Over feeding super worms?

[kgallego]

Can anyone tell me if there is any harm in consistently feed super worms to panther's? They're high in fat and I've been feeding them straight for a week. My cham's love them, but I'm concerned that I might need to break it up with crickets in between days.

 

[camimom]

Not only are they high in fat but they also have a hard exo skeleton that can cause imapction when too many are consumed

 

[mcleodschams]

Yes you wanna mix up the feeders as much as you can

 

[SarahcoadunatioZac]

High fat content can cause Gout, which will be spendy in vet bills so I hear.

Crickets/Roaches are usually the "staple"

 

[Sheinalis]

you have to start giving your chameleon crickets with vitamin D3, feeding your chameleon super worms constantly can do great harm. your super worms can just be a treat.

 

[shaunaroxanne]

Eating supers every day would probably be equivalent to a human eating Pringles every day, all day. Ok, well not quite so bad, but close

 

[camimom]

you have to start giving your chameleon crickets with vitamin D3, feeding your chameleon super worms constantly can do great harm. your super worms can just be a treat.

The d3 is used only twice amonth. Please be sure to clarify when making this statement.



No one bug should make up more than 40% of a chams diet.

 

[gil]

i know you also need to make sure that the heat is on cause they can give your reptiles problems if your reptile does not kill it before it is swallowed. but when i feed my chameleons they are good about biting it on the head even when the worms walk backwards and they grab it by the superworms tail end. i just heard bad news from some pet stores about peoples pets and why they dont sell them. but where i live there is lots of pet stores...out of all worms i really seem to favor silkworms...

 

[MistressOfMisery]

i know you also need to make sure that the heat is on cause they can give your reptiles problems if your reptile does not kill it before it is swallowed. but when i feed my chameleons they are good about biting it on the head even when the worms walk backwards and they grab it by the superworms tail end. i just heard bad news from some pet stores about peoples pets and why they dont sell them. but where i live there is lots of pet stores...out of all worms i really seem to favor silkworms...

I was told by my pet store that supers are not a good idea but meal worms were good. They said the supers wll eat the chams from the inside if their heads aren't broke off. I thought this was far more knowledgeable than most from the pet shops. I was also told to keep their cage at 100F by another associate there...

 

[SarahcoadunatioZac]

Keep the chameleons cage at 100? What species? Seems pretty high.

I've heard of breeders never having an issue, and neither meal worms or supers are 'good'. Just treats. I believe you can gutload both however.

As long as you have a chewer I wouldn't worry too much, but then again I won't be feeding any to my own.

 

[carol5208]

I was told by my pet store that supers are not a good idea but meal worms were good. They said the supers wll eat the chams from the inside if their heads aren't broke off. I thought this was far more knowledgeable than most from the pet shops. I was also told to keep their cage at 100F by another associate there...

this is not true and there is not one documented case of this! If anyone on here has ever had a superworm eat your chameleon from the inside please respond! It seems to be the same story all the pet stores tell about super worms. Meals are not the best feeder choice either! They are almost solid chitin as is a super but the super has more meat to the body.

 

[absolutbill]

Carol beat me to it - the superworm myth is just that, a myth. I feed supers once a week to my guys and it's a great way to get them to start hand-feeding. I raise my own and so I know how well gut-loaded they are. I do not feed mealworms as they are entirely too small - however my leopard gecko loves them!

 

[kgallego]

Thanks for the input everyone. My cham's absolutely love super
worms, and the guy at the reptile store gave me about 50 when I asked for 15 for my male Ambilobe and female nosy be. The worms are getting huge and ready to pupate, so I was going to just try and feed them off real quick. Sure sounds like that might be a bad idea.

 

[absolutbill]

Just start breeding them - it's pretty simple and you'll save tons of money that way! Superworms have a lifespan of a year when not introduced to a chameleon

 

[DavidBuchan]

I was told by my pet store that supers are not a good idea but meal worms were good. They said the supers wll eat the chams from the inside if their heads aren't broke off. I thought this was far more knowledgeable than most from the pet shops. I was also told to keep their cage at 100F by another associate there...

Ahh, pet stores.......people trust them, and they give poor advice and spread stupid rumours. They are all getting better at appearing knowledgeable and caring.......... these days some of them even check their facts before telling the customers

I feed mealworms to my chams as an occasional treat, though I know that supers have a lower percentage of fat and chitin. If mealworms are good then supers are better (but neither should really be thought of as more than an enrichment feeder). Isn't it amazing that there is never anything wrong with what the store stocks, just things they don't? - in fact they always have a better option then what you asked about

 

[Lathelia]

Just start breeding them - it's pretty simple and you'll save tons of money that way! Superworms have a lifespan of a year when not introduced to a chameleon

True, I have mine for months now, and no die offs! So don't worry, you don't have to feed them that fast.
I believe one superworm in two days is a max.

 

[SarahcoadunatioZac]

Ahh, pet stores.......people trust them, and they give poor advice and spread stupid rumours. They are all getting better at appearing knowledgeable and caring.......... these days some of them even check their facts before telling the customers

I feed mealworms to my chams as an occasional treat, though I know that supers have a lower percentage of fat and chitin. If mealworms are good then supers are better (but neither should really be thought of as more than an enrichment feeder). Isn't it amazing that there is never anything wrong with what the store stocks, just things they don't? - in fact they always have a better option then what you asked about

What he said. Gotta remember, its customer service. They are going to smile, nod and usually wait for you to speak and give them information to go on.

Example: "So if its cold what should I do? Just get a nocturnal light?"

"Yeah, and we have a great one right here!"

Chain stores especially train this.

 

[sandrachameleon]

I suggest you try to keep superworms to 20% of the diet max and do gutload them and dust them.