Night thoughts about wasps...

[hejfisken]

Let us say, in the deep jungle of madagascar, a wasp sits down on a flower nearby a branch were a hungry chameleon is.

Will the cham try to get the wasp? Or do you think the species has developed some kind of refuse against toxic insects, or maybe an immunity against the poison?

 

[Monties1982]

I know chameleons definitely eat wasps and bees in the wild. I read in another post that a member had a chameleon that tried to eat a wasp and it was stung on the tongue and I think ended up dying, so they aren't immune to the venom, but I'm assuming that the venom will break down in the stomach acid when they are eaten. As long as the chameleon doesn't get stung, which injects the venom directly into the bloodstream, eating wasps seems to cause them no harm.

 

[Jakedn]

I fed my chameleon a bee with the stinger, he ate the bee and got stung in the tongue. The stinger came out overnight and he refuses to eat any other bees. He ate other feeders that same day, just not anymore bees haha. I haven't tried a wasp, I assume it would be the same outcome.

 

[coldbloodedAL]

Carpenter bees would would probably be safe, the females may sting in rare occasions, and the males are incapable of stinging. You can usually tell them apart because the male will hover almost directly in your face and around basically to intimidate you. But they are harmless. However, bees collect pollen and im not sure if pollen from certain flowers and trees could be harmful to your cham?

 

[fluxlizard]

studies examining the gut contents of wild chameleons showed flies as the #1 food item, followed by "bees and wasps" as #2.

 

[Cainschams]

My larger species all ate wasps, hornets, honey bees, yellow jackets etc etc etc with no problems. There is a risk of getting stung but as was posted, this is a good part of their diet. You can also see where a chameleon would get vitamin A via animal source in the wild when eating flies, mosquitos etc.

 

[Jakedn]

Fed mine a wasp with the stinger still in, he ate that one without much trouble and readily accepted a second (not just out of hunger as he ate 2 large horn worms inbetween the two wasps). Seems like he likes 'em

 

[hejfisken]

Got an idea.

To minimize the risk of getting stung in the tounge, how about colding down some wasps in the freezer for some minutes before lunch, so they will be as slow and hopely as harmless as possible?

With other words, still being alive but not having enough energy to sting the chameleon.

 

[Cainschams]

Got an idea.

To minimize the risk of getting stung in the tounge, how about colding down some wasps in the freezer for some minutes before lunch, so they will be as slow and hopely as harmless as possible?

With other words, still being alive but not having enough energy to sting the chameleon.

If you go that far you might as well pull out the stinger