Types of Live food :
1- Fresh Live Food :
What Foods to Feed Your Reptiles
courtesy to : www.reptiles magazine .com BY WALTER AND GEROLD MERKER
Vivarium Animals feeding guide
There are many different types of food items to offer captive reptiles and amphibians. For smaller carnivorous lizards and amphibians, feeding them a varied diet that includes insects dusted with supplements, such as calcium and vitamins, goes a long way in promoting optimal health for your herps. For larger carnivorous reptiles, such as monitor lizards and snakes, rodents provide an appropriate staple. We will look at a variety of commonly available live food choices and explain how they influence your herps’ health and well-being.
Common Chirpers:
Crickets provide an adequate dietary staple for smaller insectivorous herps. House crickets (Acheta domestica) can be purchased at most pet stores and from a variety of online sources. Although it can be more cost-effective to purchase crickets online in larger quantities and maintain them until you feed them to your pets, keeping them often presents new problems. Crickets escaping into the house or dying in large numbers due to disease can cause savings to quickly dissipate. Many herpkeepers find it more convenient to drive to their local pet store to purchase them.
Crickets provide an adequate dietary staple for smaller insectivorous herps.
We keep our crickets in 5-gallon buckets or small trash cans depending on their size. It is vitally important to keep these food items warm; crickets have a much lower survival rate if they are not maintained at a minimum of 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Temperatures should range from 75 to 95 degrees, but it is best to keep changes within that range as narrow as possible.
Several methods can achieve the appropriate temperatures. A low-wattage incandescent bulb or ceramic heat emitter can be suspended over the enclosure, but take care not to let the insects jump onto the heat source, which may facilitate escape or cause thermal burns. A digital thermometer can be used to find the optimal distance from the top of the enclosure to the heat source. Heat pads placed underneath the enclosure also maintain adequate temperatures.
Feeding crickets a proper diet is critically important both for the health of the crickets and for the animals eating them. Cricket diets can be purchased online and found at most pet stores. Adding squash, carrots, sweet potatoes and some mixed greens to this base diet is important for providing other nutrients and moisture. Offering fresh food items on a daily basis ensures the proper health of the crickets, and removing uneaten food items is helpful in reducing the odor associated with culturing crickets.
Chitinous Meals:
Mealworms (Tenebrio molitor) are also a great food item for many insectivorous reptiles and amphibians. One mealworm contains several times the caloric content of a single cricket. Thus, feeding your herp mealworms helps to maintain its body mass.
Mealworms can be purchased in bulk and are easily maintained in a 5-gallon bucket.
One drawback of mealworms is their thick, chitinous exoskeleton. Secondary to the difficulty in digesting these insects, overfeeding mealworms often causes regurgitation in herp pets. Feed the worms to herps in moderation.
Mealworms can be purchased in bulk and are easily maintained in a 5-gallon bucket. The substrate should consist of wheat bran, and moisture can be provided in the form of potatoes, carrots and occasional leafy, green vegetables. Again, remove uneaten food items to reduce the smell associated with culturing these insects.
In the past 15 years or so, the king mealworm (Zoophobias spp.) has become a popular food item. These larger mealworms are popular because they are more conspicuous movers and often a more appropriate size for larger insectivorous reptiles.
Lowly Roaches:
Several companies offer cockroaches for insectivorous herps. These insects are easily reared in plastic tubs, and most of them do not require substrate. Like crickets, cockroaches require warmer temperatures for optimal production. Keep them at temperatures around 75 degrees.
Many species of cockroaches, such as lobster roaches (Nauphoeta cinerea), can climb smooth surfaces, including glass, so extra precautions must be taken to ensure that the enclosure is escapeproof. Several products can be smeared along the top lip of the enclosure to prevent escape. Vaseline is the cheapest product to use. Simply place a 1- to 2-inch strip of Vaseline along the top of the enclosure.
Several companies offer cockroaches for insectivorous herps.
A number of cockroach species do not climb glass. One such species is the orange-headed roach (Eublaberus posticus). Although this species does attain a larger size, the instars (the stage between molts) are of an appropriate size for many species of lizards and frogs.
Culturing cockroaches has significantly cut down on our monthly cricket bill, and despite our initial disgust at the thought of raising these insects in our home, they actually have a number of benefits over crickets. These benefits include decreased odor production, a reduced chitin-to-meat ratio, and in some cases more conspicuous movement.
Silky Wigglers :
Silk moth larvae (Bombyx mori) can also be acquired via several online resources. Vendors typically have them at reptile expos, as well. Often called “silkworms,” they are raised on a nontoxic diet and are perfectly safe for use as a herp food item.
Silk moth larvae (Bombyx mori) can also be acquired via several online resources. Vendors typically have them at reptile expos, as well.
Silkworms can be maintained on a diet of mulberry leaves, and a mulberry leaf powder can be reconstituted to feed the worms during the winter months.
A simple plastic container works well to maintain a group of these worms. Depending on how much they are fed and the temperatures at which they are maintained, these worms can grow very quickly and to a large size. Keep them at a temperature range between 70 and 85 degrees, and they will do well.
Mulberry leaves have a high mineral content, so silkworms make a nutritious food item and can be an excellent source of calcium. Easily reared, they are relatively inexpensive if raised from a small size or egg.
Tomato Honkers:
Like silkworms, tomato hornworms (Manduca quinquemaculata) can be picked up from a variety of online sources. However, do not use wild-caught tomato hornworms because these may be toxic to your insectivorous herp. Only purchase these worms from a vendor where you can be assured they were raised on a nontoxic diet and are safe for your herps to eat.
Tomato hornworms are sold in large deli cups with the appropriate food. In this setup they grow quickly and thus must be used in a timely manner, usually within a few weeks.
Tomato hornworms weigh up to 12 grams, so they provide many more calories than crickets. These worms are especially helpful for reptiles and amphibians that need to put on a little weight, such as anorexic animals, those that have been ill and are recovering, or those that are ready for breeding.
Fuzzy Feeders:
A rodent colony can be extremely helpful in reducing the cost of maintaining a large group of snakes or large carnivorous lizards. Like culturing feeder insects, rodent husbandry is very important in ensuring a healthy food item for your captive.
The principle consideration when maintaining a rodent colony is cleanliness. Change the substrate at least once a week. Sometimes twice a week is better, such as during periods of heavy breeding.
Rodent breeding typically slows down during the winter months, which can present a problem if you are feeding reptiles and amphibians that are active year round. Plan accordingly and try to have a number of frozen food items during these months. You can purchase these or cull them from your livestock during periods of higher production.
Another consideration in rodent production is the frequency in which producing adult mice should be culled. Ideally, older mice should be fed to pets roughly every two to four months.
The final component to successful rodent maintenance is diet. Several companies manufacture rodent blocks specifically for mice, rats and other rodents. Although costly, these food items ensure proper nutrition. Many people use dog food made in part with plant matter as a rodent diet. Dog food is less expensive and provides rodents with an adequate source of nutrition, but laboratory diets are considered ideal. Provide clean water on a continual basis by using gravity-feed water bottles. Mice often defecate or urinate in a water bowl, so change it often. Just like gut loading crickets, a properly fed rodent provides nutrients to your herps for proper metabolism.
If you’re feeding adult mice to pets, it is often prudent to humanely kill mice before feeding them to snakes. This prevents feeders from harming the reptile and also reduces the amount of suffering by the food item.
Problem Feeders :
Even if you have the correct food item for your captive reptile or amphibian, occasionally animals will refuse to eat in captivity. It may sound obvious, but certain species do not eat crickets or mealworms in the wild, and they may refuse to feed on these insects in captivity.
Research the animal you are keeping. Find out what time of day it normally eats. If you feed a nocturnal species in the morning, it is unlikely to eat. Conversely, if you feed a diurnal lizard at night, it is not likely to eat. Perhaps a hide area is necessary, so the animals feel a sense of security. Sometimes you can entice animals to eat by making their food smell like their desired prey.
Continued Advancement
During the past 10 to 15 years, a lot of advancements in reptile nutrition have been made. A number of new feeder insects have come into the hobby; new dietary supplements have been developed; and herpkeepers have a better understanding of ultraviolet light, vitamin D synthesis and calcium metabolism. It is our hope that the field of reptile nutrition will continue to advance and herpetoculturists will achieve greater longevity and better health in their captive reptiles.
Popular Reptiles And Their Food Items:
California kingsnakes (Lampropeltis getula californiae): Unlike the kingsnakes L. zonata, L. pyromelana and L. alterna, the California kingsnake feeds well on mice. If the mice are offered a well-balanced diet, these snakes do very well feeding on them, and they can live well into their 20s.
Ball pythons (Python regius): With many beautiful morphs available, these snakes have become immensely popular during the past 20 years. Ball pythons do well on a rodent diet. Adults feed on rats, and young animals can be fed mice.
A rodent colony can be extremely helpful in reducing the cost of maintaining a large group of snakes or large carnivorous lizards.
Green treefrogs (Hyla cinerea): These beautiful North American frogs do very well in captivity, and they make a great first pet for people who want to maintain a frog. Fed crickets and the occasional silkworm, they can live almost 20 years on this simple diet. Dust gut-loaded crickets with calcium before offering them to this frog.
Leopard geckos (Eublepharis macularis): These lizards do well on an insectivorous diet of crickets and king mealworms. Be sure to “supercharge” these food items by dusting them with calcium before offering them to the geckos.
Bearded dragons (Pogona vitticeps): These omnivorous lizards feed on a diet of greens, such as red leaf lettuce, kale and squash. Crickets and king mealworms can be added to supplement this diet, and the occasional pinky mouse is also appreciated by these animals.
Eastern box turtles (Terrapene carolina): These turtles make a good pet if provided with a wide variety of food items, including worms, insects, greens and fruit. Make sure to purchase one bred in captivity because they will be easier to feed. These turtles can live up to 30 years in captivity, so be prepared for that commitment.
Argentine horned frogs (Ceratophrys ornata): Also known as the Pac-Man frog, these natives of South America do well under captive conditions. They can be fed a base diet of crickets supplemented with the occasional king mealworm and pinky mouse. Overfeeding these frogs leads to obesity, so it should be avoided.
Crested geckos (Rhacodactylus ciliatus): These geckos enjoy a diet of insects and soft fruits, such as peaches, nectarines, mangos and bananas. Dust crickets with calcium to ensure they get the nutrients they need. Keep in mind that their jaws are not very powerful, so the more hard-bodied insects may not be appropriate.
- Fresh Live Foods Types :
A products review :
https://www.internetreptile.com/brown-crickets/
1- Silent Brown Crickets
Fresh, healthy Brown/Silent Crickets make an excellent choice for insect eating reptiles. Especially for more humid environments, colder weather conditions or when you want to reduce noise levels in a living space. Plus brown crickets are slightly softer than black crickets, which can be useful for a pet who finds live food intimidating.
Live insects are our speciality. We know how important consistent, quality live food is to our customers, so we take great care in selecting the best breeders to ensure your animals stay happy and healthy. Our current sources of supply offer both ethically bread and organically fed insects. Plus all insects are shipped in plastic containers with air holes, cardboard layering, and substrate in the bottom to make sure they are fed. This ensures they arrive to you alive, and in the best possible condition.
Crickets are available in 5 sizes from micro to XL. So please check you have the correct item before you purchase.
For same day despatch make sure you purchase by 1pm Monday to Friday (exc bank holidays) and a complete satisfaction guarantee*
*complete satisfaction guarantee; in the rare event there is a problem with an order simply inform us within 24 hours of receipt for full coverage. Ask if unsure of anything, we are here to help you.
Size Guide
Micro : 1-3mm
Small : 4-5mm
Medium/Small : 6-8mm
Medium : 8-12mm
Standard : 12-18mm
Large : 15-20mm
XL : 20-30mm
2- Black Field Crickets
Fresh, healthy Crickets make an excellent choice for insect eating reptiles. Especially for more humid environments, colder weather conditions or just to add variety to your pet’s diet.
Live insects are our speciality. We know how important consistent, quality live food is to our customers, so we take great care in selecting the best breeders to ensure your animals stay happy and healthy. Our current sources of supply offer both ethically bread and organically fed insects. All insects are gut loaded, to make sure your pets receive the maximum amount of nutrients from their food. Plus all insects are shipped in plastic containers with air holes (or bags for larger orders) and dispatched as soon as possible to ensure they arrive to you alive, and in the best possible condition.
Crickets are available in 5 sizes from micro to XL. So please check you have the correct item before you purchase.
For same day despatch make sure you purchase by 1pm Monday to Friday (exc bank holidays) and a complete satisfaction guarantee*
*complete satisfaction guarantee; in the rare event there is a problem with an order simply inform us within 24 hours of receipt for full coverage. Ask if unsure of anything, we are here to help you.
Size Guide
Micro1-3mm
Small4-5mm
Medium/Small5-8mm
Medium7-12mm
Standard/Large12-20mm
XL 20-30mm
Common Sizes of crickets ..
- Locust pre-pack Hatchling
SIZE : 3 - 8 mm
Approx QTY Tub : 50
These hatchling locusts are great for a large amount of small frog species and anything with a small mouth
Will stay fresh in the delivered tub for around 1 week if kept in a cool environment out of direct sunlight, however for best results we do recommend they are fed, fresh fruit and vegetables as well as a gut loading formula. This will ensure the crickets take with them maximum nutrients to your choosen reptile, to enhance your reptiles captive life. It is also a good idea to dust livefoods with suppliements prior to feeding.
It is also a good idea to dust livefoods with suppliements prior to feeding.
All Livefoods are fresh packed on the day of dispatch to ensure the best possible Quality
Common Sizes of Locusts ..
SIZE : different sizes available ranging from 10 - 80 mm
Approx QTY Tub :20 - 6 depend on size
Will stay fresh in the delivered tub for around 1 week if kept in a cool environment out of direct sunlight, however for best results we do recommend they are fed, fresh fruit and vegetables as well as a gut loading formula. This will ensure the crickets take with them maximum nutrients to your choosen reptile, to enhance your reptiles captive life. It is also a good idea to dust livefoods with suppliements prior to feeding.
It is also a good idea to dust livefoods with suppliements prior to feeding.
All Livefoods are fresh packed on the day of dispatch to ensure the best possible Quality
4-Mealworm & Morio :
All the above is the real size for the small , medium and big sizes ..
Will stay fresh in the delivered tub for around 1 week if kept in a cool environment out of direct sunlight, however for best results we do recommend they are fed, fresh fruit and vegetables as well as a gut loading formula. This will ensure the crickets take with them maximum nutrients to your choosen reptile, to enhance your reptiles captive life. It is also a good idea to dust livefoods with suppliements prior to feeding.
It is also a good idea to dust livefoods with suppliements prior to feeding.
All Livefoods are fresh packed on the day of dispatch to ensure the best possible Quality
5- Wax Worms :
Will stay fresh in the delivered tub for around 1 week if kept in a cool environment out of direct sunlight, however for best results we do recommend they are fed, fresh fruit and vegetables as well as a gut loading formula. This will ensure the crickets take with them maximum nutrients to your choosen reptile, to enhance your reptiles captive life. It is also a good idea to dust livefoods with suppliements prior to feeding. It is also a good idea to dust livefoods with suppliements prior to feeding.
All Livefoods are fresh packed on the day of dispatch to ensure the best possible Quality
Waxworms 15g (in shavings) pre-pack
6- Flightless Fruitfly :
- Flightless Fruitfly (Drosophila) culture
Drosophila are a tiny winged, but flightless fly due to genetically impaired wing muscles. Their full life cycle lasts around 25-30 days. These cultures come in a self contained tub which requires no maintenance.
These flies are ideal for small amphibians and reptiles, particularly poison arrow frogs, small day geckos and anole lizards, small newts and salamanders, hatchling chameleons, spiderlings and mantids.
These cultures should be kept at room temperature.
Nutritional Information
Moisture 59%
Ash 2%
Protein 20%
Fat 14%
Other 5%
-Flightless fruitfly Flies ONLY :
Pre-pack tub of flightless fruit-flies, Please note that these are supplied loose with no culture medium or larvae and are suitable for immediate use so will have a very limited shelf life.
To the left : Same fruit fly above but with the actual size ..
- Curly Wing Flies ONLY :
Pre-pack tub of curly wing fly pupae. These will pupate into large bodied curly wing flies if left in a warm environment. These are the perfect fat bodied food for spiders, large amphibians and small reptiles.
7- Pachnoda beetleses :
- Fruit-beetle (Pachnoda) Grubs pre-pack
Each Pre-pack Tub contains approx 10 Grubs.
Will stay fresh in the delivered tub for around 1 week if kept in a cool environment out of direct sunlight, however for best results we do recommend they are fed, fresh fruit and vegetables as well as a gut loading formula. This will ensure the crickets take with them maximum nutrients to your choosen reptile, to enhance your reptiles captive life. It is also a good idea to dust livefoods with suppliements prior to feeding.
All Livefoods are fresh packed on the day of dispatch to ensure the best possible Quality
- Pachnoda marginata (Sun beetle) Adults:
Each Pre-pack Tub contains approx 5 adults and some may contain grubs.
These stunning and easy to care for beetles make a perfect starter pet. They can be kept on fresh fruit and jelly pots, and will breed if the conditions are correct.
All Livefoods are fresh packed on the day of dispatch to ensure the best possible Quality
8- Lob Worms (Lumbricus)- Earth worms :
- Lob Worms (Lumbricus) sizes from large to small .
Worms are ideal treats for feeding to carnivorous and insectivorous reptiles and insect eating birds. They are succulent, juicy and highly appetising for your pet. Live foods are also recommended over dried foods, as the movement of the insects promotes natural hunting and stalking behaviours, keeping your pet active and occupied. Even though live food does have much more nutrition than canned, dried food, they should be supplemented with a gut loading diet before feeding, to increase the vitamins and minerals which will be passed onto your pet.
8- Calci-Worms :
- Calci-Worms Small pre-pack
CalciWorms are feeder insects that are naturally high in calcium. Very similar to waxworms in texture, CalciWorms are the direct result of the need for a nutritious live food source that is naturally high in calcium. Small - ideal for hatchling lizards, dart frogs and other small species
9-Bean Weevil :
- Bean Weevil Pre Pack Tub :
Bean Weevils are a small beetle that feeds on dried beans, as well as other dried peas and pulses. The larvae feed inside the bean, eating away at the inside until it is ready to pupate.
It then makes a small chamber to pupate and emerges from the bean as an adult beetle.
Even as adults these weevils are only a few millimetres long and are used as a food for any species that likes very small food items, much in the same way as fruit fly.
They are ideal for small lizards, amphibians and invertebrates such a spiders or baby preying mantids. They do not possess biting mouthparts and are completely non aggressive. Bean Weevils are supplied as a culture containing adult beetles, along with beans containing feeding larvae. They should be stored at 20-25oC in the containers they arrive in and will produce weevils for several weeks, if not months.
Eventually the larvae will have eaten all of the beans and no new beetles will emerge.To use, the wood wool is gently removed from the culture and the beetles shaken into a plastic tub where they can be dusted with vitamin supplements if required before being used. The wood wool is then returned to the culture.
10- Cockroaches (Blaptica dubia) :
Size Approx : different from Small , Medium , Large and adults 5- 35 mm
Approx QTY Tub : 6-20
Feeder Cockroaches (Blaptica dubia) are meaty cockroackes, containing a higher ratio of protein to ingestible chitin. They produce little odour, are silent and are calm and easy to handle.
11- Whiteworm
- Whiteworm Culture:
Whiteworms (Enchytraeus albidus) are tiny worms that grow to around 3-4cm in length. They are a great food for many species of amphibian and reptile and for fish, but are especially useful for newly metamorphosed frogs, toads, newts and salamanders. Whiteworms can also be used in bio-active set-ups to help break down waste and recycle nutrients. They are supplied ready to use as a mixture of sizes and eggs in a culture medium.
12- Dwarf Tropical White Woodlice Culture :
A tropical species of soft-bodied woodlouse (Trichorina species) that grows to around 5mm long. They can be used as a food for smaller species of reptile and amphibian in forest type set ups. They eat any type of organic material and in the right bio-active set-up, they will breed prolifically and provide an ongoing food source as well as serving as part of the clean-up gang to consume waste and recycle nutrients. Supplied in small tubs with 15-20 indivduals and some bark.
13-Springtails :
Springtails Pre-Pack :
Springtails are a useful food for people who breed many species of amphibians (particularly poison dart frogs) where the newly metamorphosed froglets are too small to take even micro crickets.
They also form an essential part of a bio-active forest terrarium where they help to clean up waste and detritus from the tank. We now stock springtail colonies as well as a dedicated food for maintaining them.
Typically people would have fed the colonies using fish food, boiled rice or mushrooms but the new ProRep granular Springtail food takes away all of the mess and hassle of these more traditional foods.
It is simply sprinkled sparingly onto the surface of the culture media 2 or 3 times a week and is consumed completely, leaving no mess, waste or contamination.
14- Maggots :
15- And same the frozen food canbe supplied as fresh live food ..
which is :
- Rats .
- mices .
- chicks .
... etc
17- Firebrat (Thermobia domestica) :
In Firebrat is urine sects that are about 10 to 12 mm long. They
are often referred to as silverfish. The animals are considered pests in bakeries
etc. known and love a dry warm climate. The breeding designed to lengthy because
the animals require about 3 months until they reach maturity. Since the animals
are particularly productive, this insect is not commercially available in large quantities
are grown and therefore plays only a subordinate role as a feed animals. Some
, however Terrarianer feed furnace fishing on smaller reptiles for a change.
16- The dining bean beetle (Acanthoscelides obtectus) :
Edible bean beetle offered as food animals only recently. They are similar to the
first glance Drosophila, these are but a beetle. Fed
to bean beetle at the same animals that feed on Drosophila. A
breeding approach bean beetles can be used as holiday care, because the beetles
hatch over a longer period.
18- Pea aphids :
Pea aphids are an excellent food for reptiles and amphibians that prefer very little food and thus provide a nice alternative to Drosophila or springtails. The lice are cultured on Erbsenplanzen and feed it from the sweet juice of the plant. However, the lice are transferred to any other plants and can therefore also cause no harm. The pea plants should always have enough water. However, too high a humidity in the can must be avoided. At fogged with moisture can walls lice can otherwise too quickly stick and die. It is therefore upon receipt of the can lid, and adjusts the doses to a bright, warm place, best on a south-facing window. Regular pour not forget the pea plants.
19- Silk worms ( Bombyx mori) :
20- ladybird insect ( Coccinella magnifica )
