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RE: Diet Experiment Collaboration?

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Posted by: reptoman at Fri Oct 27 21:53:13 2006  [ Report Abuse ] [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by reptoman ]  
   

Jeff-just to reiderate myself, I have seen mixed bugs in scat but I would have to say that for the most part I think an eye exame of a scat is able to detect the two and as I stated before have. Most of the scat I have looked at contained beetles or even wings of moths or flyiong insects. I don't know the ratio of possible crickets that could have been in those wild scats. But I am pretty sure they were mostly ants.

However I am just questioning the wisdom of this only because I think it's not an accident that horned lizards are designed to eat ants. As far as neonates. Some lizard species eat vegetation and then switch over and yes I have observed with several HL species that babies seem to go for small insects (pin-heads) more readily than ants. I have also found that Pacific horned lizards or at least mine I have observed eating vegetable matter when they are young. while Lester says he never has observed this, I have fed my Pacifics mixed and extremely finely chopped greens along with small insects.

The other thing I would mention is that in the wild is different than in a cage. Often Hl's are not in the middle of a swarm but sort of wait until one happens by but are close enough that they can take in a few here and there. Sort of stalkers, I am sure you've seen this. So maybe the reaction to ants in a cage is different than in the wild. Oh also have in the past several years ago had two different Texas Horned Lizards that I fed small King mealworms in an outside cage and I found they did not do well on them, but as soon as I offered them ants they seemed to come back. That's not science but just my own observation.

So I guess in this case we'll have to agree to disagree, I think that nature itself has set the ground work for hl's and as many herpitologists who have studied hl's in the field the overwheming evidence is that ants are a primary food source. So like I said if someone wants to go after that, then fine, I just think there has been a lot of reliable observation and work already done on these? You know a Chuckawalla lizard will eat king mealworms up in heart beat, but a diet of insects insead of vegetation will burn their kidneys and eventually kill them off not to stop them from becomeing obese as well.

So while hl's may go after other insects offered in a cage--do you have any concerns of the long term feeding insects and not ants--or maybe that's your point to me--maybe I missed that. I am going to continue to feed my hl's ants but yes I do feed mine occassional wax worms, small king mealworms, moths, grasshoppers (small) beetles, and other such fair, but the majority of the diet is ants. I haven't ever needed to give them supplements. They have hibernated well and my expereiece has been good over-all. I may have had a pointed ending to my post originally, but I also believe that is substantiated by nature so thats why I stated that........

I respect your insights and opinions - perhaps you can work with Rk and help him get this off the ground if you so feel inclined! Best to you Jeff!
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<< Previous Message:  RE: Diet Experiment Collaboration? - Jeff Judd, Fri Oct 27 17:09:03 2006