Feeding nightcrawlers/worms

jamest0o0

jamest0o0

Chameleon Enthusiast
I've been looking into some high-moisture foods for my chameleon while he's indoors because he only gets the shower for water ATM. I'm going to set up a dripper, but I will be shocked if he even looks at it. So I was looking up feeders with the highest moisture, and nightcrawlers were the only ones to have the same amount as hornworms. Hornworms would be cool, but they are a pain to grow large enough while also feeding them as a regular staple every other day. I'd have to buy so many, while wasting half of them at the same time.

So back to nightcrawlers, we've all heard the fear of parasites, or maybe heavy metals from contaminated soil. Has anyone ever experienced anything bad from them though? Many other animals eat them without trouble. I've heard chameleons in some areas will crawl to the ground to eat them after a rain(can't confirm this TBH).
 
Most Chams don't like Nightcrawlers (the slime?). What specie is your cham? If it's a Jacksons, they love snails, which are high in moisture.

Other species of cham will readily eat Silkworms.

My Jacksons won't even look at dripped/sprayed water..but his urates are as white as snow; how you ask? The fogger. I have it on for 30 minutes during the night when he's asleep, and 30 minutes before lights go on...and like I said, he's urates are ALWAYS white. They acquire an incredible percentage of moisture via breathing it in...
 
Bush baby said:
My Jacksons won't even look at dripped/sprayed water..but his urates are as white as snow; how you ask? The fogger. I have it on for 30 minutes during the night when he's asleep, and 30 minutes before lights go on...and like I said, he's urates are ALWAYS white. They acquire an incredible percentage of moisture via breathing it in...
Click to expand...
Yeah... too much moisture. the urates are not supposed to be white as snow, you are overhydrating.
 
I have always steered people away from earth type worms because I couldn’t think of a scenario where an arborist reptile would encounter them. I have no strong evidence they are harmful or harmless perhaps others do.
I only know of one person who speaks of over hydration and have yet to see Ill effects such as diabetes insipitus or plural effusion. If anyone has I would love to read the case study.
 
I have read that some have had success feeding nightcrawlers and then others would eat them and spit them out. IMO they will not harm the cham but it's a matter if they will eat them or not.
 
Bush baby said:
Most Chams don't like Nightcrawlers (the slime?). What specie is your cham? If it's a Jacksons, they love snails, which are high in moisture.

Other species of cham will readily eat Silkworms.

My Jacksons won't even look at dripped/sprayed water..but his urates are as white as snow; how you ask? The fogger. I have it on for 30 minutes during the night when he's asleep, and 30 minutes before lights go on...and like I said, he's urates are ALWAYS white. They acquire an incredible percentage of moisture via breathing it in...
Click to expand...

I was going to say, aren't snails slimey though lol. I have a parsons, he will sometimes eat snails, but I could see him not going crazy for worms. He's even picky with hornworms/silkworms/etc.

I know about fogging, but I can't where he's kept. The room is too small and the humidity skyrockets.
 
I have red wigglers in with my flower beetle grubs. Parasite risk for them should be very low because they've been reproducing captively. They apparently give off a foul tasting secretion so some animals reject them though. Guess no harm trying...
 
JacksJill said:
I have always steered people away from earth type worms because I couldn’t think of a scenario where an arborist reptile would encounter them. I have no strong evidence they are harmful or harmless perhaps others do.
I only know of one person who speaks of over hydration and have yet to see Ill effects such as diabetes insipitus or plural effusion. If anyone has I would love to read the case study.
Click to expand...

Not saying you're wrong, I understand the logic. I think most of what we feed is probably unlikely to cross our chameleon's though. Superworms, bsfl, silk/hornworms, even roaches. I tend to think that just because they normally wouldn't have access to something, doesn't mean it wouldn't have nutritional value. It actually doesn't seem all that uncommon for chams to go hunt around the ground either.
 
Ive had no trouble feeding left overs from the bait jar, nor troubles just getting the big night crawlers from the pavement after the rain. However ive never fed them to chameleons, only "dragons". Technically the tongue doesnt "stick" but still it would be an epic battle lol.
 
Bush baby said:
???????????????....What color should they be?
Click to expand...

Well its not really a "goal"

Feed to0 many of a certain roach, and it will be dyed a bit orangish no matter the hydration level
Feed alot of caterpillars, and it will be as runny as bird poop

But at the end of the day its like having a pet human. They dont have to be peeing clear 100% of the time, but a large stint of yellow pee for a few days is cause for concern.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

C
Food ideas for young, shy chameleon
Replies
4
Views
114
MissSkittles
MissSkittles
Alex7383
Chameleon refusing to eat, super active and losing fear of me.
Replies
6
Views
220
pascalpappi
pascalpappi
linkcraft
Only eating one food
Replies
1
Views
399
MissSkittles
MissSkittles
sketchtone
not eating still :/
2
Replies
36
Views
2K
Beman
Beman
sketchtone
My happy boy!
Replies
1
Views
241
BleuSaphir
BleuSaphir
Back
Top Bottom