| The
Environmental Husbandry Manual Click here for CONTENTS Page No part of this publication may be reproduced without the prior written permission of the author - For contact details see about the author |
 |
Individual Methods for Feeding
Methods - Practices
Live Insects
The practices outlined in this section relate to methods of food presentation that do not require the use of special materials or devices. Scatter feeds, use of specific locations, and methods of ensuring that specific animals receive required medications and dietary supplements are dealt with.
Live Insects |
||
| Method | Crickets, Locusts, Waxworms, Fruit-flies. Scattered into the enclosure to hide under wood-chip, or onto the surface of ponds (for crocodiles). | |
| Species | Meerkat, Coati. Mongoose, Lizards, Dwarf Crocodile (Locusts), and Frogs (Hatchling Crickets and other small Insects) | |
| Purpose | Provide fresh and mobile source of natural food, which must be actively caught. | |
| Pro | Takes time to hunt or forage for live prey, and provides exercise. | |
| Con | Must monitor populations of insects to prevent them overrunning enclosures if they are not eaten. | |
| Improvements | Use aphids (greenfly / blackfly) in summer - cut infested branches from plants and put them into the enclosure. | |
| Comments | Frogs, in particular, require motion to stimulate feeding behaviour. Feeding insects to animals is allowed in the UK, as legislation only prohibits feeding of vertebrate prey. Insects dusted with vitamin powder as a dietary supplement should be placed in a dish to be eaten before the powder falls off. Should ensure that wild-collected insects have not been sprayed with insecticides. | |
| Frequency of Use | Daily (Reptiles), Three Times per Week (Mammals). | |
| Ratings | Usefulness | 10/10 |
| Convenience | 7/8 | |
| Value For Money | 10/8 | |
| Range of Users | 9/10 | |
| Contributed By | Reptile Section / Carnivore Section | |