safe to eat?

[Kodos2150]

i searched the forums but i couldn't find if this grasshopper is safe to feed my chameleon. Im in ohio and i got him from my yard and there are no pesticides sprayed around here. Im fairly sure he's safe to feed off but i am no bug identification guy, just want to make sure he isn't toxic naturally.

 

[the cw]

Grasshoppers aren't naturally toxic in the greater Midwest. I live in Michigan, and I know of no such hopper like that in our area. As long as you're sure there are no pesticides, I think it would be fine.

 

[VeiledChams]

Dont be so sure. There are some that are poisonous.. wait until someone knows what type of hopper it is before you feed it off.

 

[Kodos2150]

Dont be so sure. There are some that are poisonous.. wait until someone knows what type of hopper it is before you feed it off.

thats why i posted here before i feed it lol, its sitting in a container until i determine his fate

 

[VeiledChams]

Does he look like this?

http://i.pbase.com/g1/59/68959/2/106211659.8ebp7ujs.jpg

 

[Pilotman800]

Does he look like this?

http://i.pbase.com/g1/59/68959/2/106211659.8ebp7ujs.jpg

Link is dead.

 

[VeiledChams]

Link is dead.

works fine with me lol

 

[Kodos2150]

the link doesn't work for me either

 

[jdog1027]

A good place to look for identification for bugs is www.bugGuide.net. The grasshoppers you want to be careful of are the Lubbers. I think that some Lubbers are safe, but some are not. We have Lubbers here in the South that are almost black in color with very bright red undermarkings and are said to be toxic. Typically, brightly colored insects are colored that way as a warning to predators. There are a variety of differrent Lubbers throughout the U.S.

Here is one that is potentially in your area of the U.S.
http://www.google.com/url?q=http://...EQFjAA&usg=AFQjCNHb2hqLYtTyrw76ZwYOczTXYMtCRg

 

[Kodos2150]

i've been searching for what species it is and im fairly sure i found a match.....Melanoplus differentialis, the differential grasshopper. is that a safe species to feed off?

 

[VeiledChams]

All I found was that the yellow phase of the Differential Grasshopper may be cause by eating toxic plants. I am not sure if its ok to feed your. It does say it is a pest, so I wouldn't release it, but I wouldn't feed it either. In my opinion, I'd either kill it or keep it as a pet. I like the latter.