It’s a story we hear about all too often:  parent buys pet for kid; kid gets bored; pet neglected; left with an angered and unmotivated parent.  Novelty worn off, pet suffers.  Reptiles suffer this fate on a regular basis.  Look no further than FB rehoming groups or Kijiji. We knew next to nothing about reptiles and reptile nutrition, but we owed it to our first rescue to learn and educate ourselves about their needs in every regard.   Husbandry is discussed often, but nutrition all too often takes a back seat.

Izzy, 2017.

Izzy, a neglected bearded dragon, changed our family’s life …. and unknowingly the lives of many reptile rescues to follow:  dragons, chameleons, geckos, skinks, anoles, and tegus to name a few.   A common theme with people abandoning their animals:  giving up on reptile nutrition due to frustration:  crickets escaping and making round-the-clock-noise or dying prematurely; worms suffering the same premature fate, hard to find depending on location, or too costly or fattening.   And breeding them, not for everyone.  

But a little research into a misunderstood and feared feeder and bingo:  easy breeders, best feeders. Roaches.  Hands down, #1.  No, not the common, invasive – and downright nasty – cockroach that comes to mind.  These roaches are of the tropical variety, native to warm & humid climates like the Florida Everglades, Mexico, Central America, and South America.   

Reproduction:  To Breed or Not to Breed?

The idea of endless, premium quality feeders – the polar opposite of the stale and overpriced big box store stock we’re all too familiar with – was too good to ignore.   On their own, roaches stand head and shoulders above any other reptile feeder out there.  And you’re likely not going to find them at your local pet store (and if you do, they’re not alive, nutritionally inferior, and costly since you’re dealing with supply channels).   We’ve all grown too tired of it:  paying more for less.  But once your reproduction colony is humming, you ARE your own boss.  And your reptile(s) are very happy and healthy, most importantly.  

Do you need a reproduction colony? No…. and it’s not for everyone, admittedly.  But give your reptiles the best – they deserve it.  Roaches are the pinnacle of reptile feeders.  It’s well documented and we speak from experience.  Countless malnourished & fussy reptiles have been saved over the years.  Reptiles that were only fed low grade feeders.  But they’re all flourishing now thanks to  a steady diet of miracle feeders. 

2017 to present. 

Seven years and counting, a dragon abandoned, but in turn inspiring our family to spread the word about proper reptile nutrition.  

Long live Izzy. Long live roach nutrition.