Wild Caught

[wst0209a]

I found a grasshopper today right on the bricks of my house. I want to feed it to my chameleons but not sure if it is ok. I know that none of my neighbors use anything to spray the yards but still am a little bit worried. He looks like this:

Should I feed him for a few days to clear his system or just feed it off? Should I remove his back legs before feeding him off?

 

[koabich]

I would not risk it. I would never use anything "wild caught."

 

[wst0209a]

many people love to use wild caught bugs. I have been finding a lot of insects in the past week that it is so tempting.

 

[Kent67]

I have always (16 years) used wild caught grasshoppers for chameleon food. In fact, if you know of any good fields, they're a great source of free protein and chams love them. Coming from your neighborhood, I'd be a little scared about pesticides. Try keeping and feeding it in a screen cage for a few days and see if it lives. After that, I'd say pesticide free. As far as parasites and bacteria, I wouldn't worry about it any more than getting bugs from commercial suppliers. As for the back legs, they are very tough and spiny. If it will be a "large" meal for a smaller chameleon, pinch 'em. They eat grasshoppers and locusts in the wild all the time, so I'm sure a large chameleon will have no problems with the back legs. But, better safe than sorry, if you're concerned about it.

 

[wst0209a]

What should I feed the grasshopper for the few days?

 

[Jeweledchameleons]

anything it wants...

 

[wst0209a]

and that would be....

 

[Electric]

pprobably any random vegetable

 

[Kent67]

They like oranges....

 

[Tygerr]

Grasshoppers feed mainly on grasses and some leaves naturally. Most grasses are thought to be a good quality gutload. So if you can find some pesticide free, fresh grass you might be able to use that.

 

[filip]

I am now feeding my 2 chams only wild cought grasshoppers and they love them. I take them about half an hour from the town, in a National park, so no pesticides there, even though they die after 3 days or so...I give them grass to eat and I don't know why they die after that period, but the chams started growing very well...
F.

 

[dragonbreeder]

I also recommend wild caught (again as long as it is from pesticide free areas). When I used to have a parsonii, I used to feed him beetles, moths, hoppers and the like that I caught in a trap that I set on my back-porch light each night. He ate these for years. There are large areas of woods here so some pretty nice insects were caught each night. The trap was simply a Tupperware container with a hole in the top and a funnel going in. This simple apparatus was hung on the porch light. The bugs fell in and could not escape. I used these feeders for all of my chams for many, many years without ever an issue. Cbb melleri, quads, calyptratus, etc… all did great on these. My cham’s periodic fecal tests always came out great and my animals grew up healthy and strong, generation after generation. My baby veils used to love eating the brown June-bug beetles that are found during the spring in most states. Remember- your farm raised crickets can carry parasites just as easily as hoppers in your own backyard.

Word of caution: Do not use any insects from this method that you do not recognize or if they are brightly colored (such as certain moths). Obviously these types of insects need to be weeded out, and especially fireflies.

 

[Vibrant Chameleons]

and that would be....

Try feeding the hoppers Cabbage. I read that they love it.

 

[SierraNevada]

Try feeding the hoppers Cabbage. I read that they love it.

Now...wouldn't that give them gas?

 

[Marley]

If you were to wash the grasshopper off in the sink would that eliminate pesticides?

 

[ChameleonsTree]

If you were to wash the grasshopper off in the sink would that eliminate pesticides?

Sure just give him a teeny tiny scrub brush and tell him to make sure he cleans behind his ears.

 

[Smitty]

If you were to wash the grasshopper off in the sink would that eliminate pesticides?

I would be more worried about the pesticides the grasshopper ingested than what might be on the outer shell.

 

[dectr6]

grasshoppers also love dandelion leaves. They grow year around in the south and are abundant. I feed my cham wild caught grasshoppers also with only positive results. David