In Reply to: Re: mealworms and crickets posted by tana on April 08, 2000 at 15:06:24:

I do not know who is propogating the two mealworms a week story but it is rubbish. Gliders as insectivores are adapted to eating insects and pupae like mealworms which are full of "fat". Mealworms also are a source of calcium. I have fed my gliders three to four mealworms a day for over four years and this has never caused obesity problems.
The original zoo diet calls for 12 a day! I also give meat or egg every day. Remember the new idea is that gliders need 33% protein in their diet if not more.
I rarely feed crickets as I find them to hard to care for in bulk but find it difficult to imagine any glider refusing a second mealworm. My crew come up and hiss in my ear beggging for more all teh time right after eating their three.
: I have heard that meal worms should only be fed once or twice a week because of their fat content, but it's good to give a couple of crickets a day. Try the link below though. The modified Taronga Zoo Diets should say how much to feed each day. (Generally I would say ask the boards, but only one or two people seem to be answering these days :( ). As for nipping, they will let you know when they don't want to do something, and I've noticed that my boys don't defiantly nip like that anymore, at least not as much. my guess is that she is in her "teenager" months. And the toe biting is generally thought to be love nips, saying "pay attention to me!" It sounds like she's doing pretty good, especially if they don't hurt. Good luck!

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