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I did some shopping today and needed to pick up some sphagnum moss. I remembered the garden center we go to had dried mealworms in the bird seed section so I grabbed a good sized tub of them for the Boxies and Redfoots. They were definitely a big hit with everyone.

can we say grody?!? I'll have to try that with my sweeties for a treat!

Yea the dried ones will be less on the grody scale for you than buying lives ones I would think!

With the redfoots' well being in mind only.. I'm walking on eggs here I realize.. but you would be far better off offering a pinky than mealworms Anja. Mealworms have little or no nutritional value guys.. and I don't know how you could possibly "gut-load" them. I am certainly open to a valid legitimate reference stating otherwise.

It's vital that we stay within the guidelines of high calcium/protein/carbs for redfoot tortoises. Fewer "staple" has proven far better than a vast variety.. for those of us that have been caring for them for upwards of ten years or more. [ Much more cost effect too. ] I know very little about very much.. but maybe G. carbonaria - it always helps to know someone who does.

FWIW...

Terry

This was only a treat, they are receiving plenty of protein items. Thanks.

http://www.hcmealworm.com/


mealworms have a 58% protein content.

JustAnja Wrote:http://www.hcmealworm.com/


mealworms have a 58% protein content.

Who/where is the source in the U.S.?

Terry

I take in quite a few turtles and tortoises each year, and most of them come with "stuff." Teeny, tiny plastic carriers, little 5 gallon aquariums, lots of cans of floating turtle pellets and the occasional can of dried meal worms. I don't use any of that stuff. But one day, I was out of food for my hatchling box turtles, so I went out to the garage and picked up a can of dried meal worms. I couldn't believe that they actually ate them. I thought the food had to wiggle in order to entice the little ones to eat, but they actually ate the dried meal worms!!! Something else to use in a pinch!

Yvonne

Anywhere you look in this search the mealworms protein content is over 50%. Doesnt matter if they are in the US or not, a mealworm is a mealworm. We dont fed them to other reptiles such as geckos, bearded dragons etc just for the heck of it, they do have nutritional value.

I can't speak for the feeding of mealworms to bearded dragons or geckos ( a fairly broad group) but as a breeder of blue-tongue skinks, I consider them almost useless as do other breeders. For the curious, http://bluetongueskinks.net and look at the caresheet. I've taken this info and applied to another omnivirous reptile,my rfs.

Forgot the link to the search. I just checked the label on my package of mealworms and it has no less than 50% protein and 20% fat.

http://www.google.com/search?q=mealworm+...=firefox-a

Itort Wrote:I can't speak for the feeding of mealworms to bearded dragons or geckos ( a fairly broad group) but as a breeder of blue-tongue skinks, I consider them almost useless as do other breeders. For the curious, http://bluetongueskinks.net and look at the caresheet. I've taken this info and applied to another omnivirous reptile,my rfs.

The point is Im not using it as a staple in their diet, but when fed it does provide some protein.

Can't even feed your sweeties a rare treat without getting heck, eh Anja! Well those pics are fabo and I'm sure they loved them!

I'm trying to point out as an occasional treat fine but I don't want it seen as a staple which some may see it as. It does have a 1 to 25 calcium/phosphorus ratio.

Nutritional value of Yellow Mealworm
After the research, the nutritional value of 1 kilogram yellow mealworm is equal to 40 kilogram Mai Fu, 30 kilograms mixed feed, 150 kilograms green fodders. Feeds each kind of animal with yellow mealworm, the coca fast growth reproduction rate, the enhancement resistance to disease; Feeds the immature animal to be possible to enhance survival rate 95; Feeds egg-producted domesticated fowl to be possible to raise the measure 0.5 time (namely 50) of the egg-production.
Yellow Mealworm is the highest quality feed of each kind of pet and some special birds and beasts and some aquatic products and some precious and special animals, for example, the dog, the cat, the peacock, the pheasant, the Chinese francolin, the family bird, the domestic animal, the loach, the eel, the turtle, the snake, the frog, the toad, the centipede, the spider, the gecko, the pangolin and so on.
Therefore, Yellow Mealworm had been recognized as the treasure house of the animal fodder.

Nutrition target of yellow mealworm
1) thick protein
The thick protein content is 54%--55%
2) crude fat
The crude fat content is 25%--27%
3) amino acid
Every 10 grams dry insect body contain the amino acid 84.8 milligrams.
4) fatty acid
The unsaturated fatty acid and the saturated fatty acid ratio is 0.8--0.9.

Main amino acid content (mg/g)
Aspartic acid 35.37 Threonine 17.70 Serine 19.80 Glutanic acid 57.44 Proline 32.59
Glycine 23.36 Alanin 30.02 Cystine 3.51 Methionine 3.16 Isoleucine 13.32
Leucine 24.76 Tyrosine 26.42 Phenylalanine 7.82 Lysine 24.66 Histidine 13.60
Arginine 23.92 Tryptophan 3.58 Amino-isovaleric acid 32.90

If you want to know more information of this product, please relate us, we will answer for you very quickly.

Company: Shanghai Baoshan Area Huang Fenchong Breeding Farm
I feed all my water turtles dried meal worms once a week in the winter, when "summer bugs" aren't available.