Very well said FS.

As you know, I tend to heavily agree.

"I'm now confused as to why it is after my nearly 3 year experience, I no longer advocate such a diet, and Cable is now interested?"

The reason I am interested is to see this constantly recurring question laid to rest. Unfortunately I think this study may only do so partially. We all know that the different species have varied natural diets, some of which are far less ant specific than others. If you wanted to try this with solare, well, I think it would show crickets or other non-ant items to be a very poor choice in a short time. To complete this experiment for all HLs it would take many years and must include all species... or, you could not say this answers the question regarding HL diet, only "this" species of HL's diet. But this is a start!



Honestly, I don't think it will show a "no ant" diet as a viable substitute as much as it will show whether an HL will be alive after a prolonged non-ant diet. If an HL will live 10 years on an ant diet but only 5 on a non-ant diet, is that good enough? I would think one of the controls would need to be having a group that gets ants in line with their natural percentage so the two groups can be compared.

Roger didn't say "crickets" so it would seem all options other than ants are fair game, but this would also need to be defined in the parameters of the experiment.



Regarding formic acid, there is only one reference in a scientific study (by Bauer) that "seems" to indicate a more acidic balance in the dietary tract of HL's seems beneficial. But even this was not a specific study on this issue. It was a side note in his paper. It's my understanding that the venom in ants is a protein, not an acid. So in regard to the HLs noted venom tolerance (blood factors) this protein would seem more at issue than the acid they may contain in relation to blood chemistry. I am guessing here when I say it may be an enzyme that neutralizes the venom protein. Without venom will this build up and cause health issues? Is the byproduct of the venom breakdown an important dietary component? This experiment will at best only indirectly answer this question.



If it can be shown by this study that HLs do not fair as well as their ant fed siblings perhaps it will inspire a true study in the scientific cummunity directed exactly toward finding out why. And also lend credence to the hobby for an ant inclusive diet as well.



The opportunity for dietary study of HLs seems quit large. No ants? Ants? Which ants? Blood chemistry changes? Other less apparent deficiencies? Hydration differences (control)? and so forth.



Great thread!
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