OK, So do Leos not eat mealworm beetles?

[Wheels47130]

I just started my minis Mealworm farm. Do the geckos not eat the beetles and only eat the worms? Just curious ?

 

[DrCarrotTail]

The beetles are mostly chitin which makes them hard to digest and not very yummy. They also seem to give off a bit of a smell which can't be pleasant. Unless your leo is super hungry I doubt he'll eat them but I don't think they'll harm him if they are eaten.

 

[tb144050]

hard to digest.

Just hearing those words make me cringe at the thought of impaction.

 

[DrCarrotTail]

I really don't think they'll cause impaction because even though chitin is largely undigestable, it doesn't turn to cement in their intestines as calcium sand does. If they eat a whole lot of anything it could be a possibility though.

 

[Akari_32]

I throw my geckos the newly molted beetles every now and then (the ones that's are still white). They love 'em. The black ones are too crunchy for me to feel ok with feeding them off. Besides, they need to make me babies, so I save them lol

 

[tb144050]

it doesn't turn to cement in their intestines as calcium sand does.

Good to know!! I am taking notes from you...hehe. I have never and won't ever use sand anyway, but I was thinking an undigestible "object" might lodge and cause blockage. Thanks for the info.

 

[DrCarrotTail]

A big object most definitely could lodge and cause issues, but from a logical perspective, leos need to be able to handle some "roughage." I mean everything they eat in the wild can't be super easy to digest and I bet they encounter a fair number of crunchy bugs in a desert environment. In captivity I would worry more about things that could potentially swell up with moisture or create a big clump that could clog their system. In beardies people worry about exoskeletons of 100s of mealworms eaten at once and in cresteds people worry about them because their digestion is so much slower at the temps they need to live at (65-80 degrees) but it's not really a concern for leos since they can't eat a whole lot (and the size of the food compared to them is much closer) and they digest relatively quickly at proper temperatures.

 

[Tongue Flicker]

My boy can eat superworm (not the small mealworm) beetles with no problems. He usually prefers to eat one at least every month. Love hearing the sound of a beetle being crushed when he's eating one