best way to feed crickets?

[gaxmode]

i have an approx 5" male veiled.. cage is 2'x2'x4' tall that i built.. what is the best way to feed crickets? will the cham go to the bottom of the cage to feed? i've tried putting some crickets on his pothos plant.. guess he wasnt hungry... i just bought him today from petco. thanks.

 

[Jonah S]

Most chameleons need a little time to adapt to a new home before they start acting normal. You could try putting some in a little tub or cup so he can feed from the top. Free ranging them is fine as well, you may need to make sure there is nothing that the crickets can eat that will be bad for the chameleon. Dirt and fecal matter are your two biggest culprit for the crickets. Also, you don't want to leave crickets in the enclosure with the chameleon overnight as they can chomp on them when they are sleeping.

 

[gaxmode]

so do the chams usually go to the bottom to feed? or do they wait for the crickets to climb up the leaves?
edit: im sure its a bit of both... where i am getting at is... can i just put 5-10 crix in the bottom and be confident my baby will climb 4 feet down to the bottom and feed?

 

[Jonah S]

I would put it in a spot that your chameleon frequents. If he is never near the bottom than I wouldn't put it near the bottom. If he is constantly hangin out there I would say go for it.

 

[benpaul]

hey

crickets usually climb the screen sides of your cage. if they are hangin out at the bottom blow on them that always scares em and they start climbin, for me anyway.

 

[gaxmode]

Thanks for replies... Tomorrow I will try to put them on the screen sides and I'm sure he should be hungry by then

As far as where he frequents.. That would be 3.5 feet up under the heat light or a foot under that to cool down.. Doesn't really travel much

 

[PedroANDAshley]

hey sounds like your new to cham keeping!
If you would fill this form out:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/how-ask-help-66/

We can help you to have the PERFECT setup for your chameleon
Since theyre very delicate alot goes into their enclosure, what they eat, their vitmins, their lights, ect ,ect.

 

[Jonah S]

Thanks for replies... Tomorrow I will try to put them on the screen sides and I'm sure he should be hungry by then

As far as where he frequents.. That would be 3.5 feet up under the heat light or a foot under that to cool down.. Doesn't really travel much

When they are getting used to their surroundings they may stay in the UV and warmer areas at first. When I recently moved my 10 week old male veiled he hung around the top. Now he will travel towards downwards occasionally which is about a foot from the bottom of the enclosure, maybe a little less. In my experience, though pretty limited, chameleons can be very curious of their surroundings. Give him some time and you may find that he explores the terrain a bit more.

 

[gaxmode]

hey sounds like your new to cham keeping!
If you would fill this form out:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/how-ask-help-66/

We can help you to have the PERFECT setup for your chameleon
Since theyre very delicate alot goes into their enclosure, what they eat, their vitmins, their lights, ect ,ect.

Chameleon Info:

* Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?

-veiled chameleon, male, probably 3-5 months. had him for 2 days.

* Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?

-maybe once a day

* Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?

-crickets, he has not ate any yet (2 days).. yes i am gutloading with flukers cricket feed.

* Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
-reptical, dusted at every feed

* Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
-mist with a hand pressure sprayer.. about 3 times a day for a few minutes

* Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
-sticky white poop pale yellow pee, never tested for parasites

* History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.


Cage Info:

* Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
-screen 2'x2'x4' tall

* Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
-reptiglo 5.0, 100watt household basking light.. ive tried 60watt, didnt seem hot enough for the size of the cage

* Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
-cage floor is 68 (i guess chillier because of the wet paper towels from misting.. basking spot 90.. overnight temp 70.. digital thermometer

* Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
-humidity gauge from petco.. humidity is 40-55... live plant and misting

* Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
-yes, pothos

* Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?
-cage is on the ground... want to eventually put it on a table

* Location - Where are you geographically located?
-philadelphia, pa

Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.
-not eating!, i did see him drinking though.

 

[Jonah S]

Chameleon Info:

* Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?

-veiled chameleon, male, probably 3-5 months. had him for 2 days.

* Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?

-maybe once a day
I would stop handling him entirely for a week. In general, chameleons don't like to be handled. They may tolerate it but it can stress them out which can lead to them not eating or it can leave them susceptible to getting ill.
* Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?

-crickets, he has not ate any yet (2 days).. yes i am gutloading with flukers cricket feed.
I don't know much about flukers cricket feed but fresh fruits and vegetables are great gutload for crickets. Apples, oranges, carrots, kale (on occasion), and many other food items make great gut load. Stay away from cat food, the protein is far too high for chameleons to do well with. Also, tomatoes are a no no from what I have read.
* Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
-reptical, dusted at every feed
You need to have calcium WITHOUT D3 as well as WITH D3. Calcium should be lightly applied to the crickets five times a week and the calcium with D3 should be given twice a month. When dusting the crickets, you don't want them to be overly covered in supplement. If they look like little ghosts running around that is far too much.
* Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
-mist with a hand pressure sprayer.. about 3 times a day for a few minutes
Make sure the mist is dispersed, you don't want too much pressure. Also, you may want to invest in a dripper. I got a gallon dripper for about $6, they aren't too expensive. If you need a quick fix you can get a cup and poke a very small hole in the bottom of it with a sewing needle and that will work for a while. You will have to refill it somewhat often however.
* Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
-sticky white poop pale yellow pee, never tested for parasites
Sticky white poop doesn't sound good, I don't know enough about it though to give useful information. I would seriously reccomend getting a fecal test done.
* History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.


Cage Info:

* Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
-screen 2'x2'x4' tall
Good cage, you will want to make sure your chamaleon can find its food since it is still pretty young. Cup feeding may be efficient. If you free range, I would put the crickets near the top parts of the screen or on your plant so they are easily visible.
* Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
-reptiglo 5.0, 100watt household basking light.. ive tried 60watt, didnt seem hot enough for the size of the cage
If that reptiglo is a compact coil bulb you need to get rid of that ASAP. They can cause serious eye problems for your chameleon. Get a reptisun 5.0 tube that spans the top of the cage diagonally. LLL reptile (one of our sponsors) sells them for a lot cheaper than you will find in a pet store.

Also, that bulb will be way too hot if it is close to the cage. Get a digital thermometer or a temperature gun so you can accurately measure the temperatures. For a baby, 90 degrees is a bit warm for a basking spot. Get it down to the low 80's.

* Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
-cage floor is 68 (i guess chillier because of the wet paper towels from misting.. basking spot 90.. overnight temp 70.. digital thermometer
Again, just get that basking temp down.
* Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
-humidity gauge from petco.. humidity is 40-55... live plant and misting

* Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
-yes, pothos
These are great plants to have for young chameleons, my veiled loves his. Ficus plants as well as schlefera arbicola are great and you may want some of these as the chamaleon gets bigger.
* Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?
-cage is on the ground... want to eventually put it on a table
You want your chameleon to be able to get higher than your eye level. If it is on the ground, I'm assuming you don't have a way for the water to drain out. This is a must. Standing water can breed bacteria and that can be a recipe for disaster, especially for a chamaleon that just went through a stressful move and is now trying to acclimate itself to a new home.
* Location - Where are you geographically located?
-philadelphia, pa

Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.
-not eating!, i did see him drinking though.

Hope this is helpful

 

[gaxmode]

i have a digital thermometer... basking spot is at 82 right now. the reptiglo 5.0 is the same as the repitsun 5.0... it is a straight fluorescent tube.. no coiled bulbs here.. mist is dispersed on the sprayer.. have a plastic cup hanging from side of cage with about 8 crickets in there.. waiting to see if he will eat.. as for the water issue i have plastic on the bottom of the case and i place paper towels on top of that and i switched them out everyday.. i guess when i get a stand to put it on i will drill holes in it for the water to drain.. thanks. anything else?

 

[gaxmode]

i let the crickets climb up the screen and now my cham is eating.. yay!! he ate about 7-8

 

[Cainschams]

Glad to hear he is eating!! They can take a little time to adjust after shipping. This is the time you really do not want to pester them!!!

As for feeding crickets, just toss them in. Most of the time they will climb the screen themselves and go toward the basking area because they like it warm. I do not cup feed because for one, it is not natural for a chameleon to walk over to a cup and pick off its food. Two, your chameleon needs to hunt for exercise. If he gets used to the cup he may just sit there all day waiting for his meal. Super worms will cling on to the side of the screen also. I can see the point in cup feeding things like roaches because they will just quickly try to hide under the plant pot or whatever they can get under in the cage.