Flesh-eating Insects...Not as Scary as You'd Think

Mealworms are a great snack. Their high protein content makes them a favorite for our frog, who readily launches himself towards the wriggling larva as naturalists offer it up during feeding time. Because mealworms are often kept for use as captive animal treats or as bait, they're largely viewed as prey. This week we observed their role as scavengers, allowing members of our mealworm colony the chance to dine on the remains of other animals.

Most weeks our mealworms are given vegetable scraps to feed on -- potatoes, carrots, or apples. Some months ago, though, I had read about their application as skull cleaners (while researching alternatives to skull cleaning via water maceration or Dermestid beetles). I hadn't yet found the chance to try out this new approach. So last week I prepared a star-nosed mole and thought I'd try leaving the uncleaned skull in with our mealworms.

The results so far have been very encouraging. Mealworms eagerly ate up bits of flesh left on the skull. Before they could get carried away and start chewing away at bone, I removed the skull from the mealworm container and proudly showed it off to our other naturalist. Perhaps we'll start switching up their diet more often for everyone's enrichment.