Meal v Super worms

[AZweifel]

Thanks to you wonderful individuals, I learned that the high fat content in meal worms wasn't the best thing for my 3 mo old panther. So I switched her over to small supers.
I also heard that super worms could eat your Cham from the inside out if you don't smash/cut off their heads. But she won't touch them. I think she is uninterested because they're not moving(since they've been beheaded). What should I do? How long do I leave their corpses in the dish before replacing them with fresh dead ones?

 

[Fireborn]

You don't have to cut the heads off. That's a myth.

 

[Virgil1972]

I have never beheaded my superworms, unless they commit a capital offence, and never had a problem.

 

[AZweifel]

Well, I gave her a bunch of live ones (dusted in calcium and vitamins) and she scarfed them down like a mad woman.

 

[jamest0o0]

Yeah don't behead them as others have said. @Virgil1972 lol!

 

[AZweifel]

@jamest0o0 Should I limit how many I give her in a day? I give her 10 crickets in the morning(which she rarely ever finishes by bedtime, and I take them out at the end of the day). And with the super worms, I'll start her out with six or seven, and whenever I notice that it is empty I'll put more in.
She is approximately 3 months old, female, and a panther.

 

[Andee]

That is far too many feeders in general, 10 crickets a day and may 2-4 super worms is fine. She doesn't need food constantly.

 

[Crashbandit05]

I only feed superworms on the weekends, and then only 2-4. Many chameleons will get addicted so most of us limit the amount.

 

[acheong]

I feed them crickets.

 

[Nathan9803]

I would feed supers dusted in calc/vite obv because meals have lots of chitin which can impact and possibly kill your Cham

 

[jamest0o0]

I feel like as most as they can eat early in the day at one feeding does the job

 

[jamest0o0]

Also yeah I'd limit supers to once a week

 

[acheong]

I feed them flies, grasshoppers and crickets that I catch myself.

 

[Nursemaia]

I only partially agree with Virgil, I don't behead them because I don't believe in the death penalty and because my chams can chomp them up just fine

 

[AZweifel]

Learning moment. Y'all are right. She wasn't even eating them. They were getting out. I just got home from work and there were 14 worms across the bottom of the terrarium and climbing up the screen walls and everything.
Total beginner moment, I guess. I feel stupid, but at least I have you guys to show me...

 

[OrangeJuice]

Haha, my Cham used to 'stash' his worms. He'd wait until I added up about ten over the weeks and then eat them all at once, little stinker. If you wanna feed a DELCIOUS treat to your Cham, I'd recommend a hornworm. They're easy to digest, have a good amount of calcium, and the chams seem to enjoy their color and wriggling around a lot

 

[ConnorsChams]

Superworms digest easier

 

[Brodybreaux25]

Would a Cham even recognize a dead bug as a food source?

... and if anyone has any doubt if their Cham is capable of "neutralizing" larger insects just let your finger get in the way one time when hand feeding a hungry, eager Cham. You won't fear for their safety anymore!

 

[nightanole]

I had a dead adult dubia floating in the drain pan, my boy recognized the dead bug...

In other news, if your cricket has hind legs, supers and regular meal worms, have less chitin than crickets. Meal/supers also have more fat, and more calorie dense, so keep that in mind.