Feeding mealworms?

[OrangeCrush]

I have a baby veiled Cham a few months old. I was thinking about feeding him some baby mealworms as a treat. I want to hear what everyone thinks about feeding baby mealworms first because I have heard some mixed feelings about them. I do plan to dust them before feeding, so the have some vitamins to give.

 

[camimom]

As long as you arent using them as a daily feeder, and they are not too big, go for it.

 

[suzi]

I second that notion

 

[Citizen Snips]

Give him the white ones that are softer and squishy, so he can digest them easy.

 

[ferretinmyshoes]

The problem with mealworms is that they don't have a lot of nutritional value but they do have a high ratio of chitin, which is difficult to digest. So too many can lead to impactions or constipation. Better options would be butterworms, silkworms, etc. which you have to order online. But little mealworms in moderation are not the end of the world.

 

[OrangeCrush]

Ok yea I have heard that but my local pet shop has the really small ones and I figured I might give them ashot. I do plan to order the small hornworms. Are they ok too? I also plan to get the small silk worms. I heard the silk worms are the best for them. Thanks a lot everyone.

 

[ferretinmyshoes]

You should know small hornworms will become HUGE hornworms just in the transit time it takes to get to you! If you're feeding a little guy they'll be too big by the time you get them unless you can get them locally. They grow really fast, especially when it's warm.

 

[sandrachameleon]

I have a baby veiled Cham a few months old. I was thinking about feeding him some baby mealworms as a treat. I want to hear what everyone thinks about feeding baby mealworms first because I have heard some mixed feelings about them. I do plan to dust them before feeding, so the have some vitamins to give.

Yes absolutely, a few very small mealworms from time to time will make a nice addition to your chameleons diet. They should be gutloaded as much as possible. They should not form a large part of the diet, simply because they dont offer a great deal in nutrition. THey are high in fat, but for a young growing chameleon that's not a huge problem. They are also a little harder to digest than some feeders, but again not a problem so long as mealworms are more of a treat than a main meal.

other great options are small silkworms, small butterworms, and even the occassional soldier fly maggot (often sold as calci worms or pheonix worms)

 

[OrangeCrush]

Thanks for all the help everyone I did end up picking up a cup of small mealworms. They are pretty tiny and I don't see T-Rex having a problem eating them at all. Does anyone have any suggested websites that they order their worms from?

 

[sandrachameleon]

Does anyone have any suggested websites that they order their worms from?

here you go:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/171-where-buy-feeders-online.html