I was just wondering if anyone else's chams ever go on cricket strikes? Hermie is known for them, and is currently on one. He goes through these spurts where he REFUSES to eat anything but whatever his current "favorite" is. I TRY to feed him a combination of crickets, silkworms, and then wax worms and a few meal worms a couple times a week. Right now all he wants is wax worms. I tried the "tough, if you're hungry you'll eat crickets" routine and he lost 5 grams in a few days (his total weight is about 68 grams)... so I caved in and gave him is wax worms ... he's come so far I hate to loose him bc I starved him. He's loosing interest in wax worms, so I'm hoping his new "favorite" will be his silk worms or crickets, but do other people's chams do this? I'd be so happy if he'd just eat his crickets!
Cricket Strikes?
- Thread starter Jam
- Start date
Heika
New Member
Spencer does this too. He went on a big superworm kick for a while, that was all that he would eat. Then, he quit eating them. He wouldn't eat crickets for a couple of months, and an entire order went to waste. Now, he will eat them when I buy them for him, but I don't buy them often right now. I have been feeding him mainly wild caught moths that the bug napper catches lately. He eats... and eats.. and eats. There were a couple days where we fell below freezing, and the bug napper didn't catch anything. So, I tried feeding him some superworms. He refused them. He did, however, eat roaches when I offered those, and he had been refusing them too.
I know it is frustrating.. I have tried breaking a strike by only offering certain bugs too. It didn't work here either. As soon as I caved and put another type of bug in, he ate them. The only thing that I have found that cures a particular insect hunger strike is time. It took Spencer 3 months to decide he wanted to eat crickets again. It has been a couple months so far for superworms. The roaches took a lot less time, maybe a month. Variety is the key..
I know it is frustrating.. I have tried breaking a strike by only offering certain bugs too. It didn't work here either. As soon as I caved and put another type of bug in, he ate them. The only thing that I have found that cures a particular insect hunger strike is time. It took Spencer 3 months to decide he wanted to eat crickets again. It has been a couple months so far for superworms. The roaches took a lot less time, maybe a month. Variety is the key..
MicheleSmith
Established Member
Oh honey, this happens to the best of us. LOL, I think this will inevidibly happen to almost all our chameleons, even if it's in the slightest manner. I know the "Tough...deal with it, I'm paying for YOUR food jerk" method sounds tempting, but we have to work around what they want. I'm sure in the wild they aren't such brats and eat whatever is available, but they probably know they have it good. If he's being a picky eater, than keep on trying different varietes of insects until he finally cooperates and eats. I'm not sure if you've tried these, but WC moths are a huge treat. I think chameleons are attracted by the wing-movement; I sure know my chameleon loves them.
If he's being a picky eater, than keep on trying different varietes of insects until he finally cooperates and eats. I'm not sure if you've tried these, but WC moths are a huge treat. I think chameleons are attracted by the wing-movement; I sure know my chameleon loves them.
Will Hayward
New Member
Chameleons can sense when they need to bask, cool down, absorb Uv but not heat, absorb heat but not UV. Its possible they can tell when they bodies are lacking certain nutrients. Nutrients that they might understand crickets do not provide them. A possible reason for what you call a "Cricket Strike". They may be looking for food that provides them with the nessescary things they are looking for.
