How to feed locusts without them being all over the tank
- Thread starter Greencar
- Start date
snitz427
Chameleon Enthusiast
Some are calmer than others, in my experience... but they certainly can jump/fly extremely well. We haven't had issues with them bolting for the exit, but don't waste any time when its time to round them up. They are less active at night, and disoriented if you shine a light in their eyes... so if you are really struggling you could scoop up what you plan to feed the night before and put them in a deli cup.
When it comes to feeding, my husband holds them by their wings or legs and the chameleon wastes no time eating them. Personally, I don't like to touch anything crunchy... so I would probably open the cage, throw it in and run.
When it comes to feeding, my husband holds them by their wings or legs and the chameleon wastes no time eating them. Personally, I don't like to touch anything crunchy... so I would probably open the cage, throw it in and run.
Greencar
New Member
They are tiny little ones haha if I tried to pick them up I would probably crush them hahaSome are calmer than others, in my experience... but they certainly can jump/fly extremely well. We haven't had issues with them bolting for the exit, but don't waste any time when its time to round them up. They are less active at night, and disoriented if you shine a light in their eyes... so if you are really struggling you could scoop up what you plan to feed the night before and put them in a deli cup.
When it comes to feeding, my husband holds them by their wings or legs and the chameleon wastes no time eating them. Personally, I don't like to touch anything crunchy... so I would probably open the cage, throw it in and run.
coastal_chameleon
Avid Member
:0 where can I buy locus ????????
snitz427
Chameleon Enthusiast
Oh then good luck! Just kidding! Personally i would just shake them in and let the cham hunt them. The grasshoppers will likely jump up higher in the cage and not hide like crickets do.
You can also lay some food out (lettuce) and the small hoppers should flock to it, making it easier to round them up
Brodybreaux25
Chameleon Enthusiast
Across the pond!
I hatch hornworms into hawkmoths, wax worms into moths, and blue bottle flies in addition to black solider flies. I get mine from Josh's Frogs.
snitz427
Chameleon Enthusiast
Moths are fun, my guys love them. Silkmoths can't fly, and wax months are really small and kind of inactive. Hawk moths are cool but they're large, so make sure your cham can handle them. They're very cool to feed as they fly around like a humming bird before either getting eaten, or finding a place to land.
There are flying roaches (sounds like fun!?)... like green bananas, but they also tend to burrow/hide. GIANT green bananas are very active, though, and don't seem to hide, but rather flutter all over.
Grasshoppers, phasmids, and mantids can all fly given the space.
Beetles are an option. I think @jamest0o0 and @cyberlocc are both trying their hands at flower beetles... though I think cyberlocc is doing it for the grubs and not the beetles.
There are flying roaches (sounds like fun!?)... like green bananas, but they also tend to burrow/hide. GIANT green bananas are very active, though, and don't seem to hide, but rather flutter all over.
Grasshoppers, phasmids, and mantids can all fly given the space.
Beetles are an option. I think @jamest0o0 and @cyberlocc are both trying their hands at flower beetles... though I think cyberlocc is doing it for the grubs and not the beetles.
cyberlocc
Chameleon Enthusiast
Ya I think James is too.
You could in theory feed the beetles however, the beetles give a bitter taste as a defense mechanism. That doesn't only apply to Flow Beetles, but all Beetles I believe, or most. Darkling beetles do the same.
The shells are also quite hard, so are at best a good enrichment option, to give them something scratchy.
The grubs are decent treats, they are pretty fatty and very high in moisture. I seen a video the other day of a mantis eating a flower Grub, it was pretty gross. It bit in and blood just spewed everywhere. The grubs are more along the lines of a Hornworm/Wax worm hybrid, then a staple feeder.
Sandra's Blog and comments is what got me interested. I have not yet been able to find a nutritional analysis, but fairly fatty, and lots of moisture is pretty much agreed everywhere I have seen. Which is evident by being a big fat smooshy grub creature.
The wonderful Cream Filled kind, as Timon and Pumbaa would say
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snitz427
Chameleon Enthusiast
Ya I think James is too.
You could in theory feed the beetles however, the beetles give a bitter taste as a defense mechanism. That doesn't only apply to Flow Beetles, but all Beetles I believe, or most. Darkling beetles do the same.
The shells are also quite hard, so are at best a good enrichment option, to give them something scratchy.
The grubs are decent treats, they are pretty fatty and very high in moisture. I seen a video the other day of a mantis eating a flower Grub, it was pretty gross. It bit in and blood just spewed everywhere. The grubs are more along the lines of a Hornworm/Wax worm hybrid, then a staple feeder.
Sandra's Blog and comments is what got me interested. I have not yet been able to find a nutritional analysis, but fairly fatty, and lots of moisture is pretty much agreed everywhere I have seen. Which is evident by being a big fat smooshy grub creature.
The wonderful Cream Filled kind, as Timon and Pumbaa would say
I was doing some research, trying to find nutritional info on them, as well. I believe there was some info on the beetles, since they are being looked at as a protein source for human consumption. The problem is, all the studies had lots of nutritional info on insects, but most did not include phosphorus in the results.
cyberlocc
Chameleon Enthusiast
Ya I think I have seen for the beetles as well. The issues with that though are if the Cham would like there bitter taste. I reckon like humans, everyone has different taste buds. Some may like them, some may not. They have been found in there belly's in the wild, so they do eat them.
Then the shell is of concern. It's pretty tough shell. My beetles that laid for me then passed, I left them in the Viv, their insides have rotten away into nothing, the shells however are still very much in tact and hard as ever, they even still bare the coloring, which I am fairly certain is caused by small hair like fuzz, as when they are dry they are yellow to orange. However when wettened, they turn Green to Red (yellows turn green, oranges turn blood red), this effect is still present in my 7 month old dead shells, which are hollow with the head missing but very much so still in tact head and small area in the rectum area aside.
The colored area of the shell feels very very soft, when it's rubbed. That was my reasoning for thinking it's a fine short hair. It's not a soft spot, and when squeezed is very much so hard, but it has a soft silky feeling to it, when rubbed.
SauceGandhi
Avid Member
Diurnal grasshoppers/locusts are attracted to the light, so they're pretty easy to control if you utilize it correctly.
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