Fat Intake

[DESERT DAVE]

FROM WHAT I KNOW THE MEATY PARTS OF THE HEAD OF A CHAMELEON ARE WHERE ALOT OF FAT IS STORED IN A CHAMELEON. MY PANTHER'S FOR EXAMPLE ARE IDENTICAL, TWIN'S IF POSSIBLE. THE MAJOR DIFFERENCE IS THE AMMOUNT OF BODY FAT. ONE HAS TROUBLE EATING, OR MORE ACCURATELY TROUBLE SHOOTING HER TONGUE. I AM ALLOWED TO HAND FEED HER BUTTERFLIES AND CRICKETS SO FAR. I WAN'T TO GRADUALLY RAISE HER BODY FAT WHILE AT THE TIME NOT OVER DO IT IN ONE PARTICULAR AREA. MY CRICKETS ARE DUSTED 4 DAYS OUT OF 6 (I DO NOT FEED ANY OF MY CHAMELEON'S FOR ONE DAY A WEEK TO BUILD HUNGER AND ALLOW THEIR DIGESTIVE AND EXCRETION SYSTEMS TO CATCH UP AS RECOMMENDED BY AN EXPERIENCED BREEDER). I DUST CRICKETS WITH ZOO MED'S REPTIVITE . I AM OPEN TO ADVICE ON A BETTER CRICKET DUST.
THE TWO PANTHER FEMALES ARE IDENTICAL AND ARE OFFERED IDENTICAL FOOD. THE THINNER ONE IS DEVELOPING A LITTLE INSET OF THE EYE AS A WARNING OF DEHYDRATION BUT I OFFER WATER 3 TIMES A DAY AND SPRAY THE POTHOS (LARGE) IN HER CAGE 2'X2' X4' TALL 3 TIMES A DAY AND KEEP THE HUMDITY BETWEEN 50 - 60 %.
ANY ADVICE IS APPRECIATED, AND SHE IS ABOUT 2.5 YEARS OLD. WATER I AM HOPING WILL HELP WITH THE HYDRATION AND AS FAR AS THE TONGUE, I KEEP CALCIUM RUCH FEEDERS, PHOENIX, WAX, DUSTED CRICKETS, WILD CAUGHT BUTTERFLIES, AND SHE HAS SHOWN NO INTEREST IN DARKLING BEETLES. ANY HELP ?, THANKS IN ADVANCE, DAVE
DUH, I FORGOT A MAJOR OBVIOUS ADDITION, SHE LAID 9 EGGS (THOUGH I THINK THEY ARE DUDS) ABOUT 5 WEEKS AGO.

 

[DrewNYC]

well if you only have 2 females, i would say they are duds, after laying they use so much energy she is probably dehydrated, soak her in a shallow tupperware with warm water, 85 degrees. sometimes it take 5 minutes of dripping water for their reaction to act and want to drink.
wax worms are not a healthy feeder, it would like you eating twinkies for dinner yumyum
are both cham's housed together? each one is different so just because it works for one of them doesn't mean it will work with the other. how long has her tongue been an issue??
drew

 

[DESERT DAVE]

CHAMELEONS ARE IN SEPERATE SCREEN CAGES WITH PLENT OF ROOM (2'X2'X5') THEY CAME FROM A MOM AND POP PETSTORE THAT HAD THEM ABOUT 6 MONTHS BEFORE I PULLED THE DEAL. I CAN HAND FEED HER OR SHE CAN EAT WELL IF THE FOOD IS IN A CONTAINMENT LIKE A SMALLER PLASTIC DISH.
I HAVE A VEILED CHAMELEON THAT DEVELOPED WHAT I THINK WAS CALCIUM DEFICIENTCY WITH A LACK OF D-3. WHEN HE WAS 3 MONTHS OLD HE COMPLETELY LOST USE OF HIS ELBOWS AND KNEES AND TONGUE. HE WOULD SQUIRM AROUND ON THE BOTTOM OF THE CAGE LIKE A WORM. BUT WITH HIS DETERMINATION TO LIVE AND ME CHANGING THE NATURAL SUNLIGHT INTAKE TO MAXIMUM, HIS KNEE/ELBOW JOINTS RECOVERED AND ABOUT THREE WEEKS AGO HIS TONGUE RECOVERED COMPLETELY THAT YOU COULD NEVER TELL THERE WAS EVER AN ISSUE.
I WRITE THIS BECAUSE I AM HOPEFUL THAT MY PANTHERS TONGUE WILL RECOVER ALSO. ALL EVIDENCE POINTS TO THE SAME PROBLEM. THE PETSTORE HAD THEM INSIDE WITH BARELY PROPER LIGHTING AND MINIMAL CALCIUM DUST ON THE FEEDERS.
RECENTLY I HAVE BEEN SPOILING HER WITH : PHOENIX WORMS, CRICKETS (STICKY TONGUES OUTDOOR FORMULA, NO D-3)DUSTED, BUTTERFLIES FROM THE YARD AND OVER THE LAST WEEK THERE HAVE BEEN 2 SPHINX MOTHS (3 INCHer'S!) THAT SHE HAS CHOMPED OUT OF MY HAND. BUT LIKE I SAID SHE HAS VERY LITTLE BULGE IN THE FATTY PARTS OF HER HEAD/CASQUE. HER TAIL ALSO LOOKS TOO THIN. WITH REGARDS THE WARM BATH YOU MENTIONED FOR THE MOTHER AFTER LAYING EGGS. I THINK AFTER 6 WEEKS IT MIGHT BE A LITTLE LATE, SHE EATS AND DRINKS WELL. BUT I ALSO HAVE 2 FEMALE VEILEDS THAT ARE DUE TO DROP EGGS AND I WANT TO KNOW HOW TO KEEP THEM IN THE WATER. THEY WAN'T LIKE IT AND I AM WONDERING IF THE STRESS OUTWEIGHS THE BENFITS. I CAN DRIP AND HEAVY MIST AND SEEMINGLY HAVE GREAT RESULTS ? OR IS THERE MORE TO THE BATH THEN I REALIZE, THANKS DAVE

 

[DESERT DAVE]

Also The Females Were Exposed To A Male Within The Last Year And I Know They Can Retain Sperm For Upto Five Years So I Can't Help But Be Hopeful With The Eggs I Have Even Though They Continue To Discourage Me With Mold That Won't Go Away (i've Done The Foot Powder) And A Dingey Yellow Instead Of The Healthy White Egg Color. Leaning Toward Duds But Why Won't The Mold Stop? Wrotting Inside? Even If They Are Duds I Am Using Them (by Keeping Them) As A Lesson In Not What To Do. I Believe You Learn Alot More In Losing Then In Winning And I Am Taking Advantage Of The Situation The Best For The Future Success.
The Tongue Has Been An Issue As Long As The Petstore Had Her. Like I Said She Was Indoor (no Natural Sunlight) So The Possibility Remains That It Is An Injury But I Have Seen Her Shoot Her Tongue An It Brings Me To The Kicker. She Has A Small Sack In The Front Corner Of Both Of Her Eye's. I Think When A Chameleon Shoots It's Tongue Both Eyes Focus On The Prey Straight Ahead. However When This Female Panther Focus's Forward And She Will Get Ready To Shoot With Her Mouth Cracked, I Think Because Of These Sacks In The Front Corner Of Her Eye'e She Can't See What She Know's Is There And Lose's Confidence And Desire Since She Can No Longer See It. Has Anyone Ever Had This Eye Sack Problem Before And Is It Operable Or Fixed Anyother Way. I Would Love To Post Pic's But When I Try They Are Too Big And Too Much Pixels For The Forums Program To Downsize For Web Ready. I Have Tried To Downsize In Photo Shop/image Ready But To No Avail The Same Problem Persists With My Photo's. They Are Not Small Enough, I Really Need Help With This So I Can Post Pic's And Get Some Eye's On Advice. Thanks Dave