the truth about the story that superworms and mealworms can eat through a stomach

[fab]

i don't know if this has been done or not but whatever... i'm sure everybody has heard that old wife's tale about the mealworm/superworm who ate throught the stomach of a gecko/other lizard.

i decided to try this experiment myself. so we know that gastric acid has a ph of 2-3. vinegar also has a ph of 2-3, i think you know where im going. i am using a superworm. i crushed the superworm with my tongs 3 times (less times than my gecko chews) and then i put it in a baggie with some vinegar inside to replicate the stomach of the reptile. within seconds, the worm had perished.

in conclusion, a superworm cannot eat through the stomach of a lizard, by the time it reaches the stomach, it is already incapacitated because of the repile's jaws. (i know that experienced reptile keepers will have no use for this thread) i hope that people that are new to the hobby will benefit for this experiment (it took a whole 5 minutes of my time).

 

[gizmo143]

I 've never heard that myth but thats a cool experiment!

 

[fab]

lol, you never heard that story, some people go as far as crushing the head of the worm so it can't eat through the stomach. glad you enjoyed it!!! i hope people can profit from this. its a shame that i had to waste a perfectly good feeder though.

 

[gizmo143]

I'm glad i didn't hear that... I feed my Leo Mealworms and would have probably called the vet if i heard that!:crackup:

 

[The Mega Inferno]

i don't use mealworms at all....
i suggest instead of a meal worm plate at the bottom use phoenix worms
as they are much healthier, i hate to see people(inexperienced keepers) use meal worms AS A STAPLE with nothing else. i know people in brooklyn who hate to keep crickets and use only mealworms.so if anyone on this site feels that way, maybe you could consider phoenix worms.

 

[Supreme Gecko]

Great experiment. I really enjoy seeing someone take the initiative to try something like this out.

 

[Hilde]

You don't even need vinegar, plain water will do that too. Since they don't have lungs, they can't hold their breath. The water can enter the spiracles and leave no room for air.
Inside the stomach the digestive juices have a head start flowing into the spiracles and punctures from the teeth. Done like dinner in no time at all.

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

...a caution about feeding mealworms to leopard geckos...

http://www.geckosunlimited.com/comm...s/41492-feeding-mealworms-leopard-geckos.html

Mealworms are very chitinous and can cause impactions in leopard geckos.

Gutloaded and lightly dusted prey---crickets with their back legs amputated at the "knees" to keep them in a feeding dish and Blaptica dubia make excellent and nutritious meals for geckos.

 

[Supreme Gecko]

Mealworms are bad, mealworms are ok... it is easy to pass on information.
Good for Fab and Hilde for sharing 'new' information.

 

[fab]

i don't feeed mealworms or superworms as a staple. maybe 40% mealies and 50% crickets and 10% silkworms (my gecko really loves silkworms.)

 

[fab]

http://www.geckosunlimited.com/comm...s/41492-feeding-mealworms-leopard-geckos.html

Mealworms are very chitonous and can cause impactions in leopard geckos.

Gutloaded and lightly dusted prey---crickets with their back legs amputated at the "knees" to keep them in a feeding dish and Blaptica dubia make excellent and nutritious meals for geckos.

for some really stupid reason, all ****roaches except the german ****roach(the ones that infest homes) are illegal to breed or posess in canada. reptile expos have even been raided and the people who were selling them got fined. it doesnt mean that they're impossible to get :biggrin:

 

[MattL]

for some really stupid reason, all ****roaches except the german ****roach(the ones that infest homes) are illegal to breed or posess in canada. reptile expos have even been raided and the people who were selling them got fined. it doesnt mean that they're impossible to get :biggrin:

Roaches are easily accessible. But one is expected to keep hush about them because yes, they are illegal. They are also extremely hardy to temperature drops.

I remember when I got my first leopard gecko and I was told to do the "head crushing". Now that I've been around a few years it's a huge wives tale.

As for mealworms being a staple, I've used them for years. I've grown geckos of all sorts from hatchlings using them. Not really sure what the problem really is as I've never experienced any problems.

Matt

 

[Wanderer]

mealies are an occasional feeder for me. i keep some around as they are high in fat and last a loooong time. good for my larger females after laying (providing they have enough Ca supplement) typically its roaches and crickets.

 

[avoidtheboyd]

I hate my local petstores when i go in and ask for mealworms and other feeders for my leopard geckos. They insist that they will chew through and kill them. I kinda just want to yell at them lol. They need to start hiring people who know what theyre talking about

 

[fab]

the pet store employees are really dumb for saying that. but they are hard to digest because of their hard shell so try not to feed them too often.

 

[Jasonp85]

You half to overlook them they also try to sell u sand

 

[Trevor]

when my bearded dragon died i couldnt tell he choked on a cricket or if a cricket ate through his stomach, and then i was afraid if my leopard gecko could have a cricket eat through his stomach, but now i know they cant, thanks fab

 

[Jr.Entomologist]

re.the truth about the story that superworms and mealworms can eat through a stomach

That was a fascinating experiment! I was worried when I had a horned lizard that that might happen, those five minutes did not go to waste!

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

i don't know if this has been done or not but whatever... i'm sure everybody has heard that old wife's tale about the mealworm/superworm who ate throught the stomach of a gecko/other lizard.

i decided to try this experiment myself. so we know that gastric acid has a ph of 2-3. vinegar also has a ph of 2-3, i think you know where im going. i am using a superworm. i crushed the superworm with my tongs 3 times (less times than my gecko chews) and then i put it in a baggie with some vinegar inside to replicate the stomach of the reptile. within seconds, the worm had perished.

in conclusion, a superworm cannot eat through the stomach of a lizard, by the time it reaches the stomach, it is already incapacitated because of the repile's jaws. (i know that experienced reptile keepers will have no use for this thread) i hope that people that are new to the hobby will benefit for this experiment (it took a whole 5 minutes of my time).

lol, you never heard that story, some people go as far as crushing the head of the worm so it can't eat through the stomach. glad you enjoyed it!!! i hope people can profit from this. its a shame that i had to waste a perfectly good feeder though.

You don't even need vinegar, plain water will do that too. Since they don't have lungs, they can't hold their breath. The water can enter the spiracles and leave no room for air.
Inside the stomach the digestive juices have a head start flowing into the spiracles and punctures from the teeth. Done like dinner in no time at all.

Mealworms are bad, mealworms are ok... it is easy to pass on information.
Good for Fab and Hilde for sharing 'new' information.

i don't feeed mealworms or superworms as a staple. maybe 40% mealies and 50% crickets and 10% silkworms (my gecko really loves silkworms.)

the pet store employees are really dumb for saying that. but they are hard to digest because of their hard shell so try not to feed them too often.

That was a fascinating experiment! I was worried when I had a horned lizard that that might happen, those five minutes did not go to waste!

I encourage anyone new to this old wives' tale to try this experiment.

Scroll to Mardy's post #31 for his graphic experience with a leo who ate a superworm: http://www.geckosunlimited.com/comm...feeding-caution-zophobas-morio-cricket4u.html

Can someone share potential benefits of superworms? It's difficult to find independent nutritional analyses of insects and worms.

Click: http://www.elliotsbutterworms.com/nutrition.htm

 

[Saiga]

This experiment, as described, is of very little value because it does not accurately simulate what really happens when a gecko eats superworms in the first place. First of all, no crushing of the superworm should have been done, since it is not a valid assumption that every gecko will crush every super worm every time it feeds. The experiment is to find out whether or not something *can* happen, so in doing the experiment, one has to always err to the side of the least optimal conditions for the gecko. Second, just because vinegar has the same ph level as gastric acid, it is not an acceptable substitute. Different substances have different effects on things, regardless of the ph level. Third of all, even had this been done with a bag of the gecko's gastric acid, the amount must be very small - the same amount that the gecko's stomach would hold. 4th, you would also need to put in the same number of worms that a gecko would eat, added one at a time in the same frequency that the gecko would eat each worm. Both of these points are to simulate the dilution of the acid which would happen as the gecko eats each worm. Simply using a single worm thrown in a baggy is not a true equivalent of what really happens, especially if the amount of acid used is significantly more than the gecko would have in it's stomach.
Now, all of this does not necessarily argue that it is possible for a superworm to survive to chew through a gecko's stomach, nor is it intended to. It is merely to point out the fact that the experiment has too many flaws in it to be regarded as a valid in determining the original issue.