scott52019
Member
I know they are illegal... but I went to narbc and they had some but were sold out. If you can't buy them anywhere, is there an easy way to catch them wild?
Any way or place to buy katydids and grasshoppers in the U.S.?
- Thread starter scott52019
- Start date
jpowell86
Chameleon Enthusiast
I catch all mine wild. I have about 150 acres to collect mine on that I know isn't touched by pesticides or anything negative. That's the key. What NARBC did you go to where they were selling them? I know shipping them is a no no, but I thought selling them was illegal as well. If not I'll be setting up a booth at the next NARBC here lol. I'll be sold out in ten minutes.
scott52019
Member
There is a park close to me (I live in Illinois) that might have them but I'm not sure if they would be touched by pesticides. I think the only way to know is if I keep them and successfully breed them (which I don't know how hard that is because they hibernate). I don't know if I'm going but I went to Tinley last October. Where do you tend to find them in the wild? Do you sell locusts?
jpowell86
Chameleon Enthusiast
I have never sold them and where I am...they are everywhere. I just go out at night with a flash light. They like to sleep on the large blades of wild grass here. Very easy to collect them that way. I need to look into that further. I wonder if something has changed allowing them to be sold. If I could get a definitive answer, I would have no problem with sending them to people who can't get them.
scott52019
Member
They're illegal here because of pests, I'm assuming, which sucks cuz that's not what I'm using them for. Somehow they're readily available in Europe as subsitutes for crickets which doesn't really make sense. If you could LEGALLY send some to me that would be awesome! I worry that I won't be able to find them.
jajeanpierre
Chameleon Enthusiast
What's the biggest you feed to say a 60g chameleon? I fed all the adult wild caughts full grown katydids--I figured they had enough experience to figure out what they could or could not eat. I'm not so sure I want to give the captive hatched babies full grown ones.
jpowell86
Chameleon Enthusiast
I attached some pictures for size reference. I collect as many meadow katydids as I can in the range of about 1" - 2" long. The large leaf katydid are my Melleri's favorite. They will literally run...well their version of running...to get to them.
Lazereth
Avid Member
Yum Yum!
jajeanpierre
Chameleon Enthusiast
Cato's mother LOVES them. She eats the ones that are about the size of little mice. I don't know if it is because they are green or because they are wild caught. I've always felt they are more excited for wild caught insects, even the stick bugs.
jpowell86
Chameleon Enthusiast
Agreed.
jajeanpierre
Chameleon Enthusiast
Did you think it was because the wild-caught bugs were new and different? Were more green? Did you think that the wild-caught insects just looked more vital to them? Did your captive-breds show the same extra enthusiasm as the wild caught chameleons did?
Cato's mom, she's a tough old girl!
jpowell86
Chameleon Enthusiast
I love that picture!!
I think their vibrant green colorations are definitely a trigger. My captive-bred chameleons love them and I can most certainly see that they become a preferred item, but even though they prefer them, I do not see the same enthusiasm as I witness in my wild-caught specimens.
jajeanpierre
Chameleon Enthusiast
That's what I thought I was seeing. If it was a wild-caught insect, they were super excited. Many of the wild stick bugs I feed are brown--as you can see in the picture--so it isn't just the color. I get an instant excited reaction when I put a wild-caught insect in the cage. I wonder if it is in the UV color range. I don't know if it is just the better quality food a wild insect eats or it has to do with the fact a wild insect gets natural sunlight.
KLowery88
Avid Member
That's a pretty interesting hypothesis actually. I'm in the process of setting up a cage for a Pink Winged Stick Insect colony, and would be interesting to see if having the cage outside or putting UVB on them makes any difference to chameleon attention.
jajeanpierre
Chameleon Enthusiast
I have my stick bugs in an Exo-Terra with a ZooMed LED plus UVB fixture on top. I don't run the UVB but I've thought about it.
jpowell86
Chameleon Enthusiast
I have never thought about that.
Common sense points you to believe that chameleons are drawn to insects that could physically reach the areas that they inhabit. Interestingly enough, my Melleri prefer feeders that are capable of flight. Absolutely zero of them will eat a dubia. Is that simply because they are wild caught and just don't recognize this species?? I don't know. They also will not eat hornworms. But, their favorite treat is the hawkmoth. Now, the hawkmoths of Tanzania favor the appearance of what we are used to. But, the caterpillar of the hawkmoths of Tanzania look far different. But, no matter whether it is a katydid or some form of grasshopper, they are always readily accepted. It is almost as if it is programmed in most chameleons that they are a main food source. I have kept chameleon for over 17 years and to date, I have never had a chameleon turn down a katydid.
I am curious too about the direction that Janet is going with her thinking. I have never thought about whether wild-caught insects present some sort of detectable vitality that draws a chameleon's interest. It would make sense.
Common sense points you to believe that chameleons are drawn to insects that could physically reach the areas that they inhabit. Interestingly enough, my Melleri prefer feeders that are capable of flight. Absolutely zero of them will eat a dubia. Is that simply because they are wild caught and just don't recognize this species?? I don't know. They also will not eat hornworms. But, their favorite treat is the hawkmoth. Now, the hawkmoths of Tanzania favor the appearance of what we are used to. But, the caterpillar of the hawkmoths of Tanzania look far different. But, no matter whether it is a katydid or some form of grasshopper, they are always readily accepted. It is almost as if it is programmed in most chameleons that they are a main food source. I have kept chameleon for over 17 years and to date, I have never had a chameleon turn down a katydid.
I am curious too about the direction that Janet is going with her thinking. I have never thought about whether wild-caught insects present some sort of detectable vitality that draws a chameleon's interest. It would make sense.
JGuinan007
Avid Member
Why? Where? are Katydids and Grasshoppers illegal?
Lazereth
Avid Member
They are considered a pest in the U.S.
jajeanpierre
Chameleon Enthusiast
I have a big gluttonous veiled that won't touch a dubia even though he eats out of a cup. Have you tried hand feeding the roaches? Mine will get more interested if I hand feed them with their wiggling legs for the chameleon.
Mine all love flying insects best of all. I had Cato's brother--I think outside the other day on an apple tree that was in bloom. There were bees around and he went nuts and snapped one up. I would not expect him to even think of hunting a bee when I am sticking a phone in his face trying to get pictures, but that bee was extremely attractive to him. He also snapped up a butterfly a minute later. Unfortunately, the butterfly must have been one of the really bad tasting or toxic ones because he almost turned himself inside out trying to spit it out.
I believe wild insects have lots of Vitamin A in them since wild caughts are never deficient of Vitamin A but captive chameleons are very frequently Vitamin A deficient. I believe Vitamin A is stored in the insects' eyes. I wonder if the chameleons see something different when they see a wild-caught insect versus a captive one. The reaction is so strong.
jpowell86
Chameleon Enthusiast
I actually hand feed and cup feed all my chameleons. Still, I can get no interest in the dubia.
I too have an apple tree outside where I like to let my chameleons sunbathe. I live right on the edge of a lake, so I get all manner of insects. It's extremely interesting to see what insects they choose to eat and what they allow to live.
One of their favorites around my house are the Dobson Flies. They go bananas for them. I don't know if it is how big they are or their movement.....????
They also love the cicadas. Naga eats more than I think he would be able to fit in his stomach! I have never had any go after bees, but I could see the appeal.
