leopardgeckogeek1600
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I just thought this would be a curious topic to talk about. Is there anything special you do with them before you feed them to your geckos such as cut their head off?
So it is totally safe to feed leopard geckos giant mealworms without cutting their heads off first?
giant mealworms are sprayed with a hormone that causes them to delay/stop pupating and therefore they will grow larger......same exact species as a regular mealworm.
FAQ From New York WormsDo you recommend/sell "Giant" Mealworms?
The so-called "Giant" Mealworms are created by spraying "common" Mealworms with an insect growth hormone to keep them growing instead of pupating as they would normally. Because of this, we feel that the "Giants" are a poor food choice for your Reptiles. However, we do highly recommend them as fishing bait!
Not really, as giant mealworms (mealworms with abnormally high levels of this particular hormone) aren't something they encounter in the wild or often enough for it to have an evolutionary effect. No one's saying the hormone itself is dangerous to reptiles, obviously, but abnormally high levels are a different matter entirely.If this hormone were harmful to reptiles, then they would have consequences by eating these insects that don't metamorphose and died off through evolution long ago.
Do you have a source for this?Insect hormones aren't active or recognizable to reptile/bird species.