Cup Feeding

[Stuey!]

Well, i heard that chams can get tounge problems from feeding cups.

i was wondering if any1 knew how this happens, cause they still have to shoot for the insects.

could this be prevented by getting a wider feeding cup, or placing it farther away?

Edit: also how could u set these up, i want to see how stuey reacts to one.

 

[MWheelock]

I tend to believe that there are two problems that chams develop due to cup feeding, though both can be dealt with fairly easily.

1) The tongue hitting the bottom of the cup, especially if metalic may potentially cause trauma. This may be prevented by putting some shredded carrot or greens on the bottom of the cup to act like a sponge. (Will also act as additional gut load for the critters you feed.)

Multiple branches and distances to the cup should be provided so that your cham does not always use the same spot. This could also be acheived by moving the cup to a different area every now and again.

The cup should be opaque, so that no trauma is caused by trying to shoot through the cup.

2) Inactivity of the tongue by not having to use it at varying lengths like in the wild. (Shooting fish in a barrel...). I think it is a good idea to have a few insects that are let loose every day for the cham to "hunt". It's also good enrichment for them (Especially if they miss every now and again).

I choose not to have these be crickets or flies, but something slower and usually bigger so that I see that he eats it before I leave the cage. I like to start off Manga's feeding with an adult roach on a nearby branch or side of the cage. After he eats it I put his bowl with the other crickets and superworms. Silkworms are other good insects that you can place around the enclosure to be hunted without much risk of escape.

All in all, I feed by bowl most of the time and have found it very convenient, clean, and can determine for the most part how much my cham eats or doesn't eat that day.

I started Manga by putting the bowl under one of his favorite basking areas. He saw the bugs right away. I started moving the bowl different places and farther away within the week. It is fun now when I move the bowl amost out of reach on some days. He will hang by one back foot and the tip of his tail to nab a bug. He is obviously very pleased with himself when he makes a score like that.

Anyway, I'm sure some other owners have their own hypotheses. I'm interested in what some of you other keepers think...

Matthew