Panther Chameleon diet - UK

I got the feeling locusts aren’t that nutritious as crickets and Dubai’s, I do offer them to my chams.
Not sure where this misconception would come from. Locusts/grasshoppers (especially Schistocerca sp.) are much leaner, higher in protein, and nutrient dense than crickets. Not only that, they are a natural food for chameleons in the wild, being diurnal and arboreal. Crickets are nocturnal and ground-dwelling. The reason, besides being cheap, that crickets are overwhelmingly used in the US is because USDA makes it difficult to farm grasshoppers. I had to jump through legal hoops to sell them. Here is a chart for reference. I've marked the Schistocerca locusts in red (yours should be Schistocerca gregaria, in the UK) and the crickets in blue.

1682745020794.png
 
Not sure where this misconception would come from. Locusts/grasshoppers (especially Schistocerca sp.) are much leaner, higher in protein, and nutrient dense than crickets. Not only that, they are a natural food for chameleons in the wild, being diurnal and arboreal. Crickets are nocturnal and ground-dwelling. The reason, besides being cheap, that crickets are overwhelmingly used in the US is because USDA makes it difficult to farm grasshoppers. I had to jump through legal hoops to sell them. Here is a chart for reference. I've marked the Schistocerca locusts in red (yours should be Schistocerca gregaria, in the UK) and the crickets in blue.

View attachment 337672
Thanks for sharing this. Like said it’s more a feeling and based on no facts. I see my crickets grow fat from the gut load and locusts keep that slim body. Will when eating barely something squeezes out of their body, with crickets and dubia’s you notice when they’re full eaten. Once again thanks for the info, always great to see some figures 👍🏻
 
Back
Top Bottom