jadegreencham
New Member
can u catch grasshoppers and feed ur chameleons with them
grasshopper
- Thread starter jadegreencham
- Start date
YES....now will come all the reasons not to!!
Nick
Nick
Edward Kim
Established Member
Parasites?
contamination? nonsense 
hahaha.
If I had the time I would catch and feed them wild hoppers all the time.
Just my 2 cents
contamination? nonsense hahaha.If I had the time I would catch and feed them wild hoppers all the time.
Just my 2 cents
LittleLionLover
Member
What about things like zoo med's can o' grasshoppers? I'm curious if anyone has any input about using such things.
Edward Kim
Established Member
I do believe that the dehydrated versions such as "can of crap" lack much of the desired nutritional value live insects hold. Plus you can't gutload.
sandrachameleon
Chameleon Enthusiast
Yes, you can feed wild caught grasshoppers. I do every year. However you must be willing to risk parasites, have fecal tests done and be ready to treat, be certain no pestacides have been used in the general area (backyards are NOT a good option, as your neighbours probably have used something even if you havent), and be aware that the hind jumping legs have spines that might cause mouth injury.
sandrachameleon
Chameleon Enthusiast
I have input: DONT EVEN THINK IT
No nutritional value
No idea the conditions those insects were kept in (could be filfth filled)
No water content
No movement
jojackson
New Member
Jadegreen, In short, Absolutely! have at it!
Lion,
Strangely, I once saw a bearded dragon go nuts for canned crickets offered it. They looked black and oily, so I have no idea what was on or in them, but that beardy sucked em up!
That said, Ive never ever given my reptiles that kind of crap. Im a firm beleiver in 'fresh is best', even when it meant taking a net and catching your own every afternoon (before you could buy them).
Despite manufacturers claims and the fact some lizards might eat them, you cant be giving your lizard the best possible nutrition this way.
Canned food might pass for carnivors/ominvors like cats/dogs, but a diet like that for reptiles will be vastly deficient imo.
Its cheap $ making marketing at its best! Its like so called 'snake sausages' avail in some countrys, snakes might eat them, but it dosent mean they should.
This kind of product is aimed directly at the lazy and ignorant consumer, and in most cases, intended as a staple diet for convenience, the health of the reptile, (apart from the fact they dont deliberately poison it lol) is a moot point.
Lion,
Strangely, I once saw a bearded dragon go nuts for canned crickets offered it. They looked black and oily, so I have no idea what was on or in them, but that beardy sucked em up!
That said, Ive never ever given my reptiles that kind of crap. Im a firm beleiver in 'fresh is best', even when it meant taking a net and catching your own every afternoon (before you could buy them).
Despite manufacturers claims and the fact some lizards might eat them, you cant be giving your lizard the best possible nutrition this way.
Canned food might pass for carnivors/ominvors like cats/dogs, but a diet like that for reptiles will be vastly deficient imo.
Its cheap $ making marketing at its best! Its like so called 'snake sausages' avail in some countrys, snakes might eat them, but it dosent mean they should.
This kind of product is aimed directly at the lazy and ignorant consumer, and in most cases, intended as a staple diet for convenience, the health of the reptile, (apart from the fact they dont deliberately poison it lol) is a moot point.
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Jono
New Member
I bought a canOpillars at some point due to a break in the cricket supply (the main supplier's breeding stock got some disease and died off).
If nothing else they are a hassle to get your guy to eat. They try sell you an expensive "vibrating" food dish to make the chams go for them HAH! which I refused to buy!
My veiled did eat some of them after painfully long hours of food container jggling and coercing (and many odd looks from my cham. He did digested them with no problems.
My first hand opinion is they are an absolute last resort if you have run out of every other feeder and no one has anything in stock. I only used them for two days and then stuck em in the fridge, when I checked again there was a thick layer of mould on them so I threw them away.
I hope I never have to use them again but rather that than letting my cham go hungry.
If nothing else they are a hassle to get your guy to eat. They try sell you an expensive "vibrating" food dish to make the chams go for them HAH! which I refused to buy!
My veiled did eat some of them after painfully long hours of food container jggling and coercing (and many odd looks from my cham
. He did digested them with no problems.My first hand opinion is they are an absolute last resort if you have run out of every other feeder and no one has anything in stock. I only used them for two days and then stuck em in the fridge, when I checked again there was a thick layer of mould on them so I threw them away.
I hope I never have to use them again but rather that than letting my cham go hungry.
LittleLionLover
Member
Jojackson
I've seen the same thing happen with a friends bearded dragon, didn't quite understand it myself, and I'd have to agree with the things you've pointed out I've seen situations where people "get lazy" my heart always goes out to the poor creature.
That's not to say that it's a bad product but I think it'd be more of a treat if anything, one thats used very very sparingly, and perhaps only for certain lizards and even then I'm not so sure.I've always seen them around and was simply curious to see if anyone used them with their chams and their effects if there was any. I've heard actually, that it's a very beneficial product for small mammals like sugar gliders and some birds as well. Personally though, I stick strictly with live feeders and am always tedious with gutloading. Thankyou all for the input though I appreciate it.
I've seen the same thing happen with a friends bearded dragon, didn't quite understand it myself, and I'd have to agree with the things you've pointed out I've seen situations where people "get lazy" my heart always goes out to the poor creature.
That's not to say that it's a bad product but I think it'd be more of a treat if anything, one thats used very very sparingly, and perhaps only for certain lizards and even then I'm not so sure.I've always seen them around and was simply curious to see if anyone used them with their chams and their effects if there was any. I've heard actually, that it's a very beneficial product for small mammals like sugar gliders and some birds as well. Personally though, I stick strictly with live feeders and am always tedious with gutloading. Thankyou all for the input though I appreciate it.
