Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I've got a fair amount of camel crickets (aka: cave crickets) around my house and was wondering if anyone knew if they were bad to feed to a monitor.

Possible pesticide tainting isn't an issue since no chemicals or other harmful agents have been used around the house within the last 6 yrs.

These things are huge, twice the size of a large regular cricket.

Thanks, and, take care!
Mike
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It is said that 1 out of every 4 people are mentally unbalanced. Think of your 3 closest friends, if they're normal, then it's you.

I'd say good. They are bigger = more meat, and wingless = less indigestable, if anything is indigestable to a monitor . Ain't seen cave crickets since I was a boy.

Quig
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Don't interupt me when I'm talkin' to myself

I have those in my house too! ICK! Theyre really nasty! I saw one behind my leo's cage and obliterated it! Kinda fun...
I've seen them about 3 and a half inches across outside, but inside theyre smaller. Theyre harmless so I dont worry about my lizards eating em or anything. Or vice versa. I just kill em when I see em. No need for an exterminator. We're renting anyway : ). No offense but this should be in the feeder inscet forum or something. Monitors will eat anything!

Ryan

ps: SOMEONE PLEEEZ POST A REPLY TO MY JEEF CORWIN POST IN THE GENERAL DISCUSSION FORUM! I WANNA TALK ABOUT IT!

They're pretty good size! I thought I saw an Arab ridin' one of 'em the other day.

No offense taken about which forum this might should be in. The Insect for Breeders forum is dead and I figured since I was going to feed them to my nile monitor, this would be the best place. However, someone in the Insect forum might have more insight/knowledge on them.

Thanks!

BTW, check you Jeff Corwin thread.

Take care!
Mike
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It is said that 1 out of every 4 people are mentally unbalanced. Think of your 3 closest friends, if they're normal, then it's you.

I've searched the Intenet and haven't found any reason not to use them. I didn't know if maybe they had too much acid or something else in their system that could make my nile sick so I figured I'd better ask here to play it safe.

Vile Nile, (monitor's name) VN, for short, likes them. I've only fed it a few at a time, here & there, to see if there were any adverse effects. None so far. I might see if I can start breeding them one of these days.

Thanks!
Mike
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It is said that 1 out of every 4 people are mentally unbalanced. Think of your 3 closest friends, if they're normal, then it's you.

I think I remember trying to feed one of these to one of my animals a fairly long time ago (either my ackies or a young racer I used to own, I don't remember which) and the cricket excreting some sort of fluid and the animal ignoring it afterwards. You could probably try it though, but first I'd research on the cave crickets and see if they contain any sort of toxin. I doubt it, but I know very little about them, except that they were everywhere in the wild cave I went caving in. Even then, the name cave cricket isn't very appropriate, since they live in tons of places above ground too...

Ryan

Thanks Ryan!
I searched the Internet before I fed any to my nile because I was wondering if they might have too much acid or something like that, but didn't find any red flags.

I've fed it a few, here & there, and closely monitored it and everything seems to be OK, so far, at least. My nile likes them.

I'm not quite ready to make them its sole meal per that feeding just yet, though. A few here & there while keeping a close eye on things will do for now.

Thanks again!
Mike
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It is said that 1 out of every 4 people are mentally unbalanced. Think of your 3 closest friends, if they're normal, then it's you.

Sorry, you posted that about checking for the acid and other things while I was writing my message. What I attempted to feed may not have been a cave cricket. I just know that it was not a regular black field cricket or brown house cricket. I don't know if mole crickets are the same as cave crickets, but it may have been one of those as well.

Ryan

No problem!
Mole crickets are different than camel/cave crickets. If you did a search on Google you'll see that a mole cricket is more of a crawler, with shorter legs. The camel/cave crickets have extra long hind legs that extend far above their backs. They also have the same type of mouth as a field cricket where the mole cricket has more distinguished pinchers in the front. I think the mole crickets also have a softer body.

Have a good one!
Mike
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It is said that 1 out of every 4 people are mentally unbalanced. Think of your 3 closest friends, if they're normal, then it's you.

I ate a mole cricket once! I was 6 and my friend dared me to. I forgot what it tasted like though. LOL. By the way, where are you? If youre anywhere close to VA I know what crickets youre talking about. If not, I have no idea.

Ryan

I'm not too far away. Murphy, NC (southwest part of the state).

I'd imagine they're in VA, too.

Here's what they look like: Camel Crickets

Have a good one!
Mike
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It is said that 1 out of every 4 people are mentally unbalanced. Think of your 3 closest friends, if they're normal, then it's you.

Yup, thats them! Not my favorite animal! Id much rather have hissing cockroaches in my house. Id play with em all day LOL!
Thanx dude for replying to the Jeff thread. Ive been wainting forever to get that out!
Peace out bro

Ryan