Locust Preference

iwantone

New Member
My young Panther seems to prefer eating locusts to crickets. Is it okay if she is given more locusts? She also has dubia roaches sometimes.
 
Out of the three, dubia roaches are said to be the better feeder just behind crickets, then finally locusts. Dubias are meatier and easy to gutload just like crickets. Locusts only fall behind because they do not gutload as well as crickets. My panther chameleon definitely prefers locusts to crickets as well, but I only like to offer locusts occasionally as more of a treat so he will not totally give up eating crickets.
 
I use Locusts as my main staple because my Cham doesn't take crickets or Dubia's as much, plus having a feeder that stays around basking spots is ideal to me. I don't think they're detrimental to your chameleons health provided you supplement of course, I'd say there's nothing wrong with Locusts.
 
my chameleons staple is locusts they are probably the best if your cham wont eat crickets but I would say these are better than crickets and dubias due to their size and easiness of gutloading
 
Soooo I have conflicting advise and now I'm confused. Mia will take both crickets and locusts but the locusts get guzzled a lot more quickly so I'm pretty sure that she prefers them.

Any more opinions on this?
 
Locusts are higher in calcium so I would go with them plus they are a natural food item more so than crickets.

I agree with this - I read in a book that locusts are a cham's main source of calcium in the wild. I used to grow wheat grass for my locusts. We all know how rich in calcium milk is - think cows eat grass = calcium rich milk!

Obviously a varied diet is best for them, but some just won't eat anything other than what they like. I have had Tommy for 18 months now ans he has only eaten one cricket for me!
 
Locusts are higher in calcium so I would go with them plus they are a natural food item more so than crickets.

I agree with this - I read in a book that locusts are a cham's main source of calcium in the wild. I used to grow wheat grass for my locusts. We all know how rich in calcium milk is - think cows eat grass = calcium rich milk!

Obviously a varied diet is best for them, but some just won't eat anything other than what they like. I have had Tommy for 18 months now ans he has only eaten one cricket for me!

Thank you both. That's what I like to hear actually as I personally prefer locusts too lol. I've just ordered 40 more which will make Mia happy. :)

I've been giving my locusts various things to gutload them. As a matter of interest what does everyone use for gutloading these specifically as I find them a bit different to crickets? Especially the wet gutload part. I'm now using butternut squash, sweet potato, carrot, apple, papaya and mango. Not sure about the papaya and mango though as it goes pretty soggy quickly. I might get some rocket too.
 
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