Josesenegal
New Member
Hi everyone 
Just a quick question here. Can I give wild-caught rolly pollies to Tarzan my Jackson's Chameleon?
Just a quick question here. Can I give wild-caught rolly pollies to Tarzan my Jackson's Chameleon?
Rolly Pollies?
- Thread starter Josesenegal
- Start date
Josesenegal
New Member
Yeah
Yeah, i've seen a lot of people give rolly pollies to their chams... is that a problem, and should i stay away from them?
Yeah, i've seen a lot of people give rolly pollies to their chams... is that a problem, and should i stay away from them?
Jamire
New Member
I wasn't clear on the bug, never heard of that before. Armadillidiidae. You should be weary feeding off wild bugs, you don't know where they come from, they may have eaten something toxic.
Generally, don't do it. Unless your positive they come from a good Clean source. I have a large acreage out of the nearest city/town by about an hour. Grasshoppers will be clean there.
Also be weary of that, just because your in the country doesn't mean that big field isn't full of pesticides from the farmer.
Even after that though, I will make sure to "flush" them by gutloading them for a at least 2-3 days, if not a week. to make sure they got clean and nutritious guts.
Generally, don't do it. Unless your positive they come from a good Clean source. I have a large acreage out of the nearest city/town by about an hour. Grasshoppers will be clean there.
Also be weary of that, just because your in the country doesn't mean that big field isn't full of pesticides from the farmer.
Even after that though, I will make sure to "flush" them by gutloading them for a at least 2-3 days, if not a week. to make sure they got clean and nutritious guts.
brownie64
Avid Member
I hope I'm not coming off as a know it all, But interesting fact these things aren't insects at all. they are crustaceans, some form of land shrimp. Blew me away when I read it. They look like bugs to me.
The previous posts are dead on!!! Do not feed wild caught isopods to your chameleon. They have already told you why!!!Let the wild caught breed and use/keep the young or buy some from a reputable supplier. I breed 4 types of isopod/pill bugs/sow bugs/roilypolys and they are fantastic feeders but just not good from the wild in most cases.
werecat
Established Member
I read that too. That they are crustaceans! Seems weird since we think of crustaceans only as sea dwelling. Somehow when I read that it made sense though. Both crustaceans and insects belong to the phylum Arthropoda.
brownie64
Avid Member
Ha! I'm glad I'm not the only one who calls them "rollie pollies"! You must be originally from the Midwest
We call them rollie pollies, and potato bugs, and I'm from Indiana. used to love playing with them as kids, they always fascinated me. I would touch them so they would roll up hence the name rollie pollie and play with them like a cat. crazy isn't it.
Too bad you can't feed wild ones to your pet because in the summer my house is infested with them. I must have some water issue some where just haven't found it yet.
How about slugs, I get a lot of those as well. I had a vet tell me that the benefits of feeding your cham wild caught bugs far out weight the risk of parasites. However this was about 13 years ago things have changed since then
Muddyfeet
New Member
I been thinking of adding some of these to my potted plants as a clean up crew like a viv set up.. not sure if it will work, but as I have a colony of these and springtails.. I figured why not?? if they eat them fine.. but as they are a bottom of the food chain and eats refuse.. . yeh wild ones.. have a huge potential to be a concentration of toxins..
Josesenegal
New Member
Rollie Pollies
Ok ... i get it. Thank you for letting me know about these weird little creatures ive only fed them to him like twice..... Thank You alot though!
Ok ... i get it.
Thank you for letting me know about these weird little creatures ive only fed them to him like twice..... Thank You alot though!
Swayne8998
Established Member
I'm not sure about slugs, but you can feed your chams snails for sure. Unfortunately, you will probably need to acquire them wild caught and then breed them for several generations to rid them of the parasites, which could take a couple years.
BigBoyLuLz
New Member
Rolley Pollies here! NC!
nj011908
New Member
Ha! I'm glad I'm not the only one who calls them "rollie pollies"! You must be originally from the Midwest
I call them rollie pollies and im from the south
