Is this caterpillar safe to feed to my Panther?

[dimil]

Found it high up on the wall no pesticides in the area

 

[junglefries]

Wait for the butterfly. That's what I do with them. They love butterflies!!!!!!!

 

[dimil]

Wait for the butterfly. That's what I do with them. They love butterflies!!!!!!!

How exactly do I go about doing that? TIA

 

[junglefries]

Leave it in a small pet container (or make something similar) and let it cocoon itself. Shortly, a beautiful butterfly dinner will emerge. Most caterpillars will only eat the leaves from the tree it was taken from. Feed those if available or known, until it cocoons. It should start soon, due to fall. Good luck.

 

[Dro B]

This appears to be a catacola of some sort. I'm a member of the moth and moth photographers group on Facebook. If you request to join theyll identify it for you usually under an hour. I would recommend it because it could have toxins in it from hostplant, but then again, most people think tomato plant fed hornworms are lethal and deadly yet some of the most respectable Cham breeders plant tomato specifically to catch the worms.

 

[ridgebax1]

I would not feed it either. Hornworms that feed on tomato plants ARE toxic and should not be fed off to any lizard. Keepers that use tomato plants usually do so as a place for the adult moths to lay eggs. It really is not necessary as the female will lay eggs anywhere and everywhere.

 

[Dro B]

I agree, but I meant it the way I said it. There are posts here if you look for them, people say they feed wild hornworms all the time without any adverse effect. I certainly wouldnt though.