Top Document: rec.pets.herp Frequently Asked Questions (3 of 3) Previous Document: <7.1> My herp got away. How can I find it? Next Document: <7.3> Is there something wrong with using live feeder rodents? See reader questions & answers on this topic! - Help others by sharing your knowledge Yes and no. Many people use mealworms as feeders with no ill effects at all, especially with lizards. However, mealworms have hard chitinous shells and may cause digestive problems in large quantities. Moreover, mealworms have mandibles; at least one poster reports having seen mealworms literally eat their way out of a garter snake (yuck), and this author has lost leopard frogs to internal injuries caused by "king" mealworms. The chitin problem can be almost entirely ameliorated by feeding mealworms that have just shed their exoskeleta. Since they shed their mandibles as well, this procedure should also help with the problem of internal injuries; however, if you're feeding mealworms to an animal that can reasonably be expected to swallow them whole, it is prudent to cut the worms' mouthparts off first, or to crush their heads and mandibles with a pair of forceps. It's not pleasant, but it beats risking your herp's health. User Contributions:Top Document: rec.pets.herp Frequently Asked Questions (3 of 3) Previous Document: <7.1> My herp got away. How can I find it? Next Document: <7.3> Is there something wrong with using live feeder rodents? Part1 - Part2 - Part3 - Single Page [ Usenet FAQs | Web FAQs | Documents | RFC Index ] Send corrections/additions to the FAQ Maintainer: Bill East <Eastb@concentric.net>
Last Update March 27 2014 @ 02:12 PM
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