jamaican giant crickets?

[arielgasca420]

Some crickets have real big mandibles and I'm pretty sure they could hurt your animals if not careful. Field crickets for example (the black ones) those things can bite pretty hard if they want, especially the big ones. They might be alright for some bigger lizards/chameleons but not sure if I'd risk it with a frog, maybe a pyxie but why chance it? Try something like hornworms or silkworms if you're looking to add something to their diet.

I've never heard of or seen a Jamaican giant cricket, so I have no idea how big their mandibles are. I'd just assume from the name they might be big..

Jamaican field cricket is the same a gryllus assimilis. I have an easier time with binomial nomenclature because it is so universal. you learn to use them when you get into horticulture

[Pluke]

Jamaican field cricket is the same a gryllus assimilis. I have an easier time with binomial nomenclature because it is so universal. you learn to use them when you get into horticulture

Ahh, I think you just taught me something..

If I had a bigger critter such as a beardie I'd be tempted to give him some of those "gryllus assimilis" I get around and in my house at times.. then again, I hear they carry parasites in the wild. Those crickets do look a lot juicier and probably carry more nutrients than the typical pet store cricket. You say you tong feed, do you kill the cricket first? I'd be afraid that it would gnaw away at the insides of my pet if it managed to still be alive when it reached the stomach, I've been bit by the black ones and it doesn't feel very good..

[arielgasca420]

there is so much conflicting info and I have been researching like mad to get the facts straight. I am still trying to get a hold of some entymologists in CA to get the full story on the true Gryllus assimilis and crazy reds.
the only state they are legal in is CA because they are considered wild here. anywhere else is illegal because they destroy populations due to their resistance to a virus. from what I have read they are pretty much the agent orange to the widespread cricket epidemic.
I do not kill the crickets before feeding. my frogs lick them up and crunch crunch crunch them to death. I have read some threads on here that say it is a myth for a insect to bite from the inside. This could be false but was backed up by a few members on this forum.
the black ones which are Gryllus bimaculatus are the most aggressive on the market. that is the one you most likely encountered. I personally have never been bite by a cricket, but have seen the tissue damage it causes.
any cricket can be a potential harm if left in the tank. I have seen baby reptiles with missing eyes because of multiple species of crickets. its a sad thing to see which is why I only tong feed. I also use Dubia blaptica which I adore because of their handling and breeding.
In Lija's case I think canadian nightcrawlers are the best way to go. if I was a frog it would be like eating spaghetti.

[EricIvins]

there is so much conflicting info and I have been researching like mad to get the facts straight. I am still trying to get a hold of some entymologists in CA to get the full story on the true Gryllus assimilis and crazy reds.
the only state they are legal in is CA because they are considered wild here. anywhere else is illegal because they destroy populations due to their resistance to a virus. from what I have read they are pretty much the agent orange to the widespread cricket epidemic.
I do not kill the crickets before feeding. my frogs lick them up and crunch crunch crunch them to death. I have read some threads on here that say it is a myth for a insect to bite from the inside. This could be false but was backed up by a few members on this forum.
the black ones which are Gryllus bimaculatus are the most aggressive on the market. that is the one you most likely encountered. I personally have never been bite by a cricket, but have seen the tissue damage it causes.
any cricket can be a potential harm if left in the tank. I have seen baby reptiles with missing eyes because of multiple species of crickets. its a sad thing to see which is why I only tong feed. I also use Dubia blaptica which I adore because of their handling and breeding.
In Lija's case I think canadian nightcrawlers are the best way to go. if I was a frog it would be like eating spaghetti.

Ghann's Cricket Farm :: Gryllus Info

[arielgasca420]

Ghann's is where I got most of the info along with a few insect forums. I have been told by three pet shops that they have Gryllus assimilis and three times have I told them their cricket farmers are lying to them. I have never actually seen a true Gryllus assimilis

[EricIvins]

Ghann's is where I got most of the info along with a few insect forums. I have been told by three pet shops that they have Gryllus assimilis and three times have I told them their cricket farmers are lying to them. I have never actually seen a true Gryllus assimilis

So why does Ghanns have USDA approval for Assimilis when so many other do not? Ghanns has true Assimilis, originating from the University of Nebraska........