That's not true. People and animals get worms in their digestive tracks that pass completely through the stomach and all its acids.

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"What inning is it?" -What Joe Biden, Vice President of the United States, asked as he came in late to watch the super bowl

Greg

Ok, but other than specialy evolved parasites, nothing can survive, at least not for long. Besides, how much damage can a chewed up worm do?

25% of people in the USA have worms. Most of us don't even know it. Because many parasites like the one humans get (pig roundworm) manage to live in our bodies without doing us much harm, they can often go unnoticed.

Some parasites' life cycles cannot be completed without exposure to stomach acid.

Considering how people get to doctors much more often than most animals get to good vets, I think the rate for parasite infestation is higher in animals.

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Only when the last tree has been cut down
Only after the last river has been poisoned
Only after the last fish has been caught
Only then will you find that money cannot be eaten.

Cree Indian Prophecy.

I'm not talking about those kinds of worms! He said super worms can survive in the stomach and chew through it

That was an example of those parasites you mentioned.

While I have heard the myth, and I have been bit by super worms more than once (it really isn't bad) I doubt they would survive after being chewed up and swallowed.

__________________
Only when the last tree has been cut down
Only after the last river has been poisoned
Only after the last fish has been caught
Only then will you find that money cannot be eaten.

Cree Indian Prophecy.

Lol, now that we've got that settled
He didn't seem very enthusiastic about the mealworm. I think he was trying to take a nap. I swear it tried to crawl into his mouth, and all he did was push it away like he was annoyed. Lol, he really did look irritated by it! Not enought to eat it though. I'll go see if he ate it yet

OK, I DID NOT say superworms could survive in the stomach! Nor did I say that they will chew through it! Let's be clear.
Savannah monitors gulp down their meals. They do not chew their food. My concern was that they could do some damage in their death throes. The head only needs to survive.
Like I said, I don't know if it's true or not.
But somebody's going to have to give me some hard facts not a bunch of exclamation points and question marks!

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"What inning is it?" -What Joe Biden, Vice President of the United States, asked as he came in late to watch the super bowl

Greg

Og, I was just teasing when I made that comment, sorry if it was taken the wrong way. It really is a myth though...

Even if Monitors don't chew as much as most animals will, the worm would be at least partially crushed at some point. Even if only by the esophagus as they are swallowing.

There is only one bacteria that is able to survive in the stomach, and the reason that it is able to do that is because it takes urea and turns it into ammonia which neutralizes the stomach acid. Parasites that are able to survive the stomach acids have a similar defense mechanism. Superworms do not.

Another thing to consider is that while parasites are anaerobic, superworms need oxygen to survive. They would not be able to get this in the digestive tract. The parasites that are able to survive in the body are "designed" to be able to live inside another organism. Superworms aren't.

Now, lets see if we can put all the name calling aside and get this thread back on topic.

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I will say, I gave Philip (Whites Tree Frog) a super worm the other day and I could see it squiggling around in his stomach for about 10 seconds. It was pretty gross.

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My name is Liz
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The Chitin(outer shell) is thinner on Superworms than on Mealworms.
The superworm name is Zophobas morio.
The mealworm name is Tenebrio molitor.

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Mike