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Odd questions... Is it okay for chameleon's to eat mosquitos? While feeding mine last night, I noticed that one had flown into his cage (this is FL, land of giant mosquitos). Before I could catch/kill it, Bender spotted it and it was gone. It didn't really look like the usual blood sucking ones (male perhaps?). But I'm just curious if I should be worried? Thanks!

I wonder about that. Do you guys have the West Nile Virus problem down there? I did not have Luna last summer, but we always have skeeters! We have had very few cases of WNV in NH but there is the ocassional one - I wonder if an infected one could cause problems? I mean the stuff kills birds, but it is transmitted when they take a blood meal from it. Mere speculation...if it is digested in the gut where enzymes, etc. break it down it may not be transmitted, may have to go directly into blood system.

I will ask some of my entomologist/biologist friends and see what they have to say. Would love to hear what others think! Not only about WNV but any other type of disease.

lele

>>Odd questions... Is it okay for chameleon's to eat mosquitos? While feeding mine last night, I noticed that one had flown into his cage (this is FL, land of giant mosquitos). Before I could catch/kill it, Bender spotted it and it was gone. It didn't really look like the usual blood sucking ones (male perhaps?). But I'm just curious if I should be worried? Thanks!

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0.1 veiled - Luna
0.2 green anoles Jaida & Jetta
0.1 brown anole - Jamaica
0.2 house geckos - Gaia & Tia
0.2 felines - Kyndra and Líta

Oh yea, we get WNV here and a bunch of other nasty stuff. My dog, Oreo (rest in peace), got heart worms from them. Even though she was given that heart worm med from the vets. Mosquitos get really thick around here sometimes. Can chameleons get heartworms? I know that bats eat large amounts of mosquitos and I haven't heard of them getting west nile or heartworms. But no one might have really looked into that lol.

yeah, I forgot! I lived in the West Coast of FL for a few years back when they sprayed heavily in the neighborhoods (UGH). I also remember seeing all the dragonflies on the "prowl" seeking them out as well (fortunately for us they are a favorite food of DF and bats!)

I wonder if heartworms are only in mammals? Obviously bats have some sort of immunity b/c they want us to report findings of dead birds, but we (the public) never get requests to report dead bats! Though I'll bet the digesting vs. bloodmeal may be the key. When a mosquito feeds it releases an anesthetic into the initial "bite" to numb the area (aren't they kind!) and when this happens some of the tainted saliva is then transmitted.

I would guess that a lizard would not be much of a potential meal simply because of their skin/scales.
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0.1 veiled - Luna
0.2 green anoles Jaida & Jetta
0.1 brown anole - Jamaica
0.2 house geckos - Gaia & Tia
0.2 felines - Kyndra and Líta

Even though West Nile is not a very popular disease in ectotherms...it seems that is may be possible...even if it is a rarity. Here are some articles that may answer some of you questions/concerns...but as for your chameleon eating the mosquito...I wouldn't be too worried about it unless there are immediate signs of disease...(loss of appetite, discoloration fo skin...etc)

lists.gatorhole.com/pipermail/croclist/2002-November/000068.html

www.slu.edu/colleges/sph/csbei/emerginginfections/wnv/news/112102.pdf

www.moonbowmedia.com/ei/wnv/wnv-allibird.htm

[url]http://www.nctimes.net/news/2002/20021018/60317.html[url]
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Chris Vanderwees
REPTILE SALES AND INFORMATION
E-mail Me
1.3.0 Bearded Dragons
1.2.0 Green Basilisks
1.1.0 Crested Geckos
1.3.0 Veiled Chameleons
1.1.0 Corn Snakes
1.0.0 Tokay Geckos
0.0.1 California Kingsnakes
2.7.0 Leopard Geckos
0.1.0 Green Iguanas
1.1.0 Savannah Monitors

interesting articles, thanks. I hadn't thought about the aspect of the constant change in body temp which makes a lot of sense as certainly would not be suitable for most viruses that survive in endotherms (mammals, birds). The third article brought up some intersting points about the relationship b/t dinosaurs, birds and the alligator's in FL that ended up with WNV, but some that could be argued...that's for another forum (Evolution anyone???)

I would guess that for the most part our chams are safe as I still would also hold to my digestion/blood meal theory. Those articles didn't say HOW the 'gator's contracted it, did they and some (snakes and others) were in lab set-ups (something I often take issue with

Well, I am off to see my research zoologist buddy tomorrow I will try to remember to get his thinking on it - even though his research is in spider silk!

lele

>>Even though West Nile is not a very popular disease in ectotherms...it seems that is may be possible...even if it is a rarity. Here are some articles that may answer some of you questions/concerns...but as for your chameleon eating the mosquito...I wouldn't be too worried about it unless there are immediate signs of disease...(loss of appetite, discoloration fo skin...etc)
>>
>>lists.gatorhole.com/pipermail/croclist/2002-November/000068.html
>>
>>www.slu.edu/colleges/sph/csbei/emerginginfections/wnv/news/112102.pdf
>>
>>www.moonbowmedia.com/ei/wnv/wnv-allibird.htm
>>
>>[url]http://www.nctimes.net/news/2002/20021018/60317.html[url]
>>-----
>>Chris Vanderwees
>>REPTILE SALES AND INFORMATION
>>E-mail Me
>>1.3.0 Bearded Dragons
>>1.2.0 Green Basilisks
>>1.1.0 Crested Geckos
>>1.3.0 Veiled Chameleons
>>1.1.0 Corn Snakes
>>1.0.0 Tokay Geckos
>>0.0.1 California Kingsnakes
>>2.7.0 Leopard Geckos
>>0.1.0 Green Iguanas
>>1.1.0 Savannah Monitors
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0.1 veiled - Luna
0.2 green anoles Jaida & Jetta
0.1 brown anole - Jamaica
0.2 house geckos - Gaia & Tia
0.2 felines - Kyndra and Líta

WHO THE HELL IS EATING ALLIGATOR???!!!

alligator is a pretty common thing in cajun restaurants and other southern and southwestern cuisine. it's kinda chewy but has a nice flavor to it. of course it's farm raised alligator.
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groups.msn.com/JEChameleons
1.2 Chameleo Calyptratus
1.1 Furcifer Pardalis (Diego Suarez)
0.1 Furcifer Pardalis (Nosy Be)
0.0.1 Chameleo Melleri

unfortunately, lots of poeple. Sorry, don't mean to start a "don't eat alligator" thread. I just don't eat anything I couldn't kill, which covers most animals - and it certainly includes alligator!!! LOL!

>>WHO THE HELL IS EATING ALLIGATOR???!!!
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0.1 veiled - Luna
0.2 green anoles Jaida & Jetta
0.1 brown anole - Jamaica
0.2 house geckos - Gaia & Tia
0.2 felines - Kyndra and Líta

if there was a "Manicotti" beast...i would hunt it down, kill it, and eat it

>>if there was a "Manicotti" beast...i would hunt it down, kill it, and eat it
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0.1 veiled - Luna
0.2 green anoles Jaida & Jetta
0.1 brown anole - Jamaica
0.2 house geckos - Gaia & Tia
0.2 felines - Kyndra and Líta