How Many Woodies to Feed Your Reptile | Feeding Guide
While there's no one-size-fits-all with reptiles, and your judgement is usually best, we can identify some rough guidelines that are helpful to keep in mind as you plan your feeding routine.
This guide breaks down practical feeding amounts by reptile type. For the full care picture, see our woodie care guide.
Quick takeaway: A common guideline is to feed only what your reptile finishes in about 5-10 minutes, sized appropriately for its head — juveniles often need more frequent feeds, while adults need fewer.
General Feeding Rule
A simple, reliable rule across most insectivorous reptiles: offer only as much as your reptile will actively eat in one sitting, and size each woodie no larger than the space between your reptile's eyes.
Feeding Frequency vs Quantity
Frequency and quantity work together - a reptile fed more often needs fewer woodies per sitting, and one fed less often needs more per sitting to get the same weekly intake. Most keepers find it easier to keep frequency consistent and adjust quantity as their reptile grows. Though this can vary across species.
How Many Woodies by Reptile Type
- Bearded dragons: Juveniles typically take 10–20+ small woodies per feeding session; adults do better with 5–10 larger woodies, fed less frequently, as salads will become their main diet when mature.
- Geckos: Most gecko species take around 4–8 appropriately sized woodies per feeding.
- Skinks: Skinks will usually eat less insects then dragon species, usually we feed 5-10 in a sitting.
- Other insectivores: As a general guide, feed until your reptile stops actively hunting or eating, typically within a 5-10 minute window.
Juvenile vs Adult Feeding
Juveniles are growing and burning energy quickly, so they usually need smaller woodies offered more often. Adults have slower metabolisms and are more prone to weight gain, so their feeds should be larger but less frequent, sized to their slower energy needs rather than their appetite alone.
Try leaving an adult beardie alone with a tub of woodies for 5-10 minutes and you'll quickly realise the common rule of 'as much as they'll eat in a 5-10min window' isn't always a smart idea. They'll quickly overeat and put on excess weight. It's important to use your judgement based on the condition of your reptile.
Signs You Are Overfeeding
Leftover woodies for a young dragon after 5 minutes, noticeable weight gain, or a reptile that's becoming less interested in food. Scale back the quantity before cutting frequency.
Signs You Are Underfeeding
Noticable loss of weight of decreased energy. It's a good idea to track weight over a few weeks if you're unsure.
Are Woodies Easy to Portion
Yes — woodies come in a range of sizes, which makes matching portions to your reptile's size straightforward without needing to size-sort a batch yourself. If you're deciding between woodies and other feeders for portion control, our guide to choosing the best feeder insects for Australian reptiles compares the options, and woodies vs. dubia roaches looks specifically at how the two compare for portioning and feeding response.
Choosing the Right Size
Reptifauna ships live woodies across Australia (excl. WA & TAS) in a range of sizes, so you can match sizing to your reptile without extra sorting:
Browse the full range in our woodies collection.
Final Thoughts
Portion size comes down to species, age, and size — feed only what's finished in one sitting, but don't always let your reptile eat as much as they want. Size woodies to be smaller than the space between your reptiles eyes, and adjust as it grows.
For full day-to-day care, see our woodie care guide, or browse the complete guide to feeder insects in Australia to compare all your options.