bad aim

[mons00n]

I've been noticing lately that Kepler's aim is not that great. His tongue always shoots a bit too high and it seems to be causing him some frustration since he rarely gets the kill on the first try. He often has to get quite close in order to make the catch. Has anyone encountered this with their own cham? And more importantly is there anything I can do to help? Or is he just going to have to learn to compensate and be a poor hunter. Thanks!

 

[carol5208]

poor aim can be caused by an eye issue. go to the health clinic and fill out the "how to ask for help form". Maybe there is something in your gutloading or supplementing that needs improvement.

 

[mons00n]

poor aim can be caused by an eye issue. go to the health clinic and fill out the "how to ask for help form". Maybe there is something in your gutloading or supplementing that needs improvement.

Chameleon Info:

Your Chameleon - Blue bar amilobe, male, ~1 year old, in my care since about 1.5 months old.
Handling - daily to every other day
Feeding - 5-6 crickets per day, the occasional dubia or silk worm. Gut load = cricket crack, bug burger, collard greens, occasional carrot.
Supplements - repashy calc+ dusting @ every feeding
Watering - Aquazamp misting of RO (~20TDS) water every hour or so for 1 minute. I do see my chameleon drinking off of the leaves.
Fecal Description - Brown and white - looks like other healthy poop pictures found on this forum. Last checkup found no parasites.
History - He went through an 'awkward' period of time where he would grab himself. I had blood work and x-rays done - all turned out normal. Turns out the issue was with my gutload & his cage situation, all have since been resolved and he has not grabbed himself for ~6months.


Cage Info:

Cage Type - Screen Cage ~30"x18"x36"
Lighting - 50w regular bulb for basking. Reptisun 5.0 UVB bulb (nearing 6 months old). Light's on at around 8am, off at ~8pm.
Temperature - basking area is ~85, the rest of the cage is ~79 (temperature of the room he's in) Measured these temps with a digital thermometer
Humidity - varies from 0%-80% depending on how recent the misting was. I live in the desert so the humidity is naturally low.
Plants - Live schefflera/umbrella plant
Placement - cage located in the corner of my loft, not near any vents/fans. Foot traffic is moderate and only a few times a day. He hangs out above eye level.
Location - Las Vegas, NV

Current Problem - Basically his aim stinks. He has no problems climbing or seeing the food. He aims at one and just misses. The only way he ends up catching one as of late is to get real close and shoot at it. He's never had stellar aim, but he's looked rather frustrated and hungry the past few days. I was just wondering if anyone else ever had an issue like that, and if there was anything I could do to help.

 

[laurie]

First off I am sorry I missed your thread and we haven't offered any help. But I am leaving now, when I get home I will try to give some ideas. Maybe since I brought this to the top others will drop in with ideas.

 

[NosyBeT360]

This might not help but in certain parts of my cage where there are shadows being cast by vines and leaves etc. My girl has a little trouble aiming. If I am sure to hold the feeder in good light she never misses. Lol I found this out the other morning while feeding my Cham while my girlfriend was sleeping lol. Hope that helps!!

 

[RPCV]

I'm no expert but my cham has never had very good aim. Often tries for a cricket that is too far away or barely misses. This has been going on for almost 2 years and he is healthy. Never thought much of it.

Be curious to hear others responses.

 

[laurie]

Alright, I am back. Your temps seem fine. I would find a way to check the amount of uvb your cham is getting. You said size but not type of cage. Is it screen or mesh? less light comes through the dark mesh. How old is your uvb?
Is your mister on a timer? I would up the humidity if it were my cham. Having 3 times a day for a good mist, 2 minutes or so, and then setting another 6 or so times with just 30 seconds to keep you humidity would help. Do you have 3 sides of his cage covered with plastic to help hold in humidity? You can also set plants near the cage, or regular tabletop water fountains sitting close to the cage help. Close to the cage but not in the cage. My last idea is get some vitiamin A capsules for humans, walmart, drugstore, where ever. Take a straight pin and stab the gel cap. With a toothpick, get just a tiny bit and put it on the back of a feeder. Do this once a week. That is about it. Pm me and let me know if any of this helps.

 

[mons00n]

Alright, I am back. Your temps seem fine. I would find a way to check the amount of uvb your cham is getting. You said size but not type of cage. Is it screen or mesh? less light comes through the dark mesh.

It is the darker screening. He does however have a branch that runs directly under the bulb.

How old is your uvb?

~5months

Is your mister on a timer?

yes, about once an hour for 1 minute.

I would up the humidity if it were my cham. Having 3 times a day for a good mist, 2 minutes or so, and then setting another 6 or so times with just 30 seconds to keep you humidity would help. Do you have 3 sides of his cage covered with plastic to help hold in humidity? You can also set plants near the cage, or regular tabletop water fountains sitting close to the cage help. Close to the cage but not in the cage.

Here in Las Vegas it's pretty difficult to keep the humidity up. He seems very happy otherwise so I don't think that is an issue.

My last idea is get some vitiamin A capsules for humans, walmart, drugstore, where ever. Take a straight pin and stab the gel cap. With a toothpick, get just a tiny bit and put it on the back of a feeder. Do this once a week. That is about it. Pm me and let me know if any of this helps.

Is there any specific reasoning you recommend supplementing vitamin A? I toyed with the idea back when he was grabbing himself but my vet recommended against it.

 

[laurie]

Personally I have found eye issues and tongue issues respond well to tiny amounts of vit a. i am just going on my experience, nothing else. If you have a mest cage you need to be aware the uvb will not penetrate as far. A 5.0 uvb will penetrate only 10" into a screen cage, I don't know how far into a mest cage. At 5 months I would change it and since you are using the mest I would go to a 10.0, it will penetrate 20" into a screen cage so your cham will have a better chance to get the needed amount of UVB. There is a store "Reptiles & Reefs" in Las Vegas who will have any and all supplies you will need. They are new so call info for the address.

 

[mons00n]

I have some Repashy vitamin A+, I'd like to give it a shot to help his aim. How often should I dust with it? And I'm assuming dusting 1 feeder will be sufficient.