Hornworm question

[ChameleonMom]

I was doing some research on Carpet Chams and read a tidbit about hornworms. It said that ONE medium to large hornworm is the equivalent of 15 crickets (in volume, not nutrition). Does anyone know this to be true?

I have a little veiled female (spayed) who is 100g's and will eat 2 large hornworms in one sitting and while I don't need to monitor her food intake to reduce egg development, I don't want her gorging herself either!

If anyone can chime in on this I'd appreciate it!

 

[nightanole]

They are just bags of water, not much calories or nutrition. if you fed her just hornworms she would starve to death on a full stomach. On the other hand they are great for turning orange poo into runny white.

 

[ChameleonMom]

Thanks, I think I'll cut her back then!

 

[draftgirl]

Great thread. I have a sometimes shy drinker who worries me. 1-2 of those juicy fellows and we are both happy again. Of course he gets a bit cranky when he doesnt get anymore for awhile. Everyone except my Graceful seems to love those worms. She is still convinced they are evil. and here to take over her world.

 

[Psychobunny]

I don't think I'm going to try to raise these guys any more.
When the moth breaks out of its cocoon, they spray this nasty stuff all over the place.
I had them in a terrarium and the inside was covered with this glop!!

Silkies are much cleaner and easier

 

[nick barta]

Silks have the highest % of protein for feeder insects, @ 63% protein. A cricket has about 21% protein. You need 3 times the WEIGHT of crickets to get the same protein into your cham as feeding a silk worm.
I would offer a variety of feeders, but hand feed, or hang the silks on the screen to be sure the cham is getting the silks, the crickets are extra protein, or just fun to hunt.
I would do the same with horn worms, making sure they get their water worms!

 

[pigglett79]

Here is the info for horn worms


Protein: 9%
fat: 3.07%
Calcium: 46.4mg/100g
Moisture: 85%

The calcium to phos ratio is 1:3

 

[melovation]

Is it ok to feed a horn worm with other feeders in the same day? If so, what would you recommend

 

[pigglett79]

You can feed whatever mixture of feeders a day the chameleon will eat. I tend to start with roaches and crickets then move to silks, horn worms or butter worms, my boys pretty much choose what they are in the mood for. I also offer blue bottle flies. I dust roaches and crickets and might even dust worms depending on the feeding habits and gut load a schedule. Sometimes I have mantis and throw those in to the mix as well.

 

[melovation]

What would you say is the best thing to feed horn worms? . I had fed the ones I had carrots. They looked really juicy and Marley seemed to love them lol

 

[pigglett79]

I feed them horn worm chow and gutload w a mixture of dandelion or mustard greens and carrots, red bell pepper and butternut or spaghetti squash. Sandrachameleon has some great blogs on gutloading.,

 

[melovation]

I feed them horn worm chow and gutload w a mixture of dandelion. ndelion or mustard greens and carrots, red bell pepper and butternut or spaghetti squash. Sandrachameleon has some great blogs on gutloading.,

Ohhh ok. I'm going to try and find some horn worm chow and start gutloading them. Thanks for the quick response, much appreciated

 

[pigglett79]

Ohhh ok. I'm going to try and find some horn worm chow and start gutloading them. Thanks for the quick response, much appreciated

The best horn worm chow I have found is at great lakes hornworms. Good luck.,

 

[SMCNARY]

The best horn worm chow I have found is at great lakes hornworms. Good luck.,

I have not even looked at there site yet,good to know

 

[ChameleonMom]

Hey thanks for the information everyone! My chams just eat these things up (no pun intended!) but I don't want it too be a case of too much of a good thing, isn't a good thing! Now if I could only find a cheap online source for HW's on the Westcoast of Canada!!

 

[griddle]

My chams all love horn worms, I live very close to mulberry farms so I always pick up different ages of horn worms so I can have them as a constant food source. Plus I think they are beautiful. I have never bred them but I have produced some moths, which my sambava loved eating, as well as my lady framed one as well.

 

[PattyCake]

Hey thanks for the information everyone! My chams just eat these things up (no pun intended!) but I don't want it too be a case of too much of a good thing, isn't a good thing! Now if I could only find a cheap online source for HW's on the Westcoast of Canada!!

I know what you feel like! I live in Canada too and even where I live HW's are way overpriced. Little Ark is still growing up and I'm not gonna try feeding him HW's yet....BUT I do feed him silkies which are about $1.00 for one on the cheapest sites!

 

[dom1959]

i just had an odd thing happen...
fed a 2.5 inch horn to my veiled
veiled is 5.5 inch stv
when veiled passed fecal it seemed the hornworm was almost undigested!
anyone else ever see this?
kinda scary that it was so "whole" after passing thru digestive tract.

 

[Angsty]

My veiled just had his first horned last week out of my hand, he has now since had two more yesterday. The funny part is he had the first one out of my hand and the second out of my daughters, hasn't eaten from her yet, well he puffed up and hissed at her or maybe the worm! I told her to stay still and wait, and be calm!!! Finally he shot out and ate it!! She was pretty pumped and so am I as he is trying new foods!!