What eats Silkworms?

[DDReptiles]

Hey,

I bought quite a few silkworms the other week and have been trying to offer them to the geckos to change things up a bit. So far none of the species I keep (25 or so) seem to like them. They seem turned off by their smell. They will sniff them and then turn around in disgust. The silkworms also don't seem to move much which is contributing to the problem.

Just wondering if anyone has tried feeding them to anything (besides leopard geckos) and had any results with them?

Thanks Derek

 

[Riverside Reptiles]

I had the same problem with Phoenix worms. Bought a whole bunch of them to try them out, and none of my geckos would eat them. Sorry that I don't have an advice on the silk worms. Maybe buy a couple of leos to eat them? :lol:

 

[zohariels]

My bearded dragons and chameleons(veiled and madagascar spiny) love them, and if they're small ones a couple of my giant day geckos will eat them as well. Other then that, all my other critters refuse them. Have you tried hornworms? Some of our critters seem to like them more.

 

[DDReptiles]

Yeah, I tried hornworms they were much more readily consumed. I thought silkworms would be similar, but they are just not getting eaten.

Guess my bearded dragon is going to be playing garbage disposal for a little while

 

[zohariels]

Guess my bearded dragon is going to be playing garbage disposal for a little while

LOL they're definitely good for that!:crackup:

 

[BlakeDeffenbaugh]

Derek,

My Tokays would destroy them. Also the pair of cresteds I had at the time loved them too. In the spring I mix things up with my Gekko to get them in breeding mode so I buy a few cups of them.

 

[Animal34343]

My B. sakalava who normally eat anything that moves actually spit them out after biting them. Besides my leopard, I think the only ones who swallowed them after biting were my T. scincus. One of my cresteds may have eaten one or two but wouldn't touch them after that.

 

[Saille]

I had the same issue. My African Fire Skink bit one, then spat it out then wiped his face all over everything with its mouth open to get rid of the taste, LMAO.

My Blue Tongues don't like them either. I managed to get my White Lined gecko to eat a few in 2007, but he refused when I tried again. My female fat tail wouldn't eat them, and she loves phoenix, meal and wax worms.

I was so frustrated with the silks, I felt it was a real waste. Guess I'll try those hornworms as the general consensus seems to be that they are more readily accepted by geckos.

 

[sarahjane85]

I get them every 3 months or so. Besides my Eublepharis, they are eagerly taken by Hemithiconyx, Oedura, Gekko (gecko and ulikovski sp. only), Hemidactylus, Teratolepis, Homopholis, Teratoscincus, Gehyra, and Goniurosaurus. I also get extra to allow metamorphosis and feed the moths (females plump with fertile eggs) to Eublepharis, Hemitheconyx, Teratoscincus, and male moths go to a few arboreal tarantulas.
Note; the "zebra" silkworms are a little different and take a bit longer to cocoon.

Sarah.

 

[GutterRoxy]

Aside from my leo, the T.scincus I have seem to gobble these guys up pretty well which was surprising as the female seems to be a bit of a picky eater. Other than that beardies and chameleons seem to like them well enough.

 

[Isis]

Hey folks

I am probably the only breeder of feeder-silkworms in Eastern and Center Europe and I must say I was at first very discouraged when I found out my leos hate them. They had behaved as you described: sniffed and turned away or spat them. It was a year ago. This year I produce more of them and something changed: half of my eublephars eat them feverishly! I was amazed how they began to love them all of a sudden.

Now I am doing a bit of research by giving breeders free silkies for various reptiles. My finding are:
-all of chameleos I fed with them (Rhampholeon, C. calipratus and Fulcipher) love them.
-most Agama: beardies, henrylawsoni, harduns, P. cocincinus eat. I found out not all speciments, but most or them.
-Rhacos either like them or not: I have two fellow breeders, one told me his auriculatus and cilliatus eat willingly, the other one said that none of her cilliatus ate.
-Most true lizards do eat them: fire skins of a friend of mine like them much, as well as some other Lacertidae.
-eublephars like them in about 50% of cases.
-some day geckos eat, some don't.
-tokays and vittatus eat like hell.

I hadn't got experiences with Uroplatus or many smaller geckos so I cannot give any input.

I guess this is all I can say for now

 

[Saille]

Very interesting! I wonder if its the SE Asian geckos that really take to them, maybe because theres a chance for them in the wild? I have Tokays now so I would be willing to give silks another shot for them.

My one African Fat Tail I have will readily eat worms, and she finally took a silk when she was hungry. I don't know if she would again, but its worth the shot.