Are butterworms safe?

I just got butterworms for my beardies today, but the beardies don't like them, so are they safe for gliders to eat?

Yes they are safe for your gliders.. my glider LOVE them NOW.. but it took some time for them to even try them!

Ok. Now I'm going to have to go google butterworms! I've never heard of them before!!! Are they anything like mealworms?
Does anyone know how many a glider can have and what the nutritional value is of them?

They don't look anything like mealworms.

WormMans Butterworms

They remind me of candy worms...they're orange and pink!

They are VERY high in fat, so I wouldn't feed too many. BUT... if you put them in a larger container and let them morph into moths, you can take the moths into the tent with you and let the gliders chase them down and eat them. I hear it is HILARIOUS, not to mention great enrichment for your gliders.

Yeah, they are a little over 5% fat, not nearly as fatty as waxworms, but fatty none the less. What's extra great about them though is that they have an insanely high amount of calcium in them. So they would be a nice extra calcium boost kind of a snack!

Mealworms are ~12% fat, butterworms are ~5% so they actually have less fat and more calcium.

Mealworms are really that fatty? Huh...I never thought that they were fattier than butterworms! Interesting...

Omg, I can only imagine gliders going insane for moths all over a tent!

Actually, you will likely not get moths from butterworms for several reasons. First, they only breed in their natural environment (Chile) - which is also why they are so expensive, because they are all imported. Second, they only eat leaves from the Tebo tree (native to Chile) so they will not likely survive long enough to morph into a moth without their food source, which is why it is recommended you keep them in the fridge - they will last longer that way. Third, they are actually irradiated before entering the US to rid them of bacteria, which is why they cannot be bred here.

If you want something that will morph into moths, try waxworms or silkworms (you can buy pellets for the silkworms since they only eat magnolia leaves). It is great to watch them chase moths!

what do you do to make wax worms turn to moths.
i would like to try that.

regards,
nancy in detroit

Here is a link about raising wax worms -
http://www.triciaswaterdragon.com/waxworms.htm

If you let the moths reproduce, make sure that your container is prepared as directed or else you will have a whole bunch of itty-bitty wax worms getting all over your house. If you feed the moths as soon as they come out of their cocoons and do not give them something to lay their eggs on (i.e. wax paper), then you won't have anything to worry about.

You can just leave them in the substrate they come in, generally saw dust, and leave them out of the fridge, but they will not be as healthy for the gliders and often their wings do not form very well, so some of them can't fly well or at all. When they turn brown and smell bad, it doesn't always mean they are dead! Several of us have made that mistake only to find hatching moths a few days later (if we didn't toss them out).

what about horn worms (goliath worms)

Feeder (captive bred) hornworms and hawk/sphinx moths are safe, wild caught of either are absolutely NOT safe.

sugarlope,
thanks for the info on the wax worms/moths. i am going
to try that.

regards,
nancy in detroit