Eastern Hercules Beetle Grub

[brandon1]

Has anyone ever heard of the Eastern Hercules Beetle (Dynastes tityus)? I am interested in feeding the larvae to my Veiled but I can't find much info on them. I want to know if they're safe for him to eat as far as their nutritional content. What percentage levels of protein, moisture, calcium etc. do they consist of? And has anyone ever tried feeding these grubs to their Chams?

 

[pssh]

I would keep it! A lot of people like those as pets and pay for them.

 

[brandon1]

I actually already fed it off to some chickens. It was in the larval stage and I've found dozens at a time in logs when splitting wood or uprooting a stump. I'm just real concerned with their inner contents. I've read the theories, or maybe they're proof now, about high protein diets causing gout in chameleons, and these grubs just struck me as a high protein grub. If they are high in protein I'm wondering if it's because of their diet, and, if so, could I convert them to a fruit and veggie diet to lower the protein level to a safer percentage. Like I said I can't find much info on them.

 

[Solid Snake]

I believe the risk is in high ANIMAL protein.
If there is nothing toxic in the grub, then it is feedable.
If it has high vegitative-sourced protein, it will just be a healthy feeder.
If its low, it will be an unhealthy feeder

What do these grubs/beetles eat?

 

[brandon1]

The actual beetles have been observed eating the bark/sap from Ash Trees and rotten fruit. The grubs are placed into rotting trees where they typically eat the rotten wood, but have been known to eat rotten fruit and other decaying plant matter. Hearing that the grubs also ate rotten fruit made me think that I could give them a complete diet of fresh fruit and veggies, but I still don't know if they are naturally high in protein and if I was to change their diet to strictly fruits and veggies if it would lower their protein level at all. BTW what did you mean by "high ANIMAL protein" and "high-vegitative sourced protein"?

 

[Solid Snake]

The actual beetles have been observed eating the bark/sap from Ash Trees and rotten fruit. The grubs are placed into rotting trees where they typically eat the rotten wood, but have been known to eat rotten fruit and other decaying plant matter. Hearing that the grubs also ate rotten fruit made me think that I could give them a complete diet of fresh fruit and veggies, but I still don't know if they are naturally high in protein and if I was to change their diet to strictly fruits and veggies if it would lower their protein level at all. BTW what did you mean by "high ANIMAL protein" and "high-vegitative sourced protein"?

Thats interesting.
Im no expert, but they sound nutritious.
Protein can have different sources.
Animal protein is different from plant protein.
Again I am not an expert, but its just my understanding that the only issue from feeding a high protein diet, is if it is from animal protein.
Spyrulina(?) Is like pure vege-protein, and is largely in gutloading.
I will try to find somthing concrete to reference too...

 

[brandon1]

Yea you see I read an article a while back about gout and high protein diets and gutloading, and how they were all connected. If I remember correctly the gout came from roaches and crickets that were gutloaded with high protein diets and then being directly fed to chameleons. The roaches, more than the crickets, retained a lot of the protein and it built up into their systems and gave them a high percentage of protein.

 

[Solid Snake]

You mean this?
http://www.forums.repashy.com/diets-live-foods-supplements/38413-roach-revolution-revelation-theory-about-reptile-gout.html
It does state that roaches deal with excess protein buildup by turning it to uric acid, which causes gout.
I was under the impression it was just animal proteins that had this effect.
I guess it is all protein maybe.

 

[brandon1]

Yep that's the article, just on a different website than what I remember. I've decided to try these grubs as a feeder. I figure by harvesting them from wood and placing them in a 16 quart tub and filling it with organic soil, and only feeding them fresh fruits and veggies I'll be able to boost their nutritional value. The worse that I could figure would happen is they'd refuse to eat and die off, but it would be worth going through the process because the grubs get massive. If you haven't seen one think of a thicker, white, curled up Hornworm; they are easily as big if not bigger.