Leopard geckos and mealworms?

Question

i have heard things that meal worms can eat their way out of a gecko!?!? i was just wondering is this a common thing or rare and people have sed that you can crush the head of the mealworm! i was also wondering wouldnt this kil the mealworm?

Answer 1

C'mon now - think about it...

Leopard geckos digest bugs and even bones (pinkies) all the time - so unless mealworms are made of of something harder than bone ie metal or rock, there is no way that they are going to survive 2 secs being dunked into a stomach full of bug melting acid.

Especially after being chewed on.

In an oxygen starved environment.

This is pure 100% urben myth, started by people who wanted to sell bugs besides mealworms and therefore spread nasty rumours to anyone niave enough to believe them :)

Answer 2

Lies! Myth!

My adult male gets morios (bigger than mealies) and he is 100% fine.

Although personally I wouldn't use either exlusively because of the high chitin content, making them a bit hard to digest (although I know many a keeper that do feed just mealies, and have very healthy geckos).

Answer 3

Just crush the head and don't give any to young geckos.  I always heard it but i worked in a reptile shop for five years and i never came across it!!

Answer 4

That is a myth. I feed my gecko mealworms every day (as well as plenty of other people) and I have never had a problems. Or rather, I did before the mealworm shortage. Now he eats mostly crickets.

Answer 5

I am a mealworm

Answer 6

16 years of raising and breeding  leopard gecko's on a mostly meal worm based diet and Ive NEVER experienced anything other than good growths and high fertility in my animals. meal worms eating there way out of a lizards stomach is an Internet based urban legend. the mealworm shortage right now sux!

Answer 7

never heard that one before

i have a leopard gecko i feed on meal worms and crickets

Answer 8

i wouldnt worry about anything. Some people say that this is true but if so has only truely happened once. It is most likely a little rumor type legend that has spread its way around. Some people would suggest especially for younger geckos to either crush the heads or even just cut them off. This will kill the mealworm but because of the nerves that continue to live in the body for a short period of time they will still move. I had a gecko in the past for many years and never had any problems. I think that you will be absolutely fine, but if you do want to be cautious you may always use the techniques of crushing or cutting the head of the mealworms, of course when you do this you must feed them immediately. I ave had to do this once for a cautious friend on vacation and I find that some of them die and stop moving quite quickly and the gecko loses interest and doesnt eat. I have never actually tried crushing the head. This technique may work better considering that you are not completely stopping the blood flow. Either way I dont think you should worry. I hope I helped. :)