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j3nnay Dec 13, 2006 03:49 PM

I have a question about my dragons digesting their food. I've noticed the past week or two that my dragons don't seem to be completely digesting everything they're eating. There's sometimes an entire mealworm or waxworm that makes it through without seeming to have been ravaged by the digestive system. Since I hand feed them their mealworms and waxworms, I know this is not just food escaping the foodbowl.

Any ideas on why this could be happening? Their poops are otherwise normal looking, brown and fairly solid with white urates. They seem to take great delight in pooping in their waterbowl right after I've changed the water.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

~jenny
-----
1.2 normal ball pythons (Cindy, Darwin, and Periscope)
0.0.1 california kingsnake (Tetris)
0.2 rescue chinese water dragons
1.0 rex rat (Scurvy)
1.0 gerbil (Yerbul)
0.1 bunny (Spazz)
1.1 betta fishes (Vicious and Killer)
2.2 great danes (Shasta, Odysseus, Merlot, and Watson)
1.0 fat fuzzy mutt (Smokey)
1.1 cats (Thidwick and Turtle)
2.0 horses (Buddy and Sam)
1.0 goat (Billy Jack)
1.25 chickens (Ugly the rooster and his harem)

"God is a comedian playing to an audience too afraid to laugh." - Voltaire

Replies (2)

BryanR. Dec 14, 2006 10:30 PM

I really have no idea, but I'll offer my guess:

I know mealworms, and especially superworms, have hard indigestible shell casings. I often notice pieces of the casing in the water, but never entire worms.

What else are you feeding them?

j3nnay Dec 14, 2006 11:35 PM

I find the casings on a regular basis, but its the occasional whole worm that baffles me. They get large mealworms (not superworms, they sort of frighten me) and some waxworms, along with a pinkie or two (depending on appetites) every other day. Crickets are in the cage but I think most crickets die from suiciding into the waterbowl.

I also offer kale and fruit a few times a week, but they never seem to be particularly interested. Considering that lettuce was all they had to eat for several months before they were rescued, I can't say I blame them.

~jenny
-----
1.2 normal ball pythons (Cindy, Darwin, and Periscope)
0.0.1 california kingsnake (Tetris)
0.2 rescue chinese water dragons
1.0 rex rat (Scurvy)
1.0 gerbil (Yerbul)
0.1 bunny (Spazz)
1.1 betta fishes (Vicious and Killer)
2.2 great danes (Shasta, Odysseus, Merlot, and Watson)
1.0 fat fuzzy mutt (Smokey)
1.1 cats (Thidwick and Turtle)
2.0 horses (Buddy and Sam)
1.0 goat (Billy Jack)
1.25 chickens (Ugly the rooster and his harem)

"God is a comedian playing to an audience too afraid to laugh." - Voltaire

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