supers and cutting off the heads?

[bubblez825]

jw, how many of u guyz cut the heads off the superworms b4 feeding them 2 da gex? & btw i am totally on the WII typing this!

Emily

 

[Hacksaw]

i dont, that myth about a meal/super worm eating through the geckos stomach is 100% not true.

anyway, i dont think alot of people do that.

 

[bubblez825]

thnx. my friend told me to ask it even tho i knew the answer. shes weird

 

[Zynx_Keekeio]

i dont, that myth about a meal/super worm eating through the geckos stomach is 100% not true.

anyway, i dont think alot of people do that.

I beg to differ we had a guy come into the petstore with his reptile who had his stomach completely eatin through by a superworm

 

[Superior]

Really?

 

[Zynx_Keekeio]

I wasn't present at the time this happened but the people who told me i completely trust there judgement so I'd rather smash or cut off the heads than risk losing my leos. What's the harm in cutting of the head, they'll still wiggle for a couple of days with out them I think lol not sure on that part

 

[Bennayboi]

I think a superworm can only eat out of a stomach if the leo is sick or too young to handle it. A healthy adult leo should handle them fine with the heads on, but then again supers are fairly violent insects

 

[bronko]

but doesnt the geckos have like stomach flluids that help digest food like we do and wouldnt that kill the superworm

 

[LizMarie]

I was reading about this and many say that it has happened BUT the likely hood of it happening is very small. My thing is if ppl have actually seen it happen or walk by an see the dead lizard and a worm munching? Is it that the worm ate thru or the worm is just feeding on the leo? I dunno.

 

[clear]

Its a myth until pictures are posted to prove otherwise!

 

[runko]

/\ agreed........they crush the internal organs and head when eating it.....

 

[Untide]

Superworms are pretty vicious though. My normal "Pics or its not true" applies here BUT I cut the heads off my worms anyway. Better safe then sorry > POINT

 

[Zynx_Keekeio]

That's what I would do is, why not take the extra two seconds to crush the head? It isn't a negative thing, it's just taking precautions

 

[Ultrakd]

I dont, My geckos eat them as soon as I pput them in

 

[leonut]

i used to but then i thought, "this is silly." i don't any more and no dead leos yet.

 

[fallen_angel]

I have never felt the need to, but I do rip the hopper legs off of crickets before feeding those because they can cut the inside of the gecko's stomach. Plus it makes them easier to catch.. I feel really bad just doing that alone (like I am torturing them!), so I am sure I would feel even worse cutting heads off! Of course, if it was really needed, I would do it.. I've been feeding supers with heads to most of our geckos for over 6 months now.

But I wouldn't think they would move around too much after cutting the head off, would they? I have cut supers in half before, and the end with the head always moves around for a few more hours, but the back end never does.

From what I have watched, the leos will crush the head themselves when they eat it. I almost always hear a loud crunch of the super worms skull cracking.. although when I don't hear it, I will admit that I do worry a little..

 

[thestack510]

I think it can happen. If the temp in the enclosure is too low digestion will not happen like it should, and if a "Superworm's" (they're not worms) head has not been crushed by being bitten or otherwise it will instinctively begin to try to escape and bore right through an animal. Temperature and/or digestive tract health is the deciding factor.

 

[fallen_angel]

I would agree on that one. But so instead of focusing on cutting the heads off, making sure proper temps. are in place is going to be more important.

 

[leonut]

I would agree on that one. But so instead of focusing on cutting the heads off, making sure proper temps. are in place is going to be more important.

exactly. :main_thumbsup:

 

[Hayabusa]

Only something as strong hydrochloric acid would be able to kill a superworm quick enough to kill it dead.

So, if the leo doesnt crunch the head up before they swallow it, and only maybe squeezes the body a few times, it could absolutely do some damage, if not totally eat through stomach tissue.

Unless your totally squeamish you should just crush the superworm's head with a pair of tweezers before putting it in the leo's tank.

If not, feed them something else.

Personally i wouldnt risk it, but then again i wouldnt risk using sand, i wouldnt risk using heat rocks, and i wouldnt risk using uv light....... but some people do.