Feeding an earwig

[Pearl Fields]

Can I feed my chameleon an earwig?? Just caught it inside I’m the house
Are the pincher things on them dangerous?

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

I don't know that the jury is unanimous, but the question's been discussed here quite a few times.
Try the archives and/or google.
can chameleons eat earwigs

 

[Pearl Fields]

Ok you know what, I won’t feed it just to be safe. I put it in with my crickets as clean up crew. (Hopefully that’s ok ?) and it seems to be eating the dead crickets!!!

 

[Beman]

Ehhhhh I would not put it in with your crickets... I would not feed it either.

 

[Beman]

For example.... This is why I stick to bought feeders and why I do not put in other bugs that have the potential to cross contaminate my feeders... I am not skilled enough in what can transmit to other feeders and what can then pass on to our chams but I choose to be very cautious....
https://bugguide.net/node/view/135571

 

[jackthejellydragon]

I also recommend not feeding it. You don't know where it has been.

 

[Pearl Fields]

Ok thanks yeah didn’t think about cross contamination ?

 

[TimothyOnTop]

For example.... This is why I stick to bought feeders and why I do not put in other bugs that have the potential to cross contaminate my feeders... I am not skilled enough in what can transmit to other feeders and what can then pass on to our chams but I choose to be very cautious....
https://bugguide.net/node/view/135571

Very good information

 

[jamest0o0]

With respect to the points above, many of us have chameleons outside that regularly eat wild insects. @Brodybreaux25 from what I remember, would almost exclusively feed his chams 100% wild caught insects in Louisiana and never had a problem. Also, many insects will carry parasites, that doesn't mean it will/can infect your chameleon(I'm no parasite expert either, just a basic understanding). If parasites are a worry my suggestion would be to stop feeding crickets as they're the most responsible by a longshot lol.

Earwigs feed on dead things. My cham eats them occasionally because a wild colony of them live in his feeder bin(it's a big cage). They've been there 2 years and he's had no problems. To be fair though, you don't know what it was getting into in your house, I'd actually prefer to feed things that have only been outside in the woods and wherever.

 

[Pearl Fields]

With respect to the points above, many of us have chameleons outside that regularly eat wild insects. @Brodybreaux25 from what I remember, would almost exclusively feed his chams 100% wild caught insects in Louisiana and never had a problem. Also, many insects will carry parasites, that doesn't mean it will/can infect your chameleon(I'm no parasite expert either, just a basic understanding). If parasites are a worry my suggestion would be to stop feeding crickets as they're the most responsible by a longshot lol.

Earwigs feed on dead things. My cham eats them occasionally because a wild colony of them live in his feeder bin(it's a big cage). They've been there 2 years and he's had no problems. To be fair though, you don't know what it was getting into in your house, I'd actually prefer to feed things that have only been outside in the woods and wherever.

Parasites and crickets... hmmmm... well I would love to stop feeding crickets BUT Stormy LOVES them. ??? it’s a shame that crickets are his favorites

 

[snitz427]

I recall reading an article that discussed the nutritional value of “outside” bugs, in that insects exposed to natural sunlight and UVB process nutrients differently (just as our chams do with proper UVB (calcium, vit a, etc). An “outside” insect would be able to better absorb nutrients like vitamin A and pass it on to the predator (cham, bird, etc) that eats them.

I suspect outside bugs “smell” differently, as I get a more enthusiastic reaction from my chameleons when i feed them an insect thats been outside vs inside. Same bugs - I have kept several of my feeders both inside and outside in my greenhouse.

 

[JoXie411]

I feed earwigs to my willsii and haven’t had any problems so far

 

[Pearl Fields]

I feed earwigs to my willsii and haven’t had any problems so far

Do you get rid of the pincer things?

 

[Pearl Fields]

I recall reading an article that discussed the nutritional value of “outside” bugs, in that insects exposed to natural sunlight and UVB process nutrients differently (just as our chams do with proper UVB (calcium, vit a, etc). An “outside” insect would be able to better absorb nutrients like vitamin A and pass it on to the predator (cham, bird, etc) that eats them.

I suspect outside bugs “smell” differently, as I get a more enthusiastic reaction from my chameleons when i feed them an insect thats been outside vs inside. Same bugs - I have kept several of my feeders both inside and outside in my greenhouse.

Interesting

 

[JoXie411]

Do you get rid of the pincer things?

No I leave them on, kinda mean to rip there butt off right b4 I feed them lol

I have them living in there enclosures as well, when they were living outside a colony moved into the bins.

 

[Hibiscusmile]

I hate those things, seen one not to long ago in my Bugatorium and killed it right away while going oooohhhhh!