WC insects parasites?

[jamest0o0]

This has been on my mind more recently since my Parsons pretty much eats anything that crosses his path outside. I'm curious those of you that feed WC or have outside chams and get fecal checks, how often, if at all, have you had parasite or other issues from them eating bugs outside?

 

[Scottsquatch]

I was wondering the same, I am hoping that since Chams are not part of our ecosystem, that the risk of chameleon compatible parasites will be less here than in there native habitat.

 

[jamest0o0]

That's what I was thinking. That's also why I dont worry as much about collecting stuff outside for the enclosures. Still would like to hear what people have to say.

 

[carol5208]

I have fed wild caught katydid, moths and dragonflies with no problems. I know many keepers that feed wild caught bugs. It is really up to you. They can get parasites from store bought crickets.

 

[jamest0o0]

@carol5208 yeah I don't have a problem with them eating bugs outside. I'm just wondering if anyone's experienced any negative effects from it. Like parasites or anything else. It's warned of a lot, but never really hear of any particular incidents.

I also don't feed crickets for that reason among others. I think they are probably one of the dirtiest insects to feed chams and I have plenty of roach species to make up for them.

 

[insectovore]

It is possible that a reptile kept outside could come into contact with parasites from other animal droppings in the water or soil. They could also get parasites from an insect but man of those would have an indirect lifecycle and/or your reptile would not be a suitable host. Some parasites are less specific than others and something like hookworms could be picked up from being outside. Having said that, if you have a quality enclosure setup outside in a suitable climate or season the health benefits of being outside would likely outweigh the risks. Having the fecals analyzed yearly or if you suspect a problem can help identify if any parasites are becoming concentrated from the poop/eat/drink still in a relatively small area cycle.

 

[jamest0o0]

I appreciate the response, but once again I'm looking for actual evidence or personal experiences of this happening. I know in theory, it is possible to get parasites, among other things from WC insects.

 

[Chompingreens]

As insects have the probability of carrying parasites It not always the insects you have to worry about getting unwanted vectors from. Many attach their eggs to their surrounding area depending on what the parasite is, there’s so many ways parasites/infections can be transmitted it could be plant matter waiting for its host to eat. In the soil. In degrading matter list goes on in my mind. U see a lot of problems arise in area where water may stand/ be stagnant for some period or if a population of a species is not in check in an area then everyone is at risk. Doesn’t really matter what it is you should always be cautious to some degree and to that matter a fecal examination should be done regularly for the health of you and your pet.

 

[Carlton]

This has been on my mind more recently since my Parsons pretty much eats anything that crosses his path outside. I'm curious those of you that feed WC or have outside chams and get fecal checks, how often, if at all, have you had parasite or other issues from them eating bugs outside?

Of course it's technically possible. They are everywhere. The real question is, what is the chance that a specific parasite in our environment (not the cham's native habitat) happens to have a negative effect on an otherwise healthy animal? Keep your cham healthy so it's immune system can handle an occasional exposure. Get your chams tested on a regular basis. It is easy enough to detect intestinal parasites. Most chams already carry some, but often it's some other health problem that allows them to get out of balance with the host. Risk is managed, not completely avoided.

 

[jamest0o0]

@Chompingreens

@Carlton

Guys, I appreciate the lessons, but I already understand the possibility, and to get fecals, etc. I've spent more time reading about chameleons than my wife would like. All I'm looking for are specific examples of this happening. Just like with other things in this hobby, people warn of many possible problems, whether from impaction, parasites, pesticides, etc but not many can show an exact example of it happening. Now I'm not saying it can't but I'm just curious of any experiences people may have had and what it was. As mentioned, I believe a healthy immune system is key and that isn't reached by constant sanitizing imo, as we see with humans, but that's another topic.

 

[jamest0o0]

I appreciate the response, but once again I'm looking for actual evidence or personal experiences of this happening. I know in theory, it is possible to get parasites, among other things from WC insects.

 

[JacksJill]

I appreciate the question you are asking but I don't know how anyone would ever know for sure how their cham got parasites. I'm dealing with a small parasite problem right now but haven't a clue as to the source.
Did he come with them and they were missed on the first fecal?
Did they come from feeders I bought or something he found in the outdoor cage?
There are wild lizards in my yard and I'm sure they are attracted to his leftovers. Did they leave feces on the outside of his screen?
Did I fail to clean his outdoor cage well enough when I bought it and his drinking off the screen infected him?
You would need to feed only wild caught bugs for 2-3 weeks and test before and after to know if that was the source. I suppose if someone had a CB cham and it came up with something like lung worms then that might be telling. You have to do a tracheal wash to find those.
It's a good question but I don't know if you will get a definitive answer. I will be following to see.

 

[jamest0o0]

@JacksJill thank you, good points. Curious what kind of parasites are you dealing with? I don't feed crickets which seem to be the source for about 99% of parasites. I mainly feed roaches with the occassional bottleflies, bsfl, isopods, silks, horns, supers. I'm sure it's possible, but I doubt you'd find many parasite cases due to those feeders. I figure they would have to come in contact with an infected source like crickets, which I could see happening. Roaches are known to have strong immune systems and are very unlikely to carry anything, especially being bred in captivity.

 

[JacksJill]

For most parasites the feeders would have to come in contact with infected feces. I suspect crickets at pet stores get infected when an employee throws a loose cricket back in the bin or the cricket crawls back in after it has escaped from a reptiles cage and has eaten or crawled on poo. This could(?) infect the whole batch. I don't keep the few crickets I use in my reptile room and I get them from a supplier never a pet store. Loose crickets don't go back in cages.
Lung worms require a secondary host prior to the reptile host. I don't know what that would be for the chameleon parasite. That other host would need access to reptile feces.