I really don't think trying to "stretch a dollar a lot further" is the best advice to give to someone with a malnurished/underweight HL. That's an unwise example to offer in the care of HL's, especially with the new people that are reading. "Especially if ants are on the way". If that's the case, then why be cheap? What newbies are going to read into that is "bigger is better", and a "cheaper route".



I would also have to take exception with the assertion that "soft bodied" equates to "easy to digest". I can show easily enough with evidence in hand on my metabolism research that this is not the case. Crickets are composed of a high amount of saturated triglyceride fats. Larger one's contain much more, obviously. These triglycerides require much energy to break down into useable free constituents in the bowels before being available for caloric use. Thus, it would be obvious, as myself and Lester have discussed this before on a previous thread as well; that taxing a sick, malnurished, or underweight HL's system with more work than necessary will result in a net loss in the lizard's condition. It will manifest as lower metabolism and immune response the more you give it to do.



But don't take my word for it ( redundant instructions for some of you )....just call a herp vet and see what they tell you. A sick, malnuorished, underweight reptile actually needs less in caloric intake in order to recover.



Also make sure you see the anapsid.org references in the "hatchling health issue" post above, relating to prey size and problems. As prey size is important to HL's too, I think this is potentially relevant given that you are feeding crickets larger than pinheads to your hatchlings.



And as I stated before, a little larger size cricket like medium-small is ok for an older HL in good health.
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"A man that should call everything by it's right name, would hardly pass the streets without being knocked down as a common enemy." The Complete Works of George Savile, First Marquess of Halifax 1912,246

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