Eating problems?

[ladyrampage]

I have a 9 month old male ambanja panther chameleon. Lately he's been having a lot of issues eating. Normally I cup feed him, the cup is black so he can't see through it from the outside. He has a 75 watt heat bulb, which makes his basking area about 75-80 degrees. He also has a reptisun 5.0 UVB bulb.

He eats a varied diet of silkworms, dubias, Turkish reds, and crickets, all lightly coated with vitamin powder/calcium powder.

Everytime he extends his tongue to catch food, he misses. He usually hits the cup about 1-2 inches from the prey. He has resorted to physically climbing into the cup and catching his food straight into his mouth. I've tried hand feeding him a few times, and he seems to catch those a lot easier. Is there anything I can do to help him out? I don't want to resort to handfeeding everytime. Thanks!

 

[sharp229]

Welcome to the forums! That basking temp is too low for a panther. It should be between 85-95 degrees. However, that wouldn't be related to why he misses his food. Do both his eyes look OK, and does he close one or both during the day?

What supplements are you providing him? Can you copy and paste the form below and fill it out, and also provide pictures of him and his cage?

https://www.chameleonforums.com/how-ask-help-66/

Thanks!

 

[Lazy Boy]

Is he getting any vitamin A?