Superworm Impaction

[Aaenson]

If you guys don't believe me that is fine, its very rare but I know it happens. I fed it one super, because it didn't chew the first one so I didn't want it to keep swallowing them, came back the next day and it was dead with a whole in the stomach. A super didn't eat its way inside of it because I don't leave food in the cage I always hand feed.

 

[Elizadolots]

Well, I'm terrified of the things...I'm reasonably sure they grow up to be something like this:

But even I don't believe it lives long enough to eat it's way out of an animal that's consumed it. It's not Jonah the SuperWorm after all....

I suspect Sandra has the right answer: the animal died during the night and the worms were dining on the corpse.

 

[mc9423]

Haha Eliza!

The beetles creep me out, too. My first experience with one was when I was cleaning the gecko's cage and pulled out the -solid black- water dish. Surprise, surprise! Beetle on the rim. No clue how I hadn't noticed it earlier.

But that's why I keep them all together - no supers are getting by themselves to pupate in this house.

 

[Elizadolots]

I have a batch bought in case the "cricket shortage" was a problem...but I have lovely, innocuous phoenix worms arriving Tuesday...so, I'm going to set the super worms free...my husband is sure this will disrupt the eco system...I'm sure the big black birds that won't even leave the tree when I walk my dogs under them will eat the super worms...

I sort of want to watch the encounter...Super Worms vs. Super Birds...

 

[Brad Ramsey]

I have a batch bought in case the "cricket shortage" was a problem...but I have lovely, innocuous phoenix worms arriving Tuesday

Hmmm.

phoenix worm: not a great option (in my opinion)

Super worm: fantastic feeder. (in my opinion)

You're making an interesting choice, absolutely the opposite of what I would do.

-Brad

 

[gpmo]

I would highly recommend not just letting any animal or insect go free. No one thought the zebra clam would be a big deal if one or two got into American lakes. Or Africanized bees. If this isn't their natural habitat releasing anything could be bad. There are to many cases of ppl thinking it's no big deal when it is. If you do want to feed them to th birds put them in the base of a flowe pot or somthing the birds can get them but they can't escape.


Though I believe Feeding to the Chams would be best.

Gpmo (him)

 

[Elizadolots]

Well, hopefully there won't be a problem getting crickets. Neither of mine has shown any interest in superworms. One of my guys is big on worms, but he wouldn't touch the superworms.

**edited to add**

Okay, we won't do the "born free" ceremony on the superworms.

 

[Julirs]

I have also found phoenix worms to be useless-they are usually too small to be of any interest to my crew. Hold on to the Supers-Eliza-they will last for months. My Fischers love them.

 

[sandrachameleon]

It is common practise to feed mealworms and superworms to wild birds. Just put them in something they wont escape from until the birds arrive.

I prefer superworms to pheonix worms / soldier fly maggots (which are far to small), and so do my chameleons.

 

[tkilgour]

I personally can't even get hatchlings to eat phoenix worms. The maggots just sit there and wiggle around and they are tiny. None of my chams even look at the phoenix worms.

 

[candyflip]

Whats a safe amount of superworms to feed? 3-4 or just like 1 very week

 

[Chameleon Estevez]

meal worms/suuper worms

I am not a fan as I am convinced they killed one of my chams, no proof tho. but Hector seems not to like them so much and I think they are hideous so win win. what about other types of bugs such as moths, earth worms, and grasshoppers, are they acceptable dining matter?

 

[sandrachameleon]

Whats a safe amount of superworms to feed? 3-4 or just like 1 very week

You are unlikely to find consensus. I feel a few a week is fine, so long as they dont make up the bulk of the diet. I try not to let any one type of prey make up more than 20% of a chameleons intake.

I am not a fan as I am convinced they killed one of my chams, no proof tho. but Hector seems not to like them so much and I think they are hideous so win win. what about other types of bugs such as moths, earth worms, and grasshoppers, are they acceptable dining matter?

Moths are usually fine. Earth worms can carry parasites, as can wild caugth grasshoppers. You also have no way of being sure that what the wild caught insect ate recently is safe for chameleons. That said, I use wild caught bugs. See:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/213-use-wild-caught-insects.html
and:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/74-feeders.html

 

[candyflip]

Thanks for the info, i have been switching it up for him, and i will keep doing so.