Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Is it ok to feed cut up fly larva? My hatchling loves them. It seems to be a bit challenged w/ cutup red worms unless I put them in the water while it is swimming. It eats avocado, papaya, melon. It will eat anything right off of the 12 inch tweezers that I use to feed with. In fact, it comes to them...Thanks for the info.
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Patsy

I could be wrong, but I thought avocado was potentially toxic, or at least is so to birds and several other animals. Something to do with being high in fat.
Try feeding some grated winter squashes, mine love it and are attracted to the bright color.

Cutting up worms in fine. But if your hatching wasn't too enthused by red worms it's probably because they smell bad and likely don't taste that great either.

I have been trying to find out about avocado as a food source. My adult boxies eat it and dont seem to suffer. All the info I have found so is anecdotal. Anyone with any references re:avo's for turtle? Also, same for fly larva. I have tried searching this forum but w/o luck. Thanks.P
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Patsy

What type of fly larvae? Off the top of my head, I can't think of any fly larvae that would be harmful. Most make delicious and nutritious box turtle food!

I have never looked into the avocado thing, mostly because they are just so expensive. Here's a link where the people have researched the risks...it seems that nobody really knows.

http://kgkat.tripod.com/avocado.html

It sounds more like an allergy in relation to the fruit, and toxicity in other areas of the plant.

All things considered, it really just doesn't seem worth it. Avocado is pretty high in fat (although it is "plant fat", they are expensive, and the risk is not clearly defined.

Hope this helps. Good luck.

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thanks for the response.
Actually my avo's are not only free but but rotting on the ground!
My dogs must have an innate understanding re the peel toxin, cuz they always wait until one is split open, then they chow down.
It is hard to keep the weight off the Norwich during avo season.

That said, I will now sparingly give only peeled avo and not to the hatchling at all.
'
The reason that I went to fly larva for awhile is that they were in the compost bins (which were chock full of rotting avo.)

Now we are back to red worms. The hatchling seems to have gotton over the fear of the size and hunts them in its enclosure now. Also, hunts anything else that gets thrown in, including breaking open and eating skink eggs, pill bugs, the tails off of the skinks that hatch out before I let them go.

again, thanks.
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Patsy