Feeding hornworms

[Thebigman2001]

My male veiled chameleons is now about 8 months old and he is starting to get bigger. When can I start feeding him hornworms? I know they are healthy. But I also heard they can bite. What do I do about that?

 

[MSMorgan]

You can feed horns. Not sure about the biting. I've never heard or had a issue with them and have been feeding them since Lucky was about 6 mo. When you order, ask for smaller ones. Rainbow meal worms has a selection of smaller horns:

http://www.rainbowmealworms.net/hornworms

25 +/- to the cup for $8 + shipping.

 

[Virgil1972]

I have never heard of hornworms biting. If you have a smaller cham I would be careful not to order to much because they can grow fast.

 

[Bush baby]

Yes, they grow really fast. I would buy the least amount possible. Most of the chams i've had ate one or two and then refused the rest, same with silk worms. Each cham is different so it won't hurt to try these out….

 

[ChamDE86]

Hornworms do have mandibles, which they will use to bite. The small-medium worms won't do any damage, but the big ones pack a heck of a pinch that can definitely hurt your chameleon if it happens to latch on to a sensitive area. My cham found that out when he shot his tongue and grabbed the tail end first. The hornworm whipped around and grabbed right onto the skin of his neck area causing him to freak out, lol. He wasn't injured or anything and still loves his hornworms. All in all, you should be fine 99% of the time.

Just to add some additional advice...NEVER feed wild caught hornworms as they have more than likely consumed tomato plants, which is toxic and can kill your chameleon.

 

[MSMorgan]

Hornworms do have mandibles, which they will use to bite. The small-medium worms won't do any damage, but the big ones pack a heck of a pinch that can definitely hurt your chameleon if it happens to latch on to a sensitive area. My cham found that out when he shot his tongue and grabbed the tail end first. The hornworm whipped around and grabbed right onto the skin of his neck area causing him to freak out, lol.

Very interesting information. I did not know that using small to med horns. Something to watch out for as they get bigger. Thank you.