Instinct?

[Lizardlover]

Hey all, I noticed something very interesting among my chams. I bought some cultured milkweed bugs a while ago and feed them off from time to time since they are good enrichment feeders, my panther loves them, my oustalet isnt too keen on them, my veild seems to like them, but my brevicaudatus wont touch them. They display warning colors even though they are safe to feed, could it be that the brevs have a stronger instinct and purposely avoid them? I just found that interesting.

 

[lisa h]

Are these bugs big? Maybe the size is threatening.

 

[Lizardlover]

Not too big, I only feed my pygmys the nymphs though, they breed better than roaches.

 

[jamncristian]

how big do the milkweed bugs get??

 

[Lizardlover]

about an inch, my chameleons dont seem to mind their size though,https://www.chameleonforums.com/outdoor-custom-enclosures-32416/ there is a picture of one of my chams stalking one in that thread.

 

[Digby Rigby]

Warning Colors

It seems to be more of a learned trait. Animals will try to eat one. They taste bad and the animal then learns to avoid potential prey items that have similar colors. Like the way Viceroy butterflies mimic monarch butterflies. Or like how Pseudomops roaches mimic wasps. Animals that have attempted to eat wasps or Monarch butterflies will then tend to leave the Viceroy and the Pseudomops alone also.

Digby Rigby [email protected]

Our feeders are cooler than most people's pets!

 

[Lizardlover]

yes but they have never eaten one before and they are cb, so how could they have anything to relate to,

also, viceroy butterflies are just as toxic as monarchs, a recent study showed that and I found it interesting, thought Id share

 

[Bio123]

Are you talking about plain old milkweed bugs or milkweed assassin bugs. The assassin bugs can dissolve half the chameleon's tissue if it bit the chameleon. Personally though, I think milkweed assassin bugs are cool. That's why I breed them. BTW, Viceroy butterflies are not toxic. Their host plants are poplar and cottonwood. They just mimic the poisonous Monarch butterfly. Trust me, I've raised them before.

 

[Lizardlover]

Are you talking about plain old milkweed bugs or milkweed assassin bugs. The assassin bugs can dissolve half the chameleon's tissue if it bit the chameleon. Personally though, I think milkweed assassin bugs are cool. That's why I breed them. BTW, Viceroy butterflies are not toxic. Their host plants are poplar and cottonwood. They just mimic the poisonous Monarch butterfly. Trust me, I've raised them before.

Idk milkweed bugs the kind that eat milkweed in the wild.