Can I feed slings mealworms?

[Inky]

I will be getting two slings; an a. avicularia and a B. baumgarteni. Can I feed them mealworms from local bait shop?

Thanks

 

[Whitelightning777]

You can always prekill them by removing the head. Mealworms can kill a T if it's caught molting.

Small B lats or flour beetles might be better for very small slings. If your sling is 1 inch, mini sized meal worms (smaller then the usual small size sold in pet stores) might work.

I feed my 4 B sabulosum slings B lats pinhead sized.

 

[Mr. P]

I have a few slings and I cut up a superworm into four pieces and drop them in. I have actually watched the slings run out, grab a piece and run bak in to its hide.

 

[Inky]

what about regular earth worms?

 

[Whitelightning777]

Larger terrestrial Ts will eat them. Specifiably, my bT stirmi, Pamphobeteus machala and L Klugi love their post molt and monthly earthworm but I wouldn't switch to them alone.

Small earth worm sections maybe between 1/2 to 1 inch in size might also work for small slings but I haven't tried that yet.

Basically Earthworms are better for larger spiders as a supplement not primary feeder.

 

[PanzoN88]

Mealworms cut into small pieces will be perfectly fine for small slings. When in juvie stage, you can start feeding superworms and larger roaches. In my case slings get prekilled crickets or mealworm parts, larger soecimens get superworms or mealworms.

 

[Arachnoclown]

Earthworms....might as well feed them fruit flies.

 

[Whitelightning777]

That's why Earthworms are just good for an occasional treats, not the main source of food. They are also good for the first post molt meal. It's not a bad idea to give untested fangs something very soft for the first go around.

 

[Inky]

Thanks! Looks like a helpful chart.

 

[KWISE89]

Earthworms....might as well feed them fruit flies.View attachment 31604

What does the first column mean?

 

[KWISE89]

I guess it would be the second column

 

[Arachnoclown]

I guess it would be the second column

Not sure...I got this on a reptile site. Maybe @Tortoise Tom knows.

 

[MassExodus]

Not sure...I got this on a reptile site. Maybe @Tortoise Tom knows.

Its funny that earthworms are so controversial. They recommend them as an occasional meal for lizards. Yet not many people feed them to spiders. Rick West observed Theraphosa eating them in the wild...Dr Brown has a good chart in his book, i'll use this to cross reference, brb.

 

[Arachnoclown]

Its funny that earthworms are so controversial. They recommend them as an occasional meal for lizards. Yet not many people feed them to spiders. Rick West observed Theraphosa eating them in the wild...Dr Brown has a good chart in his book, i'll use this to cross reference, brb.

I'd rather use my worms for fishing...

 

[MassExodus]

I'd rather use my worms for fishing...

Oh hell yeah.

 

[Tortoise Tom]

What does the first column mean?

Calcium to Phosphorous ratio. As the chart demonstrates most insects have more phosphorous than calcium. For reptiles, we want the opposite. For reptiles we generally want a Ca : Ph ratio of 2 : 1. So two parts Ca to every one part Ph. I don't think this matters for tarantulas, other arachnids, or insectivorous insects. This is why we use the "shake n' bake" method of coating feeder insects with calcium carbonate powder before feeding to our reptiles, and why we try to feed insects with a better Ca : Ph ratio to our lizards and amphibians.

That is the theory anyway. What has always perplexed me, and I've never found a suitable answer for is: Why don't insectivorous insects arachnids need this higher calcium to phosphorous level? Its been suggested that this is because the reptiles have skeletons and need the extra calcium for growing bones. But this leads me to the question of: How are these reptiles getting these Ca : Ph ratios in the wild eating wild insects?

I don't have all the answers, but I have some...

 

[MassExodus]

I do know one thing, in all the charts I've seen, the healthiest feeders are roaches. I just simplify what I don't understand..roaches=good Dubia continue to be a fantastic feeder, that doesn't stimulate predators because they play possom, and lats continue to be a smaller, but more effective alternative. @Tortoise Tom doesn't UVB balance that out, in the wild? I don't have the full explanation handy, but that's what I took away from what I read. It got a little too dry and detailed so I just tried to focus on end results..too many details make my nose bleed..

 

[Tortoise Tom]

I do know one thing, in all the charts I've seen, the healthiest feeders are roaches. I just simplify what I don't understand..roaches=good Dubia continue to be a fantastic feeder, that doesn't stimulate predators because they play possom, and lats continue to be a smaller, but more effective alternative. @Tortoise Tom doesn't UVB balance that out, in the wild? I don't have the full explanation handy, but that's what I took away from what I read. It got a little too dry and detailed so I just tried to focus on end results..too many details make my nose bleed..

UVB allows a reptiles body to create an enzyme that converts dietary D2 into D3. D3 is necessary for the assimilation of dietary calcium into the tissue, organs and bloodstream, but with incorrect calcium levels, or an incorrect Ca : Ph level, all the UV in the world can't help. Without the right diet, D3 can't help. Without D3, the right diet can't be utilized. They go hand in hand.

So to answer your question: UV and D3 are a separate issue than intake of enough calcium and the correct calcium to phosphorous ratio. Both are important for reptiles.

And I share your assessment that roaches = good feeders.

 

[MassExodus]

UVB allows a reptiles body to create an enzyme that converts dietary D2 into D3. D3 is necessary for the assimilation of dietary calcium into the tissue, organs and bloodstream, but with incorrect calcium levels, or an incorrect Ca : Ph level, all the UV in the world can't help. Without the right diet, D3 can't help. Without D3, the right diet can't be utilized. They go hand in hand.

So to answer your question: UV and D3 are a separate issue than intake of enough calcium and the correct calcium to phosphorous ratio. Both are important for reptiles.

And I share your assessment that roaches = good feeders.

Why did I know you knew that already? Lol. So..what about house geckos as an occasional source of calcium? For reptiles, I mean? Someone said theres a danger of lizard diseases spreading from the prey to the predator lizard..

 

[Tortoise Tom]

Generally speaking, the more closely related two species are, the more likely their diseases can be transmitted. For example, snake mites can go from one snake to another of different species, but you won't find snake mites on a tortoise. Same way with many internal parasites and pathogens. Most are fairly host specific.