does anyone feed their veiled chameleon phoenix worms?

[Rocco105]

If you do feed your cham them... how frequently do you and do the count as a staple diet or a treat?

 

[jastate09]

Phoenix worms are good feeders for your veiled. I wouldn't use them as a staple. Mix them in a couple of times a week with a few different feeders.

 

[Mr Wilson]

Try butterworms, much better staple feeder and just as easy to feed as phoenix worms. Also cant go wrong with properly gut loaded and dusted crickets

 

[Syn]

Phoenix worms are somewhat small and can have odd digestion quirks.

You can use them every now and then for a calcium boost, but not all chameleons will eat them.

Try butterworms, much better staple feeder and just as easy to feed as phoenix worms. Also cant go wrong with properly gut loaded and dusted crickets

Butterworms are really fatty.... Do you use them as a staple feeder?

 

[Rocco105]

Thanks you guys were a great help

Thanks you guys were a great help

 

[jannb]

I use phoenix worms some but not as a staple. My guys love them.

 

[summoner12]

Phoenix worms are somewhat small and can have odd digestion quirks.

You can use them every now and then for a calcium boost, but not all chameleons will eat them.



Butterworms are really fatty.... Do you use them as a staple feeder?

Pheonix worms are good sources of calcium. They are small and adult chams don't usually take an interest in them. Smaller chams might have more interest. Always buy the 'large' worms, because even the large are only about a 1/2" long. If the cham is on a hunger strike, they might be worth trying out.

Butterworms are only good for chams on a long hunger strike that something to entice them to eat, chams that are ill and need body fat and for "treats".

I might buy butterworms and feed each cham one or two in a day and then wait a few days and only do this a couple of times. Butterworms are nice to have but shouldn't be a frequent food item.

 

[sandrachameleon]

Pheonix worms (soldier fly maggots) are very small, very fatty, and potentially pass through the chameleons digestion system whole if the chameleon doesnt chew well.

Butterworms are less fatty that superworms and pheonix maggots, are higher in calcium than superworms, and come in a variety of sizes, making butterworms a better choice than pheonix maggots.

 

[summoner12]

Pheonix worms (soldier fly maggots) are very small, very fatty, and potentially pass through the chameleons digestion system whole if the chameleon doesnt chew well.

Butterworms are less fatty that superworms and pheonix maggots, are higher in calcium than superworms, and come in a variety of sizes, making butterworms a better choice than pheonix maggots.

I think I mixed it up in my head... I forgot butterworms are less fatty than supers.

so are phoenix worms even worth keepingaround? I've always thought they were a waste of time unless the chameleon doesn't want to eat anything and the keeper feels they need to get 'something' into the cham. Which is why I mention they might be good for an animal on hunger strike. but my personal opinion on hunger strikes is to ferberize the cham... they'll eat when ready unless the animal is sick.

I haven't gone through your whole blog Sandra, but do you have a list of bugs from best to worst?

 

[sandrachameleon]

so are phoenix worms even worth keepingaround? I've always thought they were a waste of time

Depends who you ask I guess. I think they are a waste of time, but others think they are good for small chameleons. So long as they dont make up a large part of the chameleons diet, they wont do harm.

I haven't gone through your whole blog Sandra, but do you have a
list of bugs from best to worst?

Its hard to list in order of best to worst. The whole topic is somewhat subjective, and it really depends on what animal you are feeding, its age, species, health status, gendre, etc. Also the nutritional value of some bugs is quite variable - a young well fed cricket is quite different from an adult cricket thats poorly fed.
That said, I've got my opinion (briefly) about what is good or not so good next to each of the most commonly used feeder types in this blog entry: https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/74-feeders.html

 

[summoner12]

Depends who you ask I guess. I think they are a waste of time, but others think they are good for small chameleons. So long as they dont make up a large part of the chameleons diet, they wont do harm.



Its hard to list in order of best to worst. The whole topic is somewhat subjective, and it really depends on what animal you are feeding, its age, species, health status, gendre, etc. Also the nutritional value of some bugs is quite variable - a young well fed cricket is quite different from an adult cricket thats poorly fed.
That said, I've got my opinion (briefly) about what is good or not so good next to each of the most commonly used feeder types in this blog entry: https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/74-feeders.html

Very nice list! Your blog is great!

 

[Mr Wilson]

Phoenix worms are somewhat small and can have odd digestion quirks.

You can use them every now and then for a calcium boost, but not all chameleons will eat them.



Butterworms are really fatty.... Do you use them as a staple feeder?

Not strictly staple all my guys eat mainly crickets but will fed a variation of crickets, butters, and hornworms through out the week, w/ the occasional super