How Big Are Your Feeders?
Originally published at Harmonic Pets. Please leave any comments there.
When I went to Petsmart the other day I was saddened to see itty bitty baby bearded dragons and crickets bigger than their head. The babies looked at the crickets with a “what are we supposed to do with these?” expression on their faces and I wanted to go find some pinhead crickets and make sure these babies had appropriately sized feeders.
For bearded dragons, feeder insects should not be any larger than the space between their eyes. And superworms should not be fed to beardies smaller than 17″ from nose to tail.
This same rule applies to geckos and other lizards, too. There are also similar rules for feeding snakes (i.e. what size of mouse or rat to use) so make sure you check species-specific forums for additional information.
Even reptiles who can eat larger insects might prefer a smaller size. Maybe not too small-I know my full-grown bearded dragon looks at the baby b. dubia roaches like they’re beneath his notice-but he enjoys superworms, which are longer (though way more slender).
Take time to evaluate your feeders. Make sure they’re the right size for your pet. If you raise your own, you can often donate or sell off excess or too large animals. And if you have to buy, maybe chat with the vendor from whom you shop.
Your pet’s health depends on the right size of feeder, so a little research can go a long way.