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Are Locusts safe for Chameleons?

✓ Sources checked by the Eaoae Safety Review · 2026-11-01 · Based on 4 sources

⚠️ Caution May be okay in small amounts or specific forms — read the details.

Good feeders with practical limits. Locusts and grasshoppers are natural chameleon prey — ReptiFiles' panther chameleon guidance lists grasshoppers among the main feeders, and LafeberVet includes them for Jackson's chameleons. The cautions: feed captive-bred stock only, choose nymphs (adult locusts grow hard, spiny hind legs), and note that in North America farmed locusts are hard to buy — which pushes keepers toward wild-caught insects, a risk of its own.

⚠️ Emergency: Possibly — call your vet for advice.

💡 Why

Wild grasshoppers are where locusts earn their CAUTION. A grasshopper from a sprayed field can carry insecticide, and wild insects generally can carry parasites — the same reasoning behind our wild-caught insects verdict. Captive-bred locust nymphs, standard fare in European chameleon keeping, avoid all of that and are nutritionally respectable once gut-loaded and dusted. If you cannot source farmed locusts, farmed roaches and crickets cover the same dietary role with none of the uncertainty.

🩺 What to do

  1. Use captive-bred locusts; feed nymphs and younger stages rather than spiny adults.
  2. Gut-load and dust exactly as you would crickets.
  3. Never substitute lawn- or field-collected grasshoppers — pesticide and parasite risk.
Important: this is for reference only and is not veterinary advice. If your chameleon may have eaten or touched something dangerous, contact your veterinarian immediately.

❓ Common questions

Why are locusts so hard to buy in the US?

Locusts are potential crop pests, so farming and shipping them is restricted and few reptile suppliers stock them. European keepers use them widely; North American keepers usually rely on dubia roaches and crickets instead.

Can I feed the big grasshoppers from my garden?

No — that is the wild-caught scenario this verdict warns about: possible insecticide exposure and parasites. Garden insects are off the menu even when the species itself is fine.

📚 Sources

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Checked with Eaoae’s safety lookup. Answers are generated for reference and may be incomplete — always confirm with your vet for your individual pet. Spotted an error? Let us know.