Superworms

[eiontay]

Are gut loaded Superworms suitable for WTF?

[Deac77]

seems quite risky, i know they have a higher fat content than most feeders but also the fact that they have large strong mandibles and can inflict pretty nasty bites i dont even feed them to my reptiles because of this ive had them bite my beardies before and draw blood....

[eiontay]

When the super worms are eaten. Are they still able to bit fro the inside?

[toxxxickitten]

When the super worms are eaten. Are they still able to bit fro the inside?

No. This is myth, much like what has also been said of mealworms. I would say a gut loaded superworm every now and then would be fine for variety for a White's Tree Frog, but I would not recommend as a staple. Variety is always best.

[eiontay]

Well that is good to know. Damn that myth!

[Deac77]

Yea this is a complete myth ad a goofy one at that most of our animals chew I've seen one instant on my 8 years of herps where a feeder was swallowed alive and that was from my African bull frog Rex he swallowed a earthworm and it was still wiggling in his belly :-D

[toxxxickitten]

Frogs swallow their prey whole and do not chew. A superworm would not be able to chew its way from the inside out. However, if you just want to be on the safe side then crush the superworm's head and tong feed it to your WTF. There really is no harm in being safe, but I still assure you the superworm will not chew your frog's stomach up once swallowed.

[Deac77]

Toxic is right it wont happen

[eiontay]

Problem is my frogs like its food to be alive and kicking. after crushing it's head, the worms hardly moves

[Deac77]

thats fine like we said it wont eat through your frogs stomach

[eiontay]

Okay! Thanks for the clarification guys! Wished I could get Red eye but my country restricts us to only having WTF.

[toxxxickitten]

Problem is my frogs like its food to be alive and kicking. after crushing it's head, the worms hardly moves

It wasn't a necessity, just an option.

[StickyFrogfeet]

Only feed as treats. crickets should be the main staple as said above , your frog could get constipated from too many superworms.

[Deac77]

Actually there I very little chance of contraction if the frog is properly hydrated but the high fat content is bad

[JeffreH]

The chance of impaction with superworms or mealworms is generally species dependent - it is possible in some animals due to their anatomy. Bearded dragons for example have a very tight pyloric sphincter that empties into the small intestine and are incredibly prone to impaction by mealworms and substrate inhalation. The same may be true for certain species of frog. Neither superworms or mealworms are remarkably nutrional feeders and should only be offered as a treat or occasional feeder item.

That being said, I personally prefer superworms due to their thinner shell. They are a little fattier, but the chitin in their exoskeleton actually inhibits some fat absorption within the intestine. The % fat values on mealworms and superworms for this reason is actually just slightly lower than advertised on most nutrional charts, but they are still fatty foods nonetheless when comparing calories from fat vs. protein.

[Deac77]

The chance of impaction with superworms or mealworms is generally species dependent - it is possible in some animals due to their anatomy. Bearded dragons for example have a very tight pyloric sphincter that empties into the small intestine and are incredibly prone to impaction by mealworms and substrate inhalation. The same may be true for certain species of frog. Neither superworms or mealworms are remarkably nutrional feeders and should only be offered as a treat or occasional feeder item.

That being said, I personally prefer superworms due to their thinner shell. They are a little fattier, but the chitin in their exoskeleton actually inhibits some fat absorption within the intestine. The % fat values on mealworms and superworms for this reason is actually just slightly lower than advertised on most nutrional charts, but they are still fatty foods nonetheless when comparing calories from fat vs. protein.

well said couldnt have put it any better!

[eiontay]

With regards to the high fat content, It is very obvious with 2 days of feeding. I ran out of crickets and had superworms only. Decided feed them and Yoda would just gobble it up upon sight.

Fed him 15superworms over 4 days and could see he grown in size by at least 1/4-1/3