HELP feeding greens

[Chopper562]

i need advice on placing/feeding greens i dont know where to put them... what are good greens to feed regulary to my cham? he is trying to eat ficus and fake plant like for testers. but when i put out my lettuce he couldnt find it i feel like, i hung it on branches he likes to pass like this

 

[Chopper562]

help please

 

[Kibu]

I never had a veild b4, but u could hang some salad greens by clothes pin, or put some hibiscus in.

 

[reptilover]

I offer mine by hand. But the cloths pin idea is good.. they dry out super fast under the heat light so careful to remove them before there gross. My veiled likes to eat hibiscus and pothos. I also let my chams dripper water wet the lettuce peices before feeding. I feel the water antagonizes him to eat it

 

[Jamiee]

My little one always seems to eat then straight from my hand.
It seems to me like he prefers them aswell!

but as above deffo remove them before they get gross.

 

[Fern]

My veiled likes romaine lettuce. I usually put it in her feeding dish in small pieces along with some mealworms. I think the movement of the worms helps her to notice it. Also if she tries to catch the worms she sometimes gets a piece of lettce too so gets the taste.

She will take it from my hand too, especially if I make it move around a little.
She used to eat small pieces of apple when she was little too (around 6 months old) but has gone off that since.

 

[BocaJan]

I have several males and one female that looks for kale. They love kale. It is really nutritious for them and look for it when they come out to spend some time in their trees. I feed them from my hand.

 

[Chopper562]

yay, thanks for the help. i need to google some of theese greens now i havent heard of some like "kale" thanks guys.

 

[UrbanChameleon]

I always found hand feeding was best. Make sure to cut them into small pieces. My Cham grabbed a huge piece once and I had to rip it from his mouth. They can choke on fruits & veggies. So be very cautious. When you hand feed, you can move the vegetable piece around with your fingers. Once they have one bite, they know exactly what to do. You just need to practice hand feeding with all kinds of different feeders.

 

[Chopper562]

^^ he is two months old he seems very timid of me, i wouldnt want to scar my relationship with him..

when i come into the cage to hand feed i feel like he will freak when the veggies come up towards his mouth. i will try once and let you guys know tonight. thanks for he advice

 

[Fern]

You could try holding them a little distance from him & wiggling them with you fingers. Then he will notice them but at the same time you're not too close. I also found hand feeding waxworms is a good way to start them feeding from your hand as they love those. You can put them in the palm of your hand at a distance from your cham.
I've read that collard greens are good for veiled chameleons & various green fruits. I've only tried a few myself though. I know mine didn't like broccoli. Any lettuce should be romaine.
Hope this helps.

 

[Psychobunny]

I use kale for my "cricket salad" which is chopped kale, gratted carrot and orange slices.
I put a few small bowls of the stuff inside Smeagol's cage (my juvie veiled male) for the cricks to eat, instead of niddling on Smeagol's toes or tail.
I have not yet seen him eat any of the kale since I have only had him a week.

He does wonder around enough (albiet, slowly!) to find everything.
I dont know if he would eat the orange or carrot, its all mixed together!!

The cricks LOVE this stuff! and it's a great gut load.

 

[UrbanChameleon]

As the other member mentioned, keep your hand at a distance. Don't get so close that he puffs up. He will come to you once he decides to eat the food in your hand. It takes practice, sometimes a lot depending on your Cham. There's probably some videos on YouTube. I do recall one in particular where a guy was feeding fruit and veggies to his Cham. You might want to start off with worms. Once he gets used to eatin those out of your hand, anything else will be a walk in the park. Just don't put your hand right in front of his face. Have it to where he can see it, and walk towards it. Be slow and don't jerk if he gets too close. My Veiled likes to get really close to my hand before he shoots his tongue out. Greens are easy, but fruit (such as strawberry and bananas) tend to not stick to his tongue well. I think I started cup and hand feeding when he was about 3.5 months old. By the time he was 4 months I started feeding vegetables. The older they are, the easier it is in my opinion. But you also want to start when they are fairly young, but not too young. Just try to find some videos, and practice. Not every Chameleon will hand feed, but the majority of the forum members have been successful.

One other thing.. I've left very small pieces of Kale scattered on Bodhi's vines before and he ate a lot of it. But that was a little after he ate it from my hand. You could try that instead of huge chunks. Although I'm afraid he might not be enticed because he doesn't know what it is yet.it could be worth a shot though. Just let him see you placing it in spots around the cage. An keep it in one general area. You never know.

 

[Chopper562]

^^^ VERY helpful thank you. he did NOT like me trying to feed him. im going to wait one week to feed by hand again. for now theres kale and romaine lettuce around the cage for him to try. thanks guys

 

[UrbanChameleon]

No problem.