Superworm Myth or Fact?
- Thread starter Dave
- Start date
Vegas Chad
Avid Member
Myth... I have never had any issue with this.
Vibrant Chameleons
Avid Member
It's definitely a Myth. Brad Ramsey and I feed a lot of Superworms and have never ever seen this.
sweetmisery
New Member
Myth. Theres many rumors like this in different forums, esp. happening on reptiles/amphibians. I think its an old wives' tale. My 2.5" ate a superworm, even saw it moving in his body, but he is still alive now. I was concerned though.
Eric Adrignola
Avid Member
It's a myth, but like most, it's partially based on facts. It used to apply to mealworms, in the 80's, before superworms were around and popular.
I've seen it with superworms, in one situation, about 15 years ago.
We had an african flat rock lizard (anyone know where I can get one - he was beautiful). He escaped and ended up in our walls for a few months. Shortly after we caught him again, he died (I'm guessing he ate some poisoned oriental cockroaches... we had a few of them in the basement... hate those things...).
When I found him, there was a superworm boring into his body. HAd I got there a few hours later, I would have thought it bored OUT. Fact is, a dead lizard is a great place for a beetle larve to chew into - especially superworms, which will clean a skeleton almost a fast as dermestid beetles, but not nearly as neatly and delicatly.
Someone must have saw a similar scene decades ago, and assumed the hard-shelled insect was swallowed whole and came out, not in.
I've seen it with superworms, in one situation, about 15 years ago.
We had an african flat rock lizard (anyone know where I can get one - he was beautiful). He escaped and ended up in our walls for a few months. Shortly after we caught him again, he died (I'm guessing he ate some poisoned oriental cockroaches... we had a few of them in the basement... hate those things...).
When I found him, there was a superworm boring into his body. HAd I got there a few hours later, I would have thought it bored OUT. Fact is, a dead lizard is a great place for a beetle larve to chew into - especially superworms, which will clean a skeleton almost a fast as dermestid beetles, but not nearly as neatly and delicatly.
Someone must have saw a similar scene decades ago, and assumed the hard-shelled insect was swallowed whole and came out, not in.
desultadox
Established Member
Even if it was true, I think chameleons would have little to worry about since they tend to chew their food more than many other reptiles. My chameleons actually have some pretty bad table manners and chomp superworms, squirting their bug juices out. Yummy!
