Phoenix Worms
- Thread starter Calypso
- Start date
absolutbill
Chameleon Enthusiast
You definately will want to vary your feeders - sticking with just one is never a good idea. Most people use crickets or roaches as a "base" (I don't want to use the word staple here.) Then, they add in other feeders to round out the week - like hornworms, silkworms, mantids, superworms, etc. If I were you I wouldn't feed that many Phoenix Worms at a time - maybe one feeding per week, but not more than that. As you have stated, they are high in calcium, plus you just want a more varied diet for your cham.
ReptileLove18
Established Member
gotta be careful with the superworms too, chams can get addicted to them and go on hunger strikes for them! they are best used as a treat, a couple a week generally 
absolutbill
Chameleon Enthusiast
gotta be careful with the superworms too, chams can get addicted to them and go on hunger strikes for them! they are best used as a treat, a couple a week generally
I do one feeding a week with supers - it's a great treat and helps them to hand feed fairly quickly.
Lovereps
Avid Member
I'll add my 2 cents worth.
Phoenixworms are an excellent feeder and it might be that chams won't develop any health problems from eating them as their sole feeder--but why take any chances?
No one has done any studies to prove or disprove that they can be the sole feeder, so all we can really do is to speculate.
In their natural environment chams would likely be eating a broad variety of insects which had themselves feasted upon a variety of plants and/or animals.
It's possible that excess calcium from food is far more easily excreted than supplemental calcium dust--but who knows for sure?
No one.
Scientists are still trying to determine more precisely the nutritional requirements of humans, so anything even resembling exact requirements for chameleons is likely to be a very long way off.
I certainly wouldn't eliminate them from his diet but would have them make up a portion of it, rather than being the entire diet.
Phoenixworms are an excellent feeder and it might be that chams won't develop any health problems from eating them as their sole feeder--but why take any chances?
No one has done any studies to prove or disprove that they can be the sole feeder, so all we can really do is to speculate.
In their natural environment chams would likely be eating a broad variety of insects which had themselves feasted upon a variety of plants and/or animals.
It's possible that excess calcium from food is far more easily excreted than supplemental calcium dust--but who knows for sure?
No one.
Scientists are still trying to determine more precisely the nutritional requirements of humans, so anything even resembling exact requirements for chameleons is likely to be a very long way off.
I certainly wouldn't eliminate them from his diet but would have them make up a portion of it, rather than being the entire diet.
