Number1Sticky
New member
Can I give my leos earthworms just as a treat?
Can Leos eat earthworms?
- Thread starter Number1Sticky
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LindsayMayer
New member
I feel like Earthworms won't be nutritionally proper... in addition to them being too big for them to swallow, I don't think there would even be a way to "gut load" an earthworm. They're also dirty and, let's be honest, they eat feces. I don't think this is a good choice for your gecko!!
Aimless
Super Moderator
lol, have you seen what roaches eat? or crickets, for that matter?
earthworms are actually nutritionally not bad (good calcium to phosphorous ratio, not too high in fat). this was just discussed in the Gekko subforum regarding feeding them to Tokays. personally, I think they'd be quite easy to gut-load; you'd just inject with whatever you wanted to load them with. however, this person is asking about treats and probably wouldn't need to gut-load something fed very occasionally.
the main deterrent would be not knowing if the worm had eaten any strange chemicals, if it's just caught from your yard. farmed worms could be OK depending on their diet.
earthworms are actually nutritionally not bad (good calcium to phosphorous ratio, not too high in fat). this was just discussed in the Gekko subforum regarding feeding them to Tokays. personally, I think they'd be quite easy to gut-load; you'd just inject with whatever you wanted to load them with. however, this person is asking about treats and probably wouldn't need to gut-load something fed very occasionally.
the main deterrent would be not knowing if the worm had eaten any strange chemicals, if it's just caught from your yard. farmed worms could be OK depending on their diet.
LindsayMayer
New member
That's my main concern, or if they have some crazy bacteria inside them. I don't even know if that can happen, but it's always a possibility! I was considering the angle that they weren't farmed.
Number1Sticky
New member
I buy them from the store for my turtles. So they are not from the back yard. I was also planning on cutting them up before giving them to my lizards so they would not be too big. They get crickets and mealworms as their staple diet. The worms would just be a treat.
XoVictoryXo
New member
I think they are too long for them to digest properly. ETA: you said you would be cutting them up, i guess try it, and just be cautious if they regurgitate it.
cricket4u
New member
They are actually quite healthy as long as they are farm raised as aimless mentioned. However, most are quite large and if you cut them in pieces chances are the leo will not eat it and it will not be nutritionally complete unless the whole worm is consumed. You will just end up with a slimy mess!:biggrin: