Mythbusters

[Haligren]

So I've been seeing a few posts around here asking whether something is true or not. Let's dispel some myths about leos, shall we? I'd like to know the answer to a few myself.

I guess, I'll start: I've read many times that supers may not be good for your gecko as they can 1. chew their way out of their stomach (which seems really unlikely to me) 2. their chitenous (can't spell!) shell can cause internal bleeding 3. they can bite the interior of the gecko causing internal bleeding.

I'm sure there must be more myths out there. But does these ones have any truth at all?

 

[SaSobek]

IMO all busted

on bite from a gecko and the super worm is dead. and i am sure they do not cause internal bleeding. alot of people feed them with no problems. :main_thumbsup:

 

[Riyo]

Well..my two cents on supers (for what it's worth)

1. No..this seems to be a horrible urban legend. I think for this to even be feasible the gecko would have to be ill and the temperatures would have to be low.

2. I believe supers have less chitin than mealworms.

3. Not sure about this one..they do bite hard..but I noticed that my geckos tend to crush their head while they're eating them. Also, wouldn't the supers be killed by the chomping/lack of air/acid?

 

[canadiangecko]

yeah true it kind of seems strange

 

[Haligren]

Well..my two cents on supers (for what it's worth)

1. No..this seems to be a horrible urban legend. I think for this to even be feasible the gecko would have to be ill and the temperatures would have to be low.

2. I believe supers have less chitin than mealworms.

3. Not sure about this one..they do bite hard..but I noticed that my geckos tend to crush their head while they're eating them. Also, wouldn't the supers be killed by the chomping/lack of air/acid?

That's what I thought too!

 

[malt_geckos]

All are not true. Geckos kill the supers as soon as they bite them. Most geckos go for the head of the super. Geckos are made to eat chitin. So their stomaches are made for it. And even if the gecko didn't kill the super all the way, the geckos stomache acid entering the inside of the superworm will kill it very quickly in the stomache. We feed supers with no problems. I actually like feeding them better than anything else because they take forever to pupate.

 

[Bodon]

Acid in the stomach, no air in stomach, chewed before entering stomach, would take too long to chew through stomach even if alive, NO WAY THIS ONE IS TRUE. I dont know how this particular myth ever even got started.

 

[Haligren]

Huh. Well that's a relief. To think I was hesitant to give Tiamat supers based on those silly myths.

What are some other myths about leos? Those are the only ones I've heard recently.

 

[Riyo]

I've heard many pet store associates say that leos NEVER bite... :main_rolleyes:

 

[thekooliest]

I think the biggest myth on the forum is the following.
Blazing Blizzard aggression, but I don't want to get into that. It will overtake the great forum idea.

 

[SaSobek]

I think the biggest myth on the forum is the following.
Blazing Blizzard aggression, but I don't want to get into that. It will overtake the great forum idea.

some are bitey some arn't

 

[Spooki]

i've heard people swear to me about superworms eating through the gecko... i'd have to see it myself to believe it. i'm sure the gecko would have to have something wrong with it for that to happen. my gecko crunches the heck out of those things when he eats them; and i know from trying to pick them up with tongs that they die quickly when crushed.

at work i've been told to advise people that this could maybe happen but i don't bother.

that said- superworms do have a nasty bite. D:<

 

[malt_geckos]

I think the myth about superworms eating through a gecko started like this: The persons gecko died of whatever reason and some superworms that were out of their dish ate the gecko. They wil eat a dead leopard gecko. And the stomache area is the softest part.

 

[SaSobek]

I think the myth about superworms eating through a gecko started like this: The persons gecko died of whatever reason and some superworms that were out of their dish ate the gecko. They wil eat a dead leopard gecko. And the stomache area is the softest part.

well said i was just about to write that
:main_thumbsup:

 

[Bodon]

Yes, that sounds about right to me as well.

 

[Ehatcher]

or another hypothesis is that someone fed a large super to a small juvenile and it choked to death on it... leaving a wiggling super hanging out of the deceased gecko's mouth

Might be unlikely, but terrible to think about.

 

[nats]

Well, here's one I see alot on YouTube:

"Leo's dont have teeth!"

 

[nevinm]

I think the myth about superworms eating through a gecko started like this: The persons gecko died of whatever reason and some superworms that were out of their dish ate the gecko. They wil eat a dead leopard gecko. And the stomache area is the softest part.

even though this is the number one reason i believe, there is another one as well.

some where along the lines someone feed a super worm to an anole... an ANOLE!!!!. the anole probably choked or something before the super was even dead. im suprised the worm didnt eat the entire lizard. but you know, what thing leads to another... it was an anole, no a flying gecko, no a day gecko, no a leopard gecko, no it was a HUGE bearded dragon!!..... some people have no idea..

as for the second one about leopards not biting.... i dont care what animal it is... if it has a mouth it can bite. and thats just common sence.

nev

 

[DoodlePixie]

Haha, i was just on another reptile forum and there was a member asking about the temperature of their viv - they were worried it was too cold.

Quote..."i've heard that if leo's get too cold they turn blue, i don't want a blue gecko".

I had to giggle a lil bit ^_^

 

[liljenn]

Ha,ha! This is always the question I get when I show people my leos "Do they bite??" Ummm..... and as I tell my kids everytime they ask that question about ANYTHING.... as Nevin said:

as for the second one about leopards not biting.... i dont care what animal it is... if it has a mouth it can bite. and thats just common sence.

nev