Cicadas

[jelkins]

I tried posting this yesterday, so my apologies if I missed it somewhere?

Anyway, here in central KY, we're experiencing one of the various 17 yr. cicada spawnings. There are thousands of them buzzing about...

However, they are eagerly accepted by my larger tiger salamanders and axolotls. They've been snapping them up like crazy and I'm considering freezing a bunch of the suckers for supplemental use come winter. I must admit its very nice having such an abundant and free sorce of food!

 

[Blackhawk IV]

hi,
wow sounds like a good idea. my only question is, what about the hard exoskeleton and the wings? might these not prove trouble for your sallies? still sounds fun how do you catch them, with a net? or do you just go and pick them off individually with your hands?

Blackhawk

 

[Michael2266]

How do you feed them to Axolotls? Aren't they too rough for them?

 

[jelkins]

I just catch them by hand as they're pretty clumsy insects.

I just hold the cicada in front of the axolotls and they gobble them down. The exoskeleton passes through just fine and so do the wings. My largest axolotl can eat three at a given feeding and that's about 3 X per week! I feed the tigers the same way. Now understand, that most of these animals are over 8" in length, not juveniles.