Only eating Super Worms

[webghost]

I know Super Worms are fattening so I don't want to feed him that as his staple diet however when I offer him crickets, he does not seem interested. He basically refuses until I give him something else which at the moment is super worms. How can I get him back on crickets without making him starve too much or is that the only solution?

 

[jannb]

You may never get him back on crickets even if you do starve him. Have you tried other worms such as silks, horns and butterworms? I have one panther that mainly eats supers. It's very important to gutload them very well with a really good dry gutload such as Cricket Crack.

 

[carol5208]

basically what you said...starve him and it still may not work!!!. My chameleon is over 2 yrs old now and stopped eating crickets at about 7 or 8 months. the only way I can get him to eat them is if he is eating something else and I slip one in while he is chewing! Have you tried some silkworms?. They are a good feeder and around the same fat content as a cricket. What about hornworms, butterworms, moths etc?

 

[Draco1702]

Like Carol, I think it would be a good idea to try and feed him a number of different worms, especially ones that are less fat and richer in calcium. Personally I think both butterworms and Phoenix worms are great and easier to keep for a longer time than silkworms and hornworms.

 

[ataraxia]

Dont be discouraged on getting him back on crickets. It takes some time and a strong stand on what you know is best. I do know some will never go back to crickets as a staple but majority will. Offer other feeders like horn worms, silk worms, roaches, mantis, moths, etc.

You can also pinch the rear legs off the crickets. This makes the crickets slower, not able to hop and appear slightly different.

I would read sandrachameleons blogs on gut loading super worms as this has to be the MOST IMPORTANT thing when feeding this insect.

 

[carol5208]

Dont be discouraged on getting him back on crickets. It takes some time and a strong stand on what you know is best. I do know some will never go back to crickets as a staple but majority will. Offer other feeders like horn worms, silk worms, roaches, mantis, moths, etc.

You can also pinch the rear legs off the crickets. This makes the crickets slower, not able to hop and appear slightly different.

I would read sandrachameleons blogs on gut loading super worms as this has to be the MOST IMPORTANT thing when feeding this insect.

haha! I knew you would come out of hiding and post on this!!! lol. You are just a superworm hater!!! All in good fun!!! just kidding around with ya.

 

[ataraxia]

who me?? a hater...nah, HATE is a little to lovely of a word for them.

 

[espressodude]

Ya know Super Chow is made by the same makers (Steve) as Cricket Crack and is designed to be used for Super Worms. Just put it into a container add worms and your good to go. There is one caveat tho, you need to add a source of moisture for the worms. Most anything will work i.e. carrots will work just fine. If you forgo that last step the worms will find moisture by other means, can you say cannibalism.

 

[webghost]

Thanks guys for the advice. It seems I may never get him back on it so I will have to try to feed it other types of worms that are less fattening. Thanks again!

 

[sandrachameleon]

Dont be discouraged on getting him back on crickets. It takes some time and a strong stand on what you know is best. I do know some will never go back to crickets as a staple but majority will. Offer other feeders like horn worms, silk worms, roaches, mantis, moths, etc.

Totally Agree.

Plus I would refrain from using the word "starving"
If you stop offering superworms, he will not be able to eat superworms. That doesnt mean he will starve, as clearly you are offering other choices. Rather, the animal is choosing not to eat because it has learned you are a softy and will give in soon enough

A healthy adult animal can EASILY go without food for a week, two weeks usually no issues, and even a third week might be okay. Most captive animals are overweight to start with.

I also agree with offering a wide variety of feeders. Crickets arent the key feeder.

 

[webghost]

Totally Agree.

Plus I would refrain from using the word "starving"
If you stop offering superworms, he will not be able to eat superworms. That doesnt mean he will starve, as clearly you are offering other choices. Rather, the animal is choosing not to eat because it has learned you are a softy and will give in soon enough

A healthy adult animal can EASILY go without food for a week, two weeks usually no issues, and even a third week might be okay. Most captive animals are overweight to start with.

I also agree with offering a wide variety of feeders. Crickets arent the key feeder.

Reading the tips here makes me feel good as I know I'm not helpless.. it seems there are many options for me and I am not "stuck". I will feed other types of insects and give him variety.