Can Supers be deadly?

[carol5208]

I have to consider the source of where this came from which is a pet store down here in south florida. I found this new place today in my travels and saw a sign that said "feeders". So I stopped in and wanted to see what they had to offer. They had the usual crickets, supers, meal worms. I wanted to get some supers and the guy there told me that you really should break off the heads of superworms before feeding because if the chameleon does not bite it then it will be alive in the stomach and can bite through the lining of the stomach and kill the cham. He said even if the head is bitten off sometimes it will stay alive? I was like say what? Just wondering if this is typical pet store mentality or this guy knows something that I don't! Has any one ever had a cham die from a suspected unchewed superworm? I would love to know. He kinda freaked me out!!

 

[AReptile]

The pet store I frequent told me the same thing except it was about the mealworms, that they can still live in the intestine and eat their way out. I feed them to my bearded dragon though and it hasn't happened yet, She pretty much chews em up.

 

[jmart]

It is a myth. Chameleons chew their prey well anyway, but the acids in their stomachs would do the worms in.
The only problem is if you feed too many, they may get regurgitated.

 

[thechink09]

wow that is pretty scary ! i feed my beardie supers all the time too and i was thinking about getting some smaller ones to see if my cham would like them. but after reading this it really makes me think twice.

 

[laurie]

Someone needs to go online and send this to mythbusters. It just keeps coming up and NO it is not true. Do you really think we would all feed superworms if they would kill our chameleons? Answer NO. Not sure why people are being told this type of trash.

 

[thechink09]

hahahahahaha! ! ! i wonder if they would really test it. it probably wouldnt be too hard. just make a artificial digestive track and throw a worm or two in.

hmmm makes me kinda wanna email them. i bet if this thread got big enough and enough ppl augured it they might consider doing it

 

[carol5208]

Sorry Laurie! I never saw that post on here. I have only been a member for 4 months. I know you have been around alot longer. I was thinking yes, people feed them to their chams but maybe they do chop their heads off like some people pull off the wings of crickets. I just wanted to make sure I am covering all my bases here and not causing harm to my dear little friend. Like I said, it was coming from a pet store employee. They had an Ambanja in there...well I won't even get started on that story.....

 

[beeze]

Some keepers do smash the heads of the superworms before feeding because they do bite and can bite your cham and I have seen pictures of where they damaged the chams eye.

 

[laurie]

Sorry Laurie! I never saw that post on here. I have only been a member for 4 months. I know you have been around alot longer. I was thinking yes, people feed them to their chams but maybe they do chop their heads off like some people pull off the wings of crickets. I just wanted to make sure I am covering all my bases here and not causing harm to my dear little friend. Like I said, it was coming from a pet store employee. They had an Ambanja in there...well I won't even get started on that story.....

It is really ok, you are completely correct, I am old and have been around longer that dirt!!! It is always ok to question anything you are told could hurt your chameleon. I love my chams and never want them hurt, I think all good keepers feel that way. See you are a good keeper, now relax all is well.

 

[carol5208]

Thank you for all the feedback! Yes, in the end we all want to be the best that we can be as keepers!

 

[reptimom]

Hey guys - we should get Chad and Darci to ask Mythbusters about the supers - They are going to get a bunch of feeders from Chad and Darci for a show thats coming up!

 

[Olimpia]

To calm everyone's fears - get a superworm, and drop one or two drops of water on its head. More than likely, it will drown. In TWO drops of water. There is no way that they will survive being chewed, swallowed, and sit in stomach acid. NEVER worry about them chewin their way out. Also, I wouldn't worry about your animal getting bitten. I've seen my reptiles get bitten before because they caught a super by the tail and they learned to aim for the head every single time after that. It's a lesson needed to be learned by them, if you ask me.

However, there is some risk associated with their exoskeletons in digestive tracts, but from what I understand impaction really has more to do with other health factors than the hardness of their prey.

 

[laurie]

Hey guys - we should get Chad and Darci to ask Mythbusters about the supers - They are going to get a bunch of feeders from Chad and Darci for a show thats coming up!

So what are we waiting for??? Let's start asking them.

 

[Syn]

Hey guys - we should get Chad and Darci to ask Mythbusters about the supers - They are going to get a bunch of feeders from Chad and Darci for a show thats coming up!

WOAH, really? Too cool!

 

[carol5208]

So what is Mythbusters exactly?. I understand what the words mean but what do they actually do and who are they?

 

[thechink09]

So what is Mythbusters exactly?. I understand what the words mean but what do they actually do and who are they?

its a TV show on Discovery Channel. they take myths and prove if they are real or not.