Food strike, cage change, or time of the year?

LaserGecko · #1 11-08-2007, 01:02 PM

Hi everyone,

Someone make the call here, 'cause I surely cannot!

My girl hasn't been eating very much at all lately. This happened right about the time that I replaced the HabbaMist with the two misting nozzles. She used to be voraciously hungry and would eat as many crickets as I put in the cage (usually 8-15 depending on the size). However, lately she's ignoring crickets completely and I've been extremely busy with getting things setup and haven't had time to monitor her as much.

She never showed any real interest in the mealworms, so they're all dead now. I'm going to order some phoenix and silkworms in a bit, though, to see if that will help.

So is the reason for the diet change...

A) The time of the year (my uro is starting to brumate)

B) The cage change (Adding misters and an egg laying box)

C) Food strike

D) She's not as hungry because she's better hydrated.

She seems to actually be pooping more than she was. Either that or it's just easier to see since the umbrella plant has lost more leaves.

Thanks everyone!

chameloman72 · #2 11-08-2007, 01:15 PM

I would have to say A) time of year!! All my chams have slowed down on eating also. Mine aren't moving around as much so that tells me that their metabolism isn't as high so therefore their food consumption also slows down cause their not using much energy for alot of food!!

mightyzug · #3 11-08-2007, 01:17 PM

all of the above

PardalisGirl · #4 11-08-2007, 01:41 PM

Everything in my house is adjusting to fall and earlier hours of darkness. I'm struggling with it myself. I've noticed subtle changes in the last couple of weeks with my chams.....I'm doing my seasonal lighting and heat changes now to help with this. I add some additional heat bulbs because it's colder here now and I add some regular house light bulbs to my hood fixtures to make my chameleon cages and rooms brighter. Our whole house is darker with the shorter hours of sunlight and our cloudy weather. I feel yucky because our house is darker and it feels like I have to have lamps on during the day. I think some element of changing seasons is good for the chams but in the Pacific NW I think it's too extreme so I make some changes to compensate for it.........

Vegas Chad · #5 11-08-2007, 01:59 PM

Yea I agree with what has been said... The nights have been getting cold here in Vegas, all of mine are also slowing down on the food and overall. I changed out the basking blubs to they will stay nice and warm during the day. But the cool and the short days always seem to make them slow down a bit...

dodolah · #6 11-08-2007, 02:09 PM

time of the year.
My chameleon also stop eating voraciously.
It is getting chilly.
He ate 3 silkworms last night.
gave him 10 and 3 crix.
Saw him eating 1 crix only and absolutely depressed seeing silkworm..
I don't know why though..
He seems eating them fine yesterday.
Now he exhibit patterns every time he pass the silkworms during his routine walk.

LaserGecko · #7 11-08-2007, 02:12 PM

Thanks guys.

I'm always amazed at how little Calories reptiles consume. I once tracked my uros' consumption for one month and found that they ate about the equivalent of a Big Mac, energy wise.

It would've really ticked me off to find out that proper husbandry (finally) was throwing her off!

LaserGecko · #8 11-21-2007, 08:00 PM

Update: Well, I think it was definitely a hunger strike as well as the seasonal change.

My silkworms arrived today. I put four of them in there and three were gone by the time I left for work. So, at least she's eating something and not turning her prissy little nose up at everything.

I will see how she likes Phoenix Worms tomorrow.

Julirs · #9 11-22-2007, 03:05 AM

How old is she? Is there a chnce she could be gravid? Is she wandering the cage? Just a thought---it is another reason females stop eating.

LaserGecko · #10 11-22-2007, 04:52 AM

I don't think she is gravid. I've only seen her on the floor once about six weeks ago and I immediately put a 2' long planter box in the cage.

There aren't any eggs that I can feel in her and I haven't seen her on the floor since then. On the upside, the pothos is doing much better now and it's easier to see the urates when she poops over the planter. The dirt is undisturbed, afaik.

We'll see how she does tomorrow with a few more silkies and some phoenix worms.

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