Can Chameleons eat mealworms? This is a question that may often come to owners of chameleons. Chameleons are creatures who can eat nearly anything they are given; the problem lies in what they should eat to gain sufficient vitamins without suffering a considerable drawback.
Chameleon owners, therefore, have a lot of challenging work ahead of them besides maintaining their chameleons, the simple act of making sure the diet of a chameleon remains healthy for them will benefit them in the long run. Keep reading this article below to know all about whether mealworms are safe to eat for chameleons or not.
Can Chameleons Eat Mealworm? What Are The Benefits?
Yes, Chameleons can eat mealworms. Mealworm is entirely safe for chameleons to consume as long as they are given out in moderation, along with ensuring the mealworms are given supplemented multivitamins.
Mealworms, in general, offer the following benefits for a Chameleon:
- Omega 3 fatty acids
- Vitamins (B12, B5)
- Proteins
- Moisture
- Fiber
Chameleons benefit the most from Omega 3 fatty acids and Vitamin B as both provide the needed nutrients for good eye health and body muscles.
On the flip side, mealworms are hard to digest for a Chameleon. Hence it is recommended to feed a Chameleon a mealworm as a treat once a week for three times. Feeding them too many mealworms will result in them acquiring a rather painful bowel impaction and becoming overweight.
Can Chameleons eat mealworms? Yes, they can; make sure not to overfeed the Mealworm to your Chameleon.
Can You Feed Chameleons Freeze Dried Mealworms?
Can chameleons eat mealworms? Especially freeze-dried ones? Chameleons can certainly eat freeze-dried mealworms, but only if you are running out of things to give to your chameleon, as they mainly prefer live feeds rather than dead ones.
Chameleons are omnivores. Therefore they will about any live insects or animals that come in their way, granted that the said living feeds are small enough for the chameleons to feed on.
Therefore, if you are unable to find a living mealworm or are unable to go out, then giving your chameleon a freeze-dried mealworm probably would be the choice. However, it won’t be of many benefits to your chameleon besides giving them the bare minimum of nutrients.
Can chameleons eat mealworms? Chameleons should mainly be fed living mealworms which are gut loaded with multivitamin supplements, to reap the full benefit as simple, dried ones won’t be too good for them.
What Should You Not Feed a Chameleon?
While Chameleons are mainly omnivores, they may be able to eat the leafy greens that humans are eating, but some of them can result in toxic reactions for your chameleons.
Regarding what a chameleon should not eat, Spinach is at the top of the list, followed by Cabbage. Cheese and Dairy products should also be avoided in general, along with anything that may contain large amounts of phosphorus; too much fiber will also harm chameleons; hence, try to avoid feeding them Lettuce, also.
Besides that, gut-loading an insect with green vegetables such as Spinach will be a bad idea as it will have the same harmful effects as plainly eating it.
Check out this article to know the List of Worms, Insects, and Fruits Chameleons can eat.
Conclusion
Can chameleons eat mealworms? Mealworms are probably the safest food you can feed your chameleon. However, overfeeding mealworms should be avoided as much of it will cause digestion issues for the chameleon.
If you happen to gut-load a mealworm with Spinach or any veggie that a chameleon is usually not supposed to eat, then call a vet or take your chameleon to them to get treatment.
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