Feeding Caterpillars...

[Dog Shrink]

So can I feed any old caterpillar to my leo or are there certain ones that could harm him? While raking the dog run today I found a few big green caterpillars. They look kinda like dirty monarch butterfly caterpillars. Can Eros eat them? I feed him around 11:30 pm tonight and would like to treat him with one of these if it won't hurt him. Imput???....

 

[MellowMan24]

you shouldnt feed anything that has been outside, they could have ate a plant that was treated with pesticides. plus you dont even know what it is! would you want to eat something that was in a fridge but you dont know what it is?

 

[Dog Shrink]

you dont even know what it is! would you want to eat something that was in a fridge but you dont know what it is?

that would depend on what it looked like... I know that there are no pesticides used anywhere close to me, and I never said I didn't know what type it was... I said it looked like a dirty monarch caterpillar. When we had our toad pretty much any insect we found outside was given to her with out issue, and yes I Know difference between leo and toad, hence my question...

Just for future reference mellowman... your post didn't come off as very mellow.

 

[Jordan]

might be safe, might not. why risk it.

 

[Khrysty]

The general rule is stay away from anything brightly colored or hairy. I'm thinking a little green caterpillar should be safe. What do monarch larvae eat though? Isn't it milkweed (or am I confusing that with something else..?) If it is, that's poison to most animals.

 

[T-ReXx]

I wouldn't chance it. Generally, most caterpillars have some sort of chemical defense, most are toxic to some degree(monarchs definately are). Also, even though pesticides aren't necessarily used in your area, that doesn't change the fact that outside insects often carry internal parasites, and you can never be 100% sure the insect doesn't have pesticide residues. If it were my animal, I wouldn't do it.

 

[Dog Shrink]

Yeah I already threw it out... between that and what I found on google I decided it wasn't a good idea. Thanks for the imput.

 

[lilmike]

monarch catipilars eat milkweed and they are poisinus enough to kill a bird.....i dont think its the best idea

 

[BrilliantEraser]

If you're interested in giving your leo a treat, try silkworms! They're soft-bodied caterpillars and my guys absolutely love them. And unlike waxworms, they're high in protein (so I don't actually feel guilty about spoiling them )

 

[Dog Shrink]

Thanks for the tip Liz. How do you keep them since they're just a treat, I'd need to store them for a couple weeks or so.

 

[fl_orchidslave]

It's not ever a good idea to feed any wild caught insects to our beloved pets. Bugs have been known to travel so who knows what its' eaten or been exposed to.

 

[Dog Shrink]

It's not ever a good idea to feed any wild caught insects to our beloved pets. Bugs have been known to travel so who knows what its' eaten or been exposed to.

That's why it's in ma trash can :main_yes:

 

[BrilliantEraser]

If you order them from Mulberry Farms, you can buy a "Silkworm Cup" which houses 25-50 silkworms (depending on their size) and enough silkworm chow to last them a few weeks. Makes it very easy to keep them, and the price is definitely right.

 

[UnicornSpirit]

Monarch Butterflies are POISONOUS... I can't imagine that in caterpillar stage they would be any better. Just to be sure and because there are sooo many out there maybe you should just be safe and avoid feeding all caterpillars. Not to mention- if they're not poisonous they could harbor internal parasites that could then go into your gecko.

If you want I would order captive-bred (feeder) silk worms, which are caterpillars, to feed to your leos.

Cool find though!

 

[UnicornSpirit]

Awwwww I wouldn't throw away the caterpillars though... just put them back outside so they can grow and become beautiful butterflies!

 

[RAlbrecht]

A lot of places are selling "Silkworm Pods" now... they are premade little pods with enough food for the worms usually 12-25 each pod. Just remember if you get the pre-made pod to clean out the poop time to time it gets pretty smelly. Another "worm" that has been around for awhile are Hornworms, I've raised both Silk-worms and Horn-worms and Silkys stink compared to the hornworms, they are both healthy for the gecko, just silkworm poop smells worse. If you want more info on raising them PM me I'll be happy to help you out

 

[Dog Shrink]

Thanks Robert and I just might take you up on the horm worm thing. We had a couple this year on our tomato plants and my son tried to get one to morph but it just got really fat, hit the 4 inches and then like shrunk to it's original siae (like an inch or 2) and died. He was really disappointed.

It had already died Melissa, that's why it got thrown out... when I went to collect it to put it back outside, it was done. I just know we get some HUGE cicadas here every year, hundreds of them. Miss Toad use to LOVE cicada month. She sould nearly double in size. Also green grasshoppers out the wazoo. I just thought if the Gods saw fit to provide us with so many wonderful bugs why not use some of them.

 

[fl_orchidslave]

I was told on the chameleon forum that hornworms from our tomato plants are poisonous when fed to lizards. Captive bred hornworms raised for feeders are not. I never looked into what diet was required to raise the horns but it might be worth checking out. I'll stick to supers and meals, it's plenty for me to keep those colonies going

 

[RAlbrecht]

It is true that the horn worms that have eaten tomato plants have a toxin in them that can be harmful to your gecko, however when raised on the horn worm chow there is no issues at all. These things grow quick though so usually starting off with a small group is best to feed them off quick.