Adult dragons only need about 10-20% insects in their diets every day. A couple crickets every day is perfectly fine, especialy if he's eating a healthy salad daily. You can drop crickets completely and just offer superworms, silkworms, hornworms or butterworms instead. These insects are good in the fact they don't need to be gut loaded as crickets do at least 24 hours before giving them to your dragon.

Most pet store bought crickets are not fed very well, if at all...and their nutritional value decreases greatly because of it. That and you don't have to deal with chirping crickets most of the day. Superworms can easily be bought in bulk and providing they are kept dry and offered some fresh greens once in awhile, they can keep a month or more in decent numbers (the sensation of crawling over eachother keeps them from pupating...if they are housed separately or can find a corner of the cage to be left alone, they will pupate into beetles...though the beetles make great treats for adult dragons, the pupae too)

I usually buy 250-500 superworms and keep them in a small to medium kritter keeper with a layer of rolled oats. I place a leaf or two of collard greens every couple days...to provide moisture and food. Chunks of carrots or potato work too...but I find the leaf works best, as they just dry out most times after a day or two, whereas potatoes and carrots can form mold and rot... Just dont' layer the leafs too much and shake off any excess water after washing. If you have a very humid house I suggest keeping the superworms in a well ventilated area and change any greens daily...fortunately the rolled oats or instant oatmeal/oatbran tend to keep things dry.

Silkworms and hornworms can be bought and fed the same day, or if you get some of the pre made chow, its not hard to keep them going for a few days or a few weeks...depending on which you get and how large they are when you get them. Silkworms are very easy to breed and raise yourself....but if you only one dragon, may not be worth the trouble.

butterworms can be kept in the fridge or room temperature...but I find they stay better in the fridge...since they seem pretty plant specific and feeding them other stuff just tends to kill them off faster. At least with silkworms and hornworms you can buy special food for them which provides all the nutrients they need and they eat without problems. Don't feed hornworms their natural food, these foods process toxins that could be lethal to your dragons. Mulberry leaves, which is what silkworms eat, is safe to feed the silkworms or even your dragon, if you have access to mulberry leaves.
-----
PHLdyPayne

Forum Princess

[ Reply To This Message ] [ Subscribe to this Thread ] [ Hide Replies ]