# Beardie Mealworm Question?



## Melmoth (Sep 2, 2005)

Can anybody tell me if the adult beetles that develop from mealworms are suitable for feeding to Bearded Dragons? TY in advance


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## Nick_schembri (Sep 2, 2005)

Depends on how hungry the dragon. In my experience if a lizard is spoilt, it wont accept the beetles because of their smell. If its hungry, it will gobble it down.


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## Thoth (Sep 6, 2005)

I think due to thick exoskeleton (or at least thicker than that of crickets) if you were feeding a bunch of them to your beardie, there may be a risk of impaction. Also I don't think they're as nutritious as the larva or crickets due to the shell to meat ratio. But this is just my educated guess.

Maybe as an occasional treat or change of pace they might be okay.


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## WhyTeDraGon (Sep 6, 2005)

I doubt your dragon will eat them. Ive never seen any of my animals eat a pupae OR beetle that was walking around the cage. Id stick with mealworms and crickets for a source of protein, I dont think you'll have much luck with the beetles except for breeding


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## Wade (Sep 6, 2005)

The beetles aren't poisonous or anything, but as others have suggested the many animals find adult darklings repellant. They have defensive chemicals that make them taste bad to many critters. In short, they are safe to offer, but the lizards may turn up their noses.

Wade


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## Melmoth (Sep 6, 2005)

Thanks for your replies everybody.Apparently nobody told Bruce my beardie that he is supposed to turn his nose up at them.He eats them with as much relish as he eats anything else  I don't intend them as his regular diet-he gets cricks and greens.Just had some mealworms that had changed.


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## Kid Dragon (Sep 6, 2005)

Melmoth said:
			
		

> Thanks for your replies everybody.Apparently nobody told Bruce my beardie that he is supposed to turn his nose up at them.He eats them with as much relish as he eats anything else  I don't intend them as his regular diet-he gets cricks and greens.Just had some mealworms that had changed.


Melmoth,

My adult bearded dragon will eat adult mealworms too. 

I have had excellent results with superworms. I heard a talk from a bearded dragon breeder that feeds her dragons 3 superworms per day and nothing else. No veggies, no varied diet. Her dragons looked amazing in color, activity, and health. I tried the superworm diet for my dragons and they have thrived on it. 

I occasionally feed romaine and crickets, but superworms have become 95% of my dragons diet. No ill effects.


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## Melmoth (Sep 7, 2005)

Very interesting KD. Well if the results speak for themselves.The books always stress he need for a varied diet,with the emphasis on vegetation 90% for adult dragons.Has she posted any info anywhere regardng this superworm diet?


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## Kid Dragon (Sep 7, 2005)

Melmoth said:
			
		

> Very interesting KD. Well if the results speak for themselves.The books always stress he need for a varied diet,with the emphasis on vegetation 90% for adult dragons.Has she posted any info anywhere regardng this superworm diet?


Melmoth,

People from my herp society know her web site, I'll get it from them at the next herp meeting and post it for you. I looked, but did not have her site bookmarked.


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## Melmoth (Sep 8, 2005)

Kid Dragon said:
			
		

> Melmoth,
> 
> People from my herp society know her web site, I'll get it from them at the next herp meeting and post it for you. I looked, but did not have her site bookmarked.


                            KD, Cheers!!


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## MysticKigh (Sep 8, 2005)

Melmoth said:
			
		

> Thanks for your replies everybody.Apparently nobody told Bruce my beardie that he is supposed to turn his nose up at them.He eats them with as much relish as he eats anything else  I don't intend them as his regular diet-he gets cricks and greens.Just had some mealworms that had changed.


Both of my beardies will take them as well... I consider it something along the lines of a rare treat because of the amount of chitin


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## Wade (Sep 8, 2005)

I suspect that the beetles are probably less of a risk of impaction than the worms themselves. I bet the lizards chew them up more!

Wade


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## Joel&Tyler R (Sep 8, 2005)

*Too much fat!*



			
				Kid Dragon said:
			
		

> Melmoth,
> 
> My adult bearded dragon will eat adult mealworms too.
> 
> ...


I've bred dragons for several years & from what I've learned, that diet is a recipe for obesity & fatty liver disease.  They need a much more diverse diet, especially adult dragons.
They may appear to do fine on that diet for quite a while, but I guarantee it will catch up with them & by they time you see problems it's going to either cost you a fortune in vet bills, or you'll loose your animal.

Good luck with it.


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## Ecilious (Sep 9, 2005)

I've fed my leopard geckos some in the past but you just have to look at their crap afterwards to see how high the shell to meat ratio is.


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## MysticKigh (Sep 9, 2005)

Joel&Tyler R said:
			
		

> I've bred dragons for several years & from what I've learned, that diet is a recipe for obesity & fatty liver disease.  They need a much more diverse diet, especially adult dragons.
> They may appear to do fine on that diet for quite a while, but I guarantee it will catch up with them & by they time you see problems it's going to either cost you a fortune in vet bills, or you'll loose your animal.
> 
> Good luck with it.


Stunning colors... very nice. What are her(?) bloodlines?


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## Joel&Tyler R (Sep 9, 2005)

MysticKigh said:
			
		

> Stunning colors... very nice. What are her(?) bloodlines?



Thank you.  She is a Hypo Pastel.


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## Kid Dragon (Sep 11, 2005)

Joel&Tyler R said:
			
		

> I've bred dragons for several years & from what I've learned, that diet is a recipe for obesity & fatty liver disease.  They need a much more diverse diet, especially adult dragons.
> They may appear to do fine on that diet for quite a while, but I guarantee it will catch up with them & by they time you see problems it's going to either cost you a fortune in vet bills, or you'll loose your animal.
> 
> Good luck with it.


I've heard that too, but I'm not sure its really true. I mentioned that to her, and her long term results speak for themself. I agree conventional wisdom is they are too fatty. I can tell you her dragons were not obese. I'm not sure how common fatty liver disease really is in dragons. I've read it, but never seen it personally.


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