Feeding Supers

Debbie61

New Member
Just a quick question. I was in to Petsmart buying crickets for Silas the other day and was looking the getting him some supers too. The lady at the pet store told me that if I'm going to feed supers to my chameleon I will need to take the head of the worm off first. Well I have never heard of that, so thought I'd ask the knowledgeable forum members if that is true.
 
You do not have to remove the head. My chams go crazy for supers, just remember to gut load them like your crickets.
 
Just made sure that you give him the worm head first because if he takes it tail first they can swing around and bite them. I read on here where a super put out a chams eye that way.
 
Jann, Wow are they really that nasty or are you toying with me. So just how do you feed a super to a chameleon? Is the super in your palm or between your fingers when you feed them? Sorry to sound so naive, but this is all new to me:confused:
 
I always thought that this info was given out mainly with bearded dragons because if they dont chew there food the worm attempts to eat its way out damaging the insides, well so ive been told !
 
Wow, so from what I have heard maybe it is not a good idea to feed supers. Can they eat mealworms or maybe I'll have to get some butter worms from Chameleons Northwest.
 
yah- it's bull for bearded dragons as well.

It's an excellent example of speculation started on the internet by some well meaning but ignorant individual getting passed around as truth and spreading as fact, rather than speculation.

Supers can't chew their way out of stomach acid. They drown in a bit of water in a few seconds.

This bit of folk lore was more popularly passed along 10 years ago, but even now occasionally someone will pop up who swears one ate it's way out of their lizard, or a friend's lizard. Absolutely laughably false. What *might* happen is a stray superworm loose in the cage might be hungry and eat a lizard that died and started to smell a little, and then the owner might find a super eating around in the lizard and think it chewed out. They will not eat a live lizard...

for whatever it is worth- I've fed them for many years (15 or more?) to hundreds (couple thousand?) of lizards and never had a problem. Bert Langerwerf (the guy who "invented" the superworm in the reptile hobby) fed them for decades to many thousands of lizards (tens of thousands) and never had a problem either...

For whatever else it is worth- I feed my lizards mealworms as well as superworms- both are good for variety. Supers are better alone nutritionally than mealworms, but you should not use any one insect alone for the best results with your lizard anyway...
 
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Debbie, it's ok to feed supers. I feed them once weekly. I not only feed them I also raise them. Just give the worm head first and you should not have any problems. I've only bought meal worms once but you should try some silkworms and hornworms. Your guy will love them. I also raise my silkworms but you can but them and horns at www.coastalsilkworms.com
 
Wow, so from what I have heard maybe it is not a good idea to feed supers. Can they eat mealworms or maybe I'll have to get some butter worms from Chameleons Northwest.

supers are fine and most chams love them! Just put them in a shallow cup or container and feed that way. Make sure the cup is not see through so you cham is not shooting on the outside of the cup
 
Thanks Jann and Carol for the advice and information. I will look into getting Silas some treats such as mentioned. Thanks again.
 
Supers

Supers are a great feeder and you don't need to take off the head at least I never had and all my animals have never had a worm eat their insides lol or maybe they are just tough :p
 
I feed Supers and crickets equally as a staple. I have never had an issue besides one biting me, and that just scares you more than hurts. And my Bearded Dragons chew things far better than chams, I cannot imagine anything making it alive beyond their jaws!
 
I actually got a little nip from one several days ago for the first time, although I dont know if it was a true nip. I got a thousand supers from a show and the other day while putting them back in the container they're in after cleaning it i felt a very slight pinch. But at the time I had several hundred in my hands while transferring them, so it may have been something else.

As far as feeding I'll on occasion use a cup, but a lot of times I'll let them attach to the side of the screen and as they're crawling up the cage the cham will pick it off. Haven't had a problem yet.
 
Nip

Some can nip idk why there mandibles might be bigger but it's fat from deadly lol
 
Correct me if I am wrong, but don't chams shoot for the head by nature? I have only seen one of mine miss and hit the back of a horn. It did reach around and bite him, he freaked and shook it off then ran down his ficus and shot again and hit his target.
 
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