Reptile & Amphibian Forums

So I've had my bt for about a year now and feed him quite a lot now that he's getting bigger. I hate feeding him mice and rats all the time so I was sending this out to see other thoughts on food items. I some times feed him Madagascar hissing cockroaches sometimes but the reptile stores in Co are hard to come by cockroaches so I feed hard boiled eggs some times ground Turkey really anything then I was told by a breeder that boiled chicken and catfish nuggets are really good to and cheap. Any thoughts one food and if what I'm doing is right food items. Thanks

Blaptica Dubia roaches are my preferred roach. Youtube has tons of information on how to house and care for them. An initial investment of about $50-$75 for roaches, caging, heat, food etc. and you will never have to buy feeder insects again. It takes 2-3 months to get the colony into full swing usually but it is well worth it. They are a meaty food source, don't climb, don't bite, don't chirp and don't smell. No more running to the pet shop every few days for crickets or paying $1 per adult roach from the pet shop. I have a small organic garden and feed them all of the "scrap" lettuce, boroccoli, tomato, squash, carrots etc. Also, they love pumpkins apparently so come Holloween I will try that as well. They love oranges and other fruit as well.

My tree monitors love them so I forced myself to tolerate them...lol. Actually, the Dubias are pretty slow moving and are not an invasive species as long as you are not in a climate like south Florida.

If you are interested, email me and I can tell you who I have used as a source for my colonies.

Good Luck!

Steve - sdi

I read you post again. Whole food items are the best option as a food source. In my opinion the best option for the monitor would be for you to have a colony of rats and a colony of roaches that could sustain the monitor's needs. If you have enough space and the correct substrate, heat gradient and humidity you will have one happy monitor! That's the goal right.....

Steve - sdi

Whole prey items are by far the best and should be the staple of the diet. Whole prey items include rodents, birds, insects, reptiles, fish, insects, etc etc.

poor choices are such things as turkey. With that said, if the staple of the diet is whole prey items and the cage conditions are good. A monitor can eat doorknobs and its all right.

So feeding turkey is more about you and of no benefit(compared to whole prey items) But on a limited basis, its also of no harm.

The varied diet thing is a people deal, not a monitor deal. The best results have been obtained with a very narrow diet of whole prey items. After all, the best results are what we are after isn't it?

Of course, its fun to feed other items as well, both for us and the monitor. Albigs love snakes, which is another whole prey item. And scorpions too. Cheers