Just add crickets or monitor the amount?

I was wondering if it's Ok to just add a dozen or so crickets to the vivarium, or should I add them one or a few at a time when the chameleons appear hungry?

In other words, might they overfeed?

The two females seem a bit fat (but may be they are expecting) and the male seems a bit skinny - you can sometimes see his ribs but he does eat when he's around.

Add a few at a time, you don't want them over feeding and have the crickets harm then while they sleep.

qdude46 said:

Add a few at a time, you don't want them over feeding and have the crickets harm then while they sleep.

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Thanks

I didn't think they would do that, they are just very tiny silent crickets.

How old is your cham? Not so sure younger chams can over eat and should eat as much as they want. However I do take out any crickets & dubia's out of his feeding cup at night. *edit* sorry I didn't see this was in pygmy, was looking at new post.

Lazy Boy said:

How old is your cham? Not so sure younger chams can over eat and should eat as much as they want. However I do take out any crickets & dubia's out of his feeding cup at night. *edit* sorry I didn't see this was in pygmy, was looking at new post.

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I'm now trying to gauge whether a chameleon "looks" hungry or not. I tend to think if they are low down prowling around on the ground or on the low sticks, they are looking for food.

But they can change from either looking very fat or very thin depending on whether they are stretched out a bit or bunched up.

With pygmies I just place in food in the morning. The vivariums are usually heavily planted and there are a ton of areas for both the chameleons and the crickets to hide so you shouldn't have any problem with the crickets harming your pygmies. They will most likely hunt shortly after you feed them and then later in the day hunt some more.

I wouldn't worry about over feeding pygmies and if your females are kept with a male they are more than likely both gravid so you will want to give them as much food as they wish to eat so they can properly develop those eggs inside.

NHenn said:

I wouldn't worry about over feeding pygmies and if your females are kept with a male they are more than likely both gravid so you will want to give them as much food as they wish to eat so they can properly develop those eggs inside.

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Great, many thanks.

I am guilty of mass dumping crickets for 4 adult pygmies. They may get 10-15 in a day. I judge the next night feeding by how many crickets are left over. It is typically a two day cycle for my crew.

myst said:

I am guilty of mass dumping crickets for 4 adult pygmies. They may get 10-15 in a day. I judge the next night feeding by how many crickets are left over. It is typically a two day cycle for my crew.

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Yep, feed much the same way myself. If a few bugs are left, i miss a feed for the next day.