Silkworms as Feeders?

[Chameleon Loco]

I just bought some at the pomona reptile show how healthy are they and can they be a staple?

 

[jannb]

Yes, they are excellent feeders.

 

[JenniferAlicia]

Does any one have insight about these? I heard that they can be extremely hard to get off of their perches?
I really want to order some, but I was hoping for personal experience before hand

 

[sandrachameleon]

Silkworms do hold on to branches with their suction feet. but its no match to the pull of the Chameleons tongue. Silkworms are a good feeder to include in the mix of prey offered.

 

[Chameleon Loco]

Even my crested gecko likes them

Which is odd because he usually likes faster moving feeders. Are silkworms high in fat? And will they turn into moths if not feed off and can the months be used as food also?

 

[Clifford]

Which is odd because he usually likes faster moving feeders. Are silkworms high in fat? And will they turn into moths if not feed off and can the months be used as food also?

Silkworms are very similar to crickets in terms of fat content, according to:
http://chamownersweb.net/insects/nutritional_values.htm

Yes they do eventually turn into moths (but the moths have very little nutritional value, having used up their stored energies becoming moths - moths dont eat)

My chameleon really enjoys silkworms and the moths.

 

[KingJulien]

Funny you should ask, I was just reading up on the topic today.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/silkworms-101-a-7906/

My breeder insists that silkworms and crickets should be the primary feeders. It seems that the least expensive way to go about keeping them, without breeding them, is to buy eggs in bulk. I'm just getting started myself, so I can't advise you further except to say that this is the cheapest priced website I have found:
http://www.mulberryfarms.com

 

[Miss Lily]

Silkmoths look like this - this is 'Moffy' my first (and only so far) silkmoth!

I had one pupate a few months ago, and I thought so was so cute! I couldn't bear to feed it to my chams!

 

[Chameleon Loco]

How long have you had this moth?

I thought they dont eat when they are moths

 

[Miss Lily]

'Moffy' was alive for 9 days! No, they don't eat - just mate, lay eggs and die.

 

[AReptile]

How many silkworms a day is good for a young chameleon? I ordered 100 3/4 of an inch silk worms from Mulberry farms and this is my first time using them. Everyone recommends them here but I never actually saw someone say how many are good for the chameleon in a day.

 

[sandrachameleon]

How many to offer depends on what type of chameleon, its size, its activity level, what else you are feeding it, etc.

I think of a large silkworm as roughly equivalent to two crickets.

 

[acurtis]

my mother gives her chams silk worms all the time. they love them.

 

[AReptile]

How many to offer depends on what type of chameleon, its size, its activity level, what else you are feeding it, etc.

I think of a large silkworm as roughly equivalent to two crickets.

https://www.chameleonforums.com/my-chameleon-midget-44948/

That's a picture of her, she'll be in my possesion for 7 months tomorrow. Staple of mostly crickets with a couple of waxworms once a month or so. Gave her some flies this summer as well. But she mostly eats crickets for the most part

 

[Tommyguntaylor]

Moffy is so cute!

 

[sandrachameleon]

So she's not yet a year old and you feel she is a little small for her age. So you'll probably be offering small or medium sized silkworms, and you could offer her say two of those a day, along with 2-4 crickets. If you are thinking she isnt hunting well, you could try cup feeding for the crickets. See what she eats and how fast, and notice how she grows (weights), this will help you determine how much to offer. As she approaches a year old, you dont want to over feed.
AReptile, This entry in the Raising Kitty blog might be helpful to you:
http://raisingkittytheveiledchameleon.blogspot.com/2007/12/keeping-female-veiled.html

 

[petkel]

Wow..really wow..i have never seen a moth looking like that before it looks kinda like a flying mouse,,i agree cute but weired..

 

[joeandsoph]

Ewwwwwwwwwwww Moffy is bloody ugly. I am terrified of moths and he just like a giant killer dude that wants to eat me. :-(

 

[Miss Lily]

Ewwwwwwwwwwww Moffy is bloody ugly. I am terrified of moths and he just like a giant killer dude that wants to eat me. :-(

Lol! I didn't really like moths before, but Moffy was so tiny and oh, so cute! It was quite fascinating too - I loved watching it wash it's antennae! Too cute! Some moths are ugly, but I was in no way prepared for how cute silkmoths were gonna be!