenile, you shouldn't have too much problem but the pet shop or breeder will usually always tell you what they have been fed on so far


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## bev336 (May 10, 2007)

Most of mine prefer hoppers and I just can' t get them on mealies.


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