Recent content by Heimdallr

Where and how did you manage to get a tenrec? I've wanted one for so many years. Is thier care comparable to hedgehogs(had one for many years and it was a pleasure)?

I hate those damn things, they get out and destroy my mounted insect collection and taxidermy. If you have anything made from animals; leather, fur, deer horn, ect. and happen to find one of these destructive creatures, keep moth balls all around it until they are irradicated.:mad:

Sometimes they will drool if a feeder insect is annoying them or they drink too much all at once. Keep a close eye on the situation and if it is a RI a warm mist humidifier will buy you some time until the proper antibiotics start to take effect, they seem to slow the progression of the...

I'm pretty sure it's not a recluse, I've done many jobs with multible pest control operations. Lots of spiders have markings like that on their back. I agree that it looks like a wolf spider sp. but it's still big enough to bite and the effects will not be pleasant, whether the spider is...

I've read that oxalic acids can be produced in frozen then thawed vegetables and I know for a fact that it will break down vitamin B1. Fresh is always best. Grated butternut squash(high beta carotene) and Dandelion greens(high calcium) work great for food and moisture. Bee pollen works nicely to...

I occasionally dust flies with bee pollen. I like the brewer's yeast idea, especially if extra thiamine was needed in the diet. I've heard of this being used on bearded dragons with vitamin B deficiencies. I've often thought of giving crickets some Vegemite to increase their vitamin B before...

I'm pretty sure the grasshoppers in your area are all safe. Always be sure to identify the insects you feed and learn what they like to eat before feeding them nevertheless.

It's definitely a Fritillary, either an Atlantis, Great-Spangled, or Aphrodite. I know the catapilers are poisonous. It's best to avoid butterflies imho.

Watch out for mites, I bake mine at 350 for 15 minutes just to be safe. I learned this the hard way with my ball python and armadillo lizard when decorating their cages. It's not too much trouble to be safe rather than sorry.

Get a good insect guide and learn to recognize the different families of insects where you live. Then research them to learn of their potential toxicity. Good luck trying to identify every insect by its species but by its family should be good enough. I'm from PA too and a few insects exist that...

Look closely at a cricket, they are just a roach that is modified for jumping. Insects that would normally be dirty in the wild can be quite sanitary in captive environments. It took some time, but I'm no longer disgusted to hold bottle fly maggots bc I know what they are eating and that they're...

Thanks for your advice. The crickets seem to prefer hibiscus over chameleon so hopefully this should resolve the biting issue, as it's hard to find crickets amoungst all the vegetation. I'll leave some dandelion greens in there and hope the hibiscus is left alone.

I think it would depend on what you gutload them with and how much of it can be held inside the insect. If I had to guess, 2 crickets to 1 superworm but some crickets are really big and can hold a lot of food. Pre-gut loaded, crickets are more nutrional as the case may be; Crickets- 21.3%...

My Jackson's Chameleon will readily eat anything that flies but rarely eats crickets and refuses worms of all varieties. I feed him mostly farm raised flies that are gutloaded and try to supplement with moths, lacewings, craneflies, and leafhoppers that I attract with lights at night. Does...

Those are Periodical Cicadas, after emerging from thier nymph stage they only live a very short time as a cicada, from my experience about a day because of this they would not be practical as a commercial feeder. Also depending on the colony it will be a 13 to 17 year wait for thier emergance...