feeding large mealworms to veilds???

can you feed chameleons large or "super" sized mealworms without cutting the worms' heads off?

I wouldn't do it. I don't feed mealworms at all. I use the small size superworm which is a different species. The skin is thinner and not so tough on the liver, kindneys and such. I still crush the heads with pliers though. But mostly I stay with the crickets because of better food content for the cham.

Crush the heads??

Do you chew it for the chameleon too!?!?!?


Don't bother with the meal worms, they hold little nutritional value at best.

Superworms are a great alternative to meal worms. They are high in fat, yet are good for a cham in need of some weight. As with anything, variety is the best way to keep your cham healthy and happy.

I use superworms, silkworms(moths,larva),hornworms(moths,larva),crickets,blue bottle flies, house flies, butter worms, and dubia roaches.

It's been a while since I have owned reptiles but last time I checked they called them 'meal' worms because they had substance as a "meal" for most reptiles. Sorry to blatently question your responses but how do you in fact know the nutritional facts for mealworms? We always clipped the heads off or crushed the head because mealworms have been known to 'chew out' of reptiles, obviously killing the lizard.
however, thank you.

unlike some reptiles, chameleons do chew, and meal worms really hold no nutriional value. they are also far more chitinous making them harder to digest.

and NO you don't even need to smash their head.. i have never heard/read one case of supers/mealworms chewing out the innnards of a reptile to escape.. the beardie chews em, the chams chew em, most animals will kill them before swallowing them whole...

Lyneeso said:

It's been a while since I have owned reptiles but last time I checked they called them 'meal' worms because they had substance as a "meal" for most reptiles. Sorry to blatently question your responses but how do you in fact know the nutritional facts for mealworms? We always clipped the heads off or crushed the head because mealworms have been known to 'chew out' of reptiles, obviously killing the lizard.
however, thank you.

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It's not that they are a complete horid feeder, there are just so many better options. I should have said: "Why feed mealworms when you can use superworms"

Mealworms are high in chitin, have a hard exoskeleton and that makes them harder to digest, and that could lead to impaction. So why chance it, when theres so many better inscets to use?

Thier nutritional values actually come close to that of a superworm. SW's have a bit more fat and a bit less protien the MW's SW's also have 5x the fiber compaired to a MW. They are just much harder to digest then SW's

Also, by providing a quality gutload to the supers just makes them a better choice.



-Jay

Sang said:

and NO you don't even need to smash their head.. i have never heard/read one case of supers/mealworms chewing out the innnards of a reptile to escape.. the beardie chews em, the chams chew em, most animals will kill them before swallowing them whole...

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I managed a pet store years ago where it allegedly occured on two different occasions. However after each incident I was still never 100% sure that it had happened as such. I must say though, I have heard that it does indeed happen from many reliable sources over many years now.
Has anyone on this forum EVER been so unfortunate with any reptile?

-Lyneeso

I have heard that it does indeed happen from many reliable sources over many years now.
Has anyone on this forum EVER been so unfortunate with any reptile?

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Not in over 25 years. More likely the mealworms ate through the animals stomach after death from some other cause and your scenario was assumed. I thinks its very unlikely, digestive acid is strong for a reason.