Cricket size for 5 month old veiled

[Nicky930]

I currently have a 5-5.5 month old male veiled chameleon. I am currently feeding him hornworms and and about 10-12 1/2 crickets everyday. I was just wondering when it would be a good Idea to increse the size of his crickets and what the ideal size cricket is for chameleons his age.

 

[NickTide]

The cricket should be about as long as the space between the eyes. I don't know your cham but a guest would be 2\3 size crickets.

Make sure your varying the diet more than just 2 items.

 

[CamrynTheCham22]

You don't really base the feeder size off of your chameleon's age. The crix should be as long as your cham's head is wide. You should start thinking about feeding him once every other day as soon as he reaches the age of about 6-8 months. I would shoot for 7 months, because that is about when the veileds reach adulthood. How many hornworms are you feeding him and how often? Those are notoriously very fatty and should be used as a treat rather than a dietary staple.

 

[Cordawayconstruction]

Are you sure on this? Mealworms I know that to be true of but everything I had read suggested that hornworms were really healthy for them and almost never resulted in impaction due to the lack of a hardened exterior shell

 

[jamest0o0]

Two things about the responses.

I would go by width of insect smaller than space between eyes. No need to feed a million tiny bugs. If we went by length, we'd have to feed micro worms to our chams.

Also, hornworms are not fatty. I've seen this mentioned in other threads now so I had to post. Hornworms are basically water and calcium. Great additions to a diet, but wouldn't feed them as a staple of course.

 

[CamrynTheCham22]

Two things about the responses.

I would go by width of insect smaller than space between eyes. No need to feed a million tiny bugs. If we went by length, we'd have to feed micro worms to our chams.

Also, hornworms are not fatty. I've seen this mentioned in other threads now so I had to post. Hornworms are basically water and calcium. Great additions to a diet, but wouldn't feed them as a staple of course.

Oh okay. I knew they weren't healthy, and someone told me they were fatty. Thanks for the clarification.

 

[jamest0o0]

I wouldn't say they aren't healthy. They just don't offer a whole lot. I wouldn't feed them as a staple the same way I wouldn't eat lettuce as most of my diet lol.