Nightcrawlers? No thanks!
Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2014 5:32 pm
Well I just had an interesting experience. I noticed Gideon just basking around and thought, "Hey I haven't given you live food in awhile" so I pulled out my composting bucket of European night-crawlers and pulled out a few, gave them a toss in some vitamins and threw them in. He went crazy for them! He threw back four big ones in under a minute, then as I was putting them away I noticed he had his mouth open, like he was displaying, or in the middle of a yawn. I thought it was kind of odd because he didn't close his mouth and about thirty seconds later he was regurgitating two very displeased and very much still alive worms! Yuck!
He stayed like that with his mouth open for awhile longer and I figured i'd be putting two more spit covered crawlers back into the compost but no more surfaced. A bit worried I offered the boy some mealies which he munched back happily. No more worms yet and he seems to be calmed down again, but that was a bit scary! I've read that the worms can release a foul tasting yellow secretion when afraid and I definitely saw some dripping off one of the refused worms but with the way he threw them back I figured it hadn't bothered him. Kinda gross that they weren't dead, he really tossed them around and rubbed them into the ground before eating them so i'd figured the trauma would have killed them but I guess it didn't and they just didn't make it to his stomach acid before he had a change of heart (or appetite? lol). Anyways lesson learned! As long as the worms keep composting they can keep living here safe and sound
Also just curious, does anyone else's bluey wipe their mouths when they are done eating? Every time Gideon's had enough food he takes a step back and rubs both sides of his face on the ground like he's cleaning it. I find it really cute, does anyone else see their bluey do this? I'm curious if it's just a habit of the species.
He stayed like that with his mouth open for awhile longer and I figured i'd be putting two more spit covered crawlers back into the compost but no more surfaced. A bit worried I offered the boy some mealies which he munched back happily. No more worms yet and he seems to be calmed down again, but that was a bit scary! I've read that the worms can release a foul tasting yellow secretion when afraid and I definitely saw some dripping off one of the refused worms but with the way he threw them back I figured it hadn't bothered him. Kinda gross that they weren't dead, he really tossed them around and rubbed them into the ground before eating them so i'd figured the trauma would have killed them but I guess it didn't and they just didn't make it to his stomach acid before he had a change of heart (or appetite? lol). Anyways lesson learned! As long as the worms keep composting they can keep living here safe and sound
Also just curious, does anyone else's bluey wipe their mouths when they are done eating? Every time Gideon's had enough food he takes a step back and rubs both sides of his face on the ground like he's cleaning it. I find it really cute, does anyone else see their bluey do this? I'm curious if it's just a habit of the species.
