Superworms!

[George red foot]

Wanted some advice on super worms... I feed them to my rf George (about 4 once a week). George has just turned 5. He seems to enjoy them as he seems very eager to eat them, however sometimes when they wriggle in his mouth he pulls his head in and wipes his face with his leg. He has once gagged on one which resulted in him spitting it out.
Would you usually feed them to your torts alive or would you kill them first?

 

[JoDee8147]

Pinching off the head is always a good idea. I've heard horror stories about superworms eating their way out of pets stomach/cheek/throat while they're still alive.

 

[Elohi]

Pinching off the head is always a good idea. I've heard horror stories about superworms eating their way out of pets stomach/cheek/throat while they're still alive.

Wait, what?? Is that really possible? I feed superworms to my boxie all the time. And while I can see him being bitten in the process of eating one, I can't imagine it surviving it being bitten and torn to bits as he eats them. How concerned about this should I be?

 

[George red foot]

George has bitten one if half before and dropped the the half and it continued to run along the floor! Ooh that sounds bad! I'll definitely kill it before feeding him anymore then!
Thank you!

 

[JoDee8147]

It's never happened to any of my reptiles but the pictures I've seen and tears from someone that I've met that it has happened to.

By no means is it a common occurrence but if they don't get the head crushed right away there's a chance (small chance but it's still a chance) that it could happen


A friend of mine uses toe nail clippers to cut it off. Different ones that he uses for his feet but it's a simple controled way of getting the deed done

 

[George red foot]

That's a good idea! Thank you for your help and advice!
He is a bit of a wimp and spits them out when they wriggle in his mouth anyway!

 

[Redstrike]

I prefer to use softer bodied invertebrates for my redfoots. Wax worms are okay, but high in fat, so they don't get them often. I really like black soldier fly larvae (Hermetia illucens) because they pack a good punch of Ca (sequestered during pupation), are lower in fat, and high in protein. They go under the guise of phoenix worms, reptiworms, etc.

I find it very difficult to believe a beetle larvae from the darkling family (Tenebrionidae) are capable of chewing through the GI tract of vertebrates especially since they are mostly vegetation feeders and do not possess mouthparts conducive to doing so, but I guess it's possible. As for your tortoise spitting them out, yes, they can emit a chemical defense that is pungent and may be impalatable to your tortoise. It's usually provoked when they are harassed - being eaten counts for this.

 

[George red foot]

Thank you! I'll look into different worms!