Can chameleons eat the evolved state of their feeders?

[Amanda.lynn]

So I went a little crazy ordering different bugs.
1. Waxworms- Phillip doesn't really like them. He won't eat them. Do you think he'll eat the moth version? Can he?

2. Superworms- ordered way too many. I have like three cups of them in the drawer. A few have gone to.pupa state. Will he eat the beetles if they make it?

3. Crickets- still can't get him to eat them. he's been eating dubias and hornworms mostly. A few superworms. A stick bug the other day that I had to pay too much for lol. I think they inteded it as a pet not a feeder.....IDK...
I was just like "here's your steak and potatoes you diva"

 

[GregJD]

I have had supers forever, and I have never seen them morph. Are you sure you are using superworms and not mealworms? Or am I just lucky? They can eat moths, mine has eaten black soldier flies and been fine. I think it is a rare thing for it to be edible in 1 phase and not in another. The only thing I am careful about is wild feeders with pesticides. I always go through my yard and pick up some good grasshoppers before I fertilize and use mosquito spray. Also, we have wild horn-worms in my area, but they usually feed on tomatoes , so they are off the food list completely. Wild food is the best and cheapest way to get variety.

https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/food/

This site is the best chameleon site. My big guy is a pet-store lizard as well as my first reptile. He is also the only one of his clutch that is still alive, according to the same pet store (They were shocked when I offered an update on him). It usually has a post about everything you may need to know. That is a link to the food one. Good luck!

 

[jamest0o0]

Waxworms you rarely, if ever, want to feed. I actually prefer to let them morph into moths to feed off.

Are you sure they're not mealworms? Superworms don't pupate near other superworms. Ive had them turn to beetles in my enclosures. Never fed them off, I've heard chams don't like them, though I haven't tried myself.

If he's eating roaches keep that way, I don't feed crickets at all, most parasites and infections come from crickets it seems. I use different roach species for variety.

 

[Amanda.lynn]

Yeah the crickets I got looked shitty. Like they were probably sour from cannibalization and basic feed. He reeeally likes hornworms. Phillip is a little underweight still so I thought he could use some fatty things. He doesn't like candy I guess.

 

[Amanda.lynn]

I reeeeeeeealllllly really really don't like roaches. Really really. Dubias aren't that bad but I have flying giant roaches where I'm from. Traumatized.

 

[absolutbill]

Wax moths are good - they aren't as fatty as the worms, and the flying usually can entice a picky eater to shoot it out of the air. Can you send a pic of your superworm so we know that it's not a mealworm? I've never fed off the superworm beetles, I just feel like there is way too much chitin for my comfort levels. Periodically I'll have one turn to a beetle and be roaming around the bottom of the cage, but I've never had a cham go after it. It's almost like having a child, I think, where you just try different foods to see what they will decide they like today

 

[jamest0o0]

@absolutbill Haha I prefer the route of, if you're not eating what's on the menu, you're not eating.

 

[Amanda.lynn]

It was definitely a superworms. I threw out the pupa because according to pictures it looked dead. It was dark. They kind of look like kakuna from Pokemon without the face and arms. They turn into a beetle, not a moth. I should have saved a pic. My superworms took a while to get to me and they were all huuuuge.

 

[jamest0o0]

Mealworms don't turn to moths

 

[Amanda.lynn]

Here are the worms themselves though

 

[Amanda.lynn]

No they were talking about the wax worms I believe.