Steve A
Chameleon Enthusiast
Posting in the health clinic in case there is a potential issue. I'm not super worried, but I just want to run by our current situation with everyone, just in case.
So right around when the weather started changing (could be a total coincidence), Spike stopped eating as he usually does. He barely touches his crickets, and now he's not really eating his BSFL either. He's eating 1 - 3 larger Silkworms per day. Sometimes he will also/or eat a hornworm. He is eating the black soldier FLIES that have hatched and are flying around in his enclosure. He seems to be eating these first, then silkworms, then he WILL eat crickets that have escaped their window feeder.
I just want to make sure I shouldn't be concerned or anything. I've had Spike go through some food protests, but he ALWAYS ate more, just certain bugs and would avoid other bugs.
He still doesn't seem to really be eating his dubia. He might be eating 1-2 here or there. I ordered really small dubias.
Other behavior that is possibly related: He's been going down in his enclosure back to his resting spot MUCH earlier than usual. Around 1-1:30pmish, compared to 2:30-3:30pmish.
A couple things on my mind that may be factors:
1) he's due for a shed
2) Some of his bugs are currently bigger (silkworms mainly)
3) the BS Flies could be feeding him more than I realize (impossible to count those lol)
4) the weather changing
I bring up the weather because it's now Fall here in NJ, and it's been pretty cold. His basking light is on until 2pm (80f), and his temps in general seem fine.
Top of branches enclosure low to mid 70s, then it gradually drops to the mid 60s as you go down. One change that I have made is I have changed our house temps. The min temp was 73 during the day, and 70 at night.
Because of the fact my thermostat works in a 3f degree windows ... I am now keeping it at 70f (70-73f) during the day, and then 67-70f at night.
He has not shown any kinds of illness. He has been stretching/yawning his mouth here or there for just a short moment (Again I think a shed is coming soon), but no actual gaping where he just lays there with his mouth open for long periods of time.
His poops/urate look fine. (although he IS pooping less often... more like every 2-3 days now instead of every day) His hydration is excellent, and he's quite active in his enclosure in general. He looks great to me.
He will be 7 months old on Nov 9th-15th. Could this also just be due to him sizing up and getting to that point to where he just doesn't have to / want to eat as much as before? I know he should still have a ways to go before being an adult size. But I wonder if this is an aging thing.
I gave him the last of the larger silkworm that I have today. So I am going to be giving him smaller ones starting tomorrow. So if this is just due to the size of the silkworms he's eating, I will know soon. I guess this could also just be a general food strike. Any thoughts? This has been going on for at least a week and a half to 2 weeks I'd say.
So right around when the weather started changing (could be a total coincidence), Spike stopped eating as he usually does. He barely touches his crickets, and now he's not really eating his BSFL either. He's eating 1 - 3 larger Silkworms per day. Sometimes he will also/or eat a hornworm. He is eating the black soldier FLIES that have hatched and are flying around in his enclosure. He seems to be eating these first, then silkworms, then he WILL eat crickets that have escaped their window feeder.
I just want to make sure I shouldn't be concerned or anything. I've had Spike go through some food protests, but he ALWAYS ate more, just certain bugs and would avoid other bugs.
He still doesn't seem to really be eating his dubia. He might be eating 1-2 here or there. I ordered really small dubias.
Other behavior that is possibly related: He's been going down in his enclosure back to his resting spot MUCH earlier than usual. Around 1-1:30pmish, compared to 2:30-3:30pmish.
A couple things on my mind that may be factors:
1) he's due for a shed
2) Some of his bugs are currently bigger (silkworms mainly)
3) the BS Flies could be feeding him more than I realize (impossible to count those lol)
4) the weather changing
I bring up the weather because it's now Fall here in NJ, and it's been pretty cold. His basking light is on until 2pm (80f), and his temps in general seem fine.
Top of branches enclosure low to mid 70s, then it gradually drops to the mid 60s as you go down. One change that I have made is I have changed our house temps. The min temp was 73 during the day, and 70 at night.
Because of the fact my thermostat works in a 3f degree windows ... I am now keeping it at 70f (70-73f) during the day, and then 67-70f at night.
He has not shown any kinds of illness. He has been stretching/yawning his mouth here or there for just a short moment (Again I think a shed is coming soon), but no actual gaping where he just lays there with his mouth open for long periods of time.
His poops/urate look fine. (although he IS pooping less often... more like every 2-3 days now instead of every day) His hydration is excellent, and he's quite active in his enclosure in general. He looks great to me.
He will be 7 months old on Nov 9th-15th. Could this also just be due to him sizing up and getting to that point to where he just doesn't have to / want to eat as much as before? I know he should still have a ways to go before being an adult size. But I wonder if this is an aging thing.
I gave him the last of the larger silkworm that I have today. So I am going to be giving him smaller ones starting tomorrow. So if this is just due to the size of the silkworms he's eating, I will know soon. I guess this could also just be a general food strike. Any thoughts? This has been going on for at least a week and a half to 2 weeks I'd say.
