Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Is it ok to feed mealworm dusted with calcium to Ctenosaura pectinata? he is juvenile.

Thanks in advance.

good ? I have been wondering the same thing . But will not until someone with more experience than me chimes in . some posts never do get a response .

found this

Quote

'' We have seen no differences in growth rates or survivorship between hatchlings fed feces from adult Iguanas and ones that are not. Sufficient microflora for proper digestion is probably obtained from the crickets and mealworms that are sometimes, but not always fed to hatchlings in the first few weeks. In fact, in the 1999 hatching season no insects were fed at all and all of the hatchlings are developing normally. Interestingly, C. nubila seem to really relish crickets and mealworms, while C. cornuta youngsters consumed them rather sparingly. ''

form here . near the bottom .

http://www.herpnut.com/wordpress/?p=2

Can't you just give them some probiotic for healthy gutflora instead of their parents' feces?

I do not think pro-biotic or feeding of feces is necessary. I have never done either with hatching Cyclura or Ctnosaura and they all thrived and grew well and I believe this is true of most if not all breeders. As for the meal-worm, as long as it is a part (5% or less) of a balanced diet, I do not see anything wrong with it. I start out feeding my baby pectinata twice a day (dusted crickets) with small amount of mixed green/vegetable/fruit/herbivore diet/omnivore diet available ad-lib. once they have grown a bit (6 month or so...) I cut down the insect feeding to daily. As they get older, they are mostly fed g/v/f/h/o mix with two to three times feeding of insects (cricket, super-worm and cockroach.) I introduce super-worm and cockroach at the age of a year or so. I have not used meal-worm, not because I don't believe in feeding them...It is just simpler for me not to have another species of insects to care for.

I don’t like feeding mealworms to young iguanas unless they are in perfect health and are kept HOT. They need the warmth to break down and pass the cartilage or they will get blockages. I prefer feeding crickets, wax worms, roaches, and other insects that lack hard exoskeletons. Insects should be fed as a small percentage of the overall diet. As for pro-biotics, The only time I have fed feces to another iguana was after a strong dose of antibiotics had been administered due to an infected wound. This should not be done if the animal is otherwise healthy. It will create its own pro-biotics from what it eats.