Bad Aim

[iLik3LIzards]

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - Ambilobe, Male, 4 months. Have had him for 5 days.
Handling - Not often, I want him to eat?
Feeding - Gutloaded crickets, 1/4"-1/2". I have been throwing in 10 past 5 days but he only gets 3 or 4. I put them in in the morning take them out at night. I notice he attempts to feed alot more later in the evening 6pm-8pm. Fruits and vegies.
Supplements - Nothing yet. The pet store has no supplements, told they'll have some this weekend.
Watering - I hand mist several times a day, I do see him drink often.
Fecal Description - Black turd ball with solid white tip.
History - Bought it from Harris in Wonderland at NE reptile show this past sunday.

Cage Info:
Cage Type - DIY 4'X2'X2' cept i have it sectioned off so its 2'x2'x2'
Lighting - 12 on 12 off, 18'' repti sun 5.0, 60w incandesent bulb
Temperature - 90 degrees basking, low 80's at night, I use a exo terro temp/humid but I think it reads roughly 10 degrees too high because of a thread I just read.
Humidity - humidity is being a real pain. I try and keep it 60%-80% but it quickly drops to low 30's high 20's. I use the exo terra.
Plants - No live plants at the moment. I'm going to be getting pothos soon.
Placement - favorable placement
Location - I'm located in massachusettes.

Current Problem - My current problem is my little dude has horrible aim. Misses roughly 4 our 5 attempts. Only gets a few a day. I've tried hand feeding, cup feeding, free range feeding. He'll only attempt at the free roamers. It's been like this since day one. I was hoping it was just a practice issue but 5 days on 3,4,5 crickets a day aint so good. I've read bad aim isn't just a bad skill level. Solutions?

 

[Rosie42892]

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - Ambilobe, Male, 4 months. Have had him for 5 days.
Handling - Not often, I want him to eat?
Feeding - Gutloaded crickets, 1/4"-1/2". I have been throwing in 10 past 3 days but he only gets 3 or 4. I put them in in the morning take them out at night. I notice he attempts to feed alot more later in the evening 6pm-8pm. Fruits and vegies.
Supplements - Nothing yet. The pet store has no supplements, told they'll have some this weekend.
Watering - I hand mist several times a day, I do see him drink often.
Fecal Description - Black turd ball with solid white tip.
History - Bought it from Harris in Wonderland at NE reptile show this past sunday.

Cage Info:
Cage Type - DIY 4'X2'X2' cept i have it sectioned off so its 2'x2'x2'
Lighting - 12 on 12 off, 18'' repti sun 5.0, 60w incandesent bulb
Temperature - 90 degrees basking, low 80's at night, I use a exo terro temp/humid but I think it reads roughly 10 degrees too high because of a thread I just read.
Humidity - humidity is being a real pain. I try and keep it 60%-80% but it quickly drops to low 30's high 20's. I use the exo terra.
Plants - No live plants at the moment. I'm going to be getting pothos soon.
Placement - favorable placement
Location - I'm located in massachusettes.

Current Problem - My current problem is my little dude has horrible aim. Misses roughly 4 our 5 attempts. Only gets a few a day. I've tried hand feeding, cup feeding, free range feeding. He'll only attempt at the free roamers. It's been like this since day one. I was hoping it was just a practice issue but 5 days on 3,4,5 crickets a day aint so good. I've read bad aim isn't just a bad skill level. Solutions?

You are very close to me! I am in Rhode Island, and it is tough keeping the humidity up.
Attach the cup to a branch/vine and leave the feeders in there. Chances are, he is not comfortable eating in front of you. Make sure the feeders are put in the cup and left in the enclosure in the MORNING for now, since it takes him so long to eat. It is not good for him to eat so late in the day because when lights go out, he does not have the heat for digestion.

As for your humidity, if you are handmisting, do so often for long periods of time. If possible, one of our site sponsors, MistKing, has a FANTASTIC automatic mister which I personally use. A major thing that will hold your humidity higher is live plants. I use ficus(weeping fig) and schefflera(umbrella plant).

Maybe try offering feeders other then crickets in the cup. Silkworms are great, avoid waxworms because of fat content, and mealworms because they are difficult for the cham to digest.

If the problem persists, it could possibly be an issue with eyesight, so a vet visit may be in order. Let me know if you need the name of a vet, I am in your area.

Keep us updated!

 

[iLik3LIzards]

Yeah im working on that mistking. Those things are pretty expensive for us broke college students. I bought supplies of mealworms/supers/crickets (supers/mealies mainly for my gf's geckos) months ago so I could have a nice colony to feed from sos not to buy em all the time. When I spray for longer periods of time the humidity reads up in the 90's at times, will the fluxuation of humidity cause further issues?

I'm pretty sure (more like hoping) the reason for missing is due to lack in calcium at the moment, but all my local pet store currently has is calcium w/d3. They do have calcium w/out d3 but in spray form. I have never read or heard of the spray before so opted against it and decided to wait for shipment, but now im considering buying it. So should I use the spray?

 

[sandrachameleon]

I'm pretty sure (more like hoping) the reason for missing is due to lack in calcium at the moment, but all my local pet store currently has is calcium w/d3. They do have calcium w/out d3 but in spray form. I have never read or heard of the spray before so opted against it and decided to wait for shipment, but now im considering buying it. So should I use the spray?

A calcium issue, or other nutrient issue, is a possibility. Increase the calcium content of your insect gutload until you can buy a calcium supplement or visit a different pet store.

Consider adding a dripper. Much cheaper than a misting system, and very effective.

You find this informative: https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/232-tongue-troubles.html

 

[iLik3LIzards]

Update

So I used that zilla calcium supplement spray. Now the lil dudes blasten those crickets left and right. I followed the 3 drop method. Seemed to work like crack. So yes he is dead eye apolo and eatin hardy.