How to wean off mealworms?

[leifthorrsman]

We recently purchased a Beardie from a local pet store about two weeks ago. No one could tell us the age, but he is 17 inches long. We had two beardeds already that had a steady diet of crickets reptiworms and veggies. The new bearded would eat veggies but hardly touched reptiworms and crickets., When we asked the pet store what his diet was, they said he was mainly fed mealworms. So for ****s and giggles, we tried that, and they were right. He gobbled those up. He also ate a superworm. So for now, we are feeding him mealworms.

Now, I heard supers are mainly treats, so I am asking for suggestions on how to best wean him off mealworms? What other worm can I try that would be similar and good for his health?

 

[bayoupig5]

Well, you can definitely start with the supers, which are better than the mealies. Worms are said to be used as treats as they are higher in fat content that other bugs such as crickets, or dubias, but given my very limited feeder supply here in Canada, I have no access to dubias, locusts, etc. My dragon hates crickets, and can only be tricked to eat the small ones if it is sunny outside and when in her outdoor enclosure (no word of a lie). I can only have access to other feeders during the late spring to early fall months, leaving me very little choice in terms of regular feeders.

So...I have been feeding my adult dragon mostly superworms for the last 2.5 years, she is now 3.5 years. However, I limit the amount of worms she gets every second day. I keep a very close eye on her weight, so that she does not gain too much. I give her about 2-5 worms every second day, and it seems to be ok for her. So I have been feeding her those as a staple protein for a while with no ill effect. I also provide her with plenty of vegetables/fruits, throughout the week.

As long as your dragon can digest the superworms properly, and you do not feed to much to get your dragon too fat, it should be ok. As to what else to feed, well as you know it is all up to the dragon, as they are often picky and eat on their own terms. One of my dragons favorites is Phoenix worms, and those are on my summertime order list. You can also rotate weekly, butters, wax and horn.

At 17 inches, he can eat almost anything, but as an adult with worms in general, you have to make sure that they are eating not so much as to cause an overweight dragon, that is the main concern with worm feeding as they get older. However, any live protein is likely to cause that in an older dragon.