Super worms questions

[murphy2747]

Hi, I recently bought a Leopard Gecko and the lady who sold her to me gave me some super worms as well. I have heard that supers can cause internal damage if their heads are not crushed. Is that true? Also, I was wondering how many times a week to feed super worms and how many in one sitting. Thanks!

P.S: My leo is a fully grown adult

 

[rabidmoose]

Well there's a helpfull poll in feeders/feeding becuase I dont serve super mealies.
Also for a full adult you feed 2-3 times aweek and about however many he/she will eat in 20 mins, they know when to stop
Congratulations on makinga new friend!

 

[Herbiebug]

Superworms cannot harm your gecko once eaten. The thing about supers/mealies chewing on the stomach lining is a myth that has remarkable staying power for no reason I have been able to discern.

The only issue supers present to adult geckos is potential to bite when gecko initially grabs it (prior to chewing and swallowing). Most leos are quite good about snatching them near their head area and crush them immediately. So, unless your gecko is a sloppy eater, the risk posed to gecko is negligible.

How many depends on the size of the supers. My leo will generally eat 3 or 4 of the full sized 2 inch adults. If smaller, try 5-7. Gecko will stop when full.

 

[DrCarrotTail]

I agree that supers only pose a threat before being eaten if they bite. I have fed them off and on for a couple of years and have never had an issue even when geckos swallowed them whole without crunching heads. I feed my adults two superworms as a meal unless they are breeding or growing and then they might get three. They might eat more but I like to keep my guys a bit on the hungry side so they are ready to eat when I'm ready to feed and not overly fat

 

[murphy2747]

Thanks everyone! I was skeptical about the myth but i just wanted to make sure.

 

[Akari_32]

I'm not sure if it's based in truth or not. But I almost always crush the heads when I feed supers. Better safe than sorry, I figure.

 

[Tongue Flicker]

I've had axolotls and tree frogs that are thinner skinned than geckos that eat live superworms. So definitely a myth!