Okay so the title is *slight* clickbait. A superworm isn’t actually a worm. ( If you want to follow along, click on the image in the project whenever you see [click] mentioned below. The numbers should match up if you’re doing it right. ) [1] So. Lore. I own a bearded dragon. His (at least I think he’s a male) name is Sydney. He consumes superworms and dubia roaches with the occasional treat every now and then, along with his salad (as I call it) ofc. [click] [2] Fun fact: superworms are larvae. If isolated and left in a dark and warm place, they mature into darkling beetles. However, they won’t mature if they’re kept together. I keep mine in a small plastic fishbowl I got from Petsmart. (Autocorrect turned it into Petsfart lmao.) Since they’re together, they don’t mature and stay as superworms until they end up in the belly of the dragon. That’s where and when they turn into poop. [click] [3] However, there’s a large fake log in my lizard’s enclosure. I have it pushed up against the back wall to leave space in the front for feeding time. Today when I was cleaning his enclosure, I was moving that log around, and guess what I found? A darkling beetle. My theory is that it was hiding behind the log long enough to mature into a beetle. And how long does that process take? Roughly two weeks. Last week, all I did was a spot cleaning (cleaing up the poop, wiping down the floors and walls where they were dirty, etc.) where I didn’t move much around because I was lazy. So, that would’ve given the superworm just enough time to turn into a beetle. And I believe that’s where it lived for those two weeks, since it survived my lizard’s mouth. I assume it ate his salad when he was asleep because I keep his plate in the back corner right next to that large fake log. [click] [4] When I first saw it, I mistook it for a dubia roach because I forgot that superworms magically transform into beetles. But when I picked it up and looked at it, I realized that it was a beetle and not a roach. I was very confused for a moment before I remembered the superworm lore. [click] [5] Now I’m gonna try to grow another superworm into a beetle. Not in Sydney’s enclosure this time though lol. I put a superworm larvae in a small container and put the container in the storage/support area between my reptiles’ enclosures where it’s warm and dark. Now let’s hope I remember it’s there in two weeks lmao. (I also put the darkling beetle in there with a piece of an apple core to try to keep it alive. The beetle is in the bigger container; the superworm is in the smaller one.) I’m gonna try to breed ‘em to start my own superworm factory so I don’t have to spend $16 usd on 100 larvae every couple weeks. Except it’s more then $16 now because they inflated the prices, according to my mom. Sob. Just a silly story some insect enjoyers might like. [click] [6] Extra very low-quality picture of the fat idiot that smears his poop with his tail whenever I go to clean it up. I know you do it on purpose you little brat. And now the internet knows you’re gross. Checkmate. [click] [7] Bonus picture of my snake, Blaze. :] (And yes, that’s my dad’s authentic 1984 ((or maybe it was 1986 idr)) Lincoln Towne Car in the background. It probably needs a couple thousand dollars for repairs but it still drives just fine, minus the incessant squealing of the belt. Just for all the car nerds out there lmao.) [click] [8] And another because she’s an artist. (I’m gonna get salmonella someday, probably. Luckily that’s not the pillow I sleep on.) [click] [9] Sydney’s claws might be slightly sharp. GODDAMNIT dude I JUST cleaned your enclosure an hour ago and you’ve already pooped. And in the most inconvenient place ever. Not on the paper towels where you usually poop. Gee thanks I appreciate it you ungrateful tubby spawn of the devil. (I should’ve gotten a gecko…) And before anyone brings it up, yes, I’m aware that the placement of Sydney’s heat lamp is probably less than ideal. However, it’s been that way for several months now and there’s hasn’t been any problems, both when I’m around and away on vacation (where one of my friends is housesitting), so it’s fine.
