Collecting Insects as Reptiles & Amphibian Food: Traps & Tips

Hi, Frank Indiviglio here. I’m a herpetologist, zoologist, and book author, recently retired from a career spent at several zoos, aquariums, and museums, including over 20 years with the Bronx Zoo.
Although it’s below freezing here in NY, my thoughts are straying to a favorite warm-weather activity – collecting insects for my herp collection. Invariably, I find species that are new to me, and others that I wind up keeping alive in small terrariums. Drawing on a lifetime of collecting for my pets and the animals under my care at the Bronx Zoo, I’ve written articles on capturing, using, and breeding many invertebrates, including sap beetles, leaf litter dwellers, “meadow plankton”, earwigs, sow bugs, grasshoppers, and many others. In this article, I’ll summarize my favorite collection techniques and traps. Links to articles containing further information are also included. As I and other herp-keepers have barely scratched the surface of this topic, please be sure to post your own thoughts and experiences below. Read the rest of this article here Collecting Insects as Reptile Pet Food - Tips | That Reptile Blog [FONT=&quot][/FONT]
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My Bio, with photos of animals I’ve been lucky enough to work with: That Pet Place welcomes Zoologist/Herpetologist Frank Indiviglio to That Reptile Blog | That Reptile Blog

Best Regards, Frank

Hi Frank!

So I am wondering if there is a way to tell if a bug is poisoness? I mean there are quite a few poisoness bugs out there aren't there? And so couldn't you catch one and feed it to you pet and then it would die?
I really want to start collecting bugs from outside but I am afraid that I will accidentally feed a poisoness bug. So is there a sure fire way to tell? Or do I just have to hope I don't feed a poisoness one?

Thanks! -Seth

Bright colors are indicators of an insect potentially being poisonous. I'm sure feeding in moderation would be fine. I'm now wondering if feeding a variety of insects would help nuetralize toxins from poisonous insects. This reminds me of plant diversity allowing livestock to consume noxtious weeds because of the different compounds cancelling each other out...

Frank thank or your years o knowledge i may need your help as i have many critters and more types of feeding creatures too. sow bugs i call them roly polys, earthworms, meal worms and all the micro, bannana,walter, vinegar eels and dubia. yes i have koi and lizard too. i look forward to learning other varieties i can harvest or the babies. i am running out of jars. i just started a culture of was worms hop i dont infest the house oh my