Feeder food strike, wants fruit instead

[mj ellerby]

Hi, It's been some time since I last posted, but life with Gus has been business as usual for the most part until the past couple of weeks ago. After checking back with this forum on diet, it appears he is on a food strike when it comes to crickets and Dubia roaches. I am waiting and watching and offering food. There are about a half dozen crickets hanging out in his enclosure that have been there for about 3 days. I started with 13 dusted, he ate two, and a couple have died since. I hand feed him dubia, he'll look at them, look uninterested and look away, he's eaten maybe a half dozen or slightly more of those in over a week. All that said, I had recently reintroduced bits of fruit - apple, cantaloupe, strawberry - just a few small bits of one kind or another every few days or so, and his reaction to those is super eager. Once he gets a taste on the end of his tongue, he is all in. So now, I'm wondering if I've got a finicky chameleon on my hands and if he's going to keep striking against his feeders. By the way, I do on occasion give him horned worms and he really likes those, but they've just always been a treat not a staple. Used to feed him superworms, but they are nasty little critters and I'd heard horror stories about what they can do inside a chameleon's stomach if their heads are still intact, I don't know , maybe those were just urban legend. So just kind of looking for thoughts, suggestions about ways to get him back eating feeders short of depriving him of everything but. Thanks!

 

[MissSkittles]

Try silkworms. They are nutritious enough to be used as one of your staple feeders and chams love them. I try to feed my chams a variety of silkies, bsfl (both larvae and fly) and discoid roaches. Not a fan of crickets, supers or hornworms but will on rare occasion offer some. It’s not a good idea to leave crickets in your enclosure as they can/will bite your cham unless you leave them something to eat in there. If you’re feeding every day, try every other or even every two days. I’d definitely stop giving the fruit until he eats his bugs. I give mine a blueberry or two maybe once or twice a week as a ‘dessert’ treat.

 

[jamest0o0]

That superworm stuff is an urban legend, hornworms are more likely to hurt your cham than superworms. Even then it's highly unlikely.

I agree on above, hold off the fruit until he gets back on his staples.

 

[mj ellerby]

Try silkworms. They are nutritious enough to be used as one of your staple feeders and chams love them. I try to feed my chams a variety of silkies, bsfl (both larvae and fly) and discoid roaches. Not a fan of crickets, supers or hornworms but will on rare occasion offer some. It’s not a good idea to leave crickets in your enclosure as they can/will bite your cham unless you leave them something to eat in there. If you’re feeding every day, try every other or even every two days. I’d definitely stop giving the fruit until he eats his bugs. I give mine a blueberry or two maybe once or twice a week as a ‘dessert’ treat.

Since I have never fed Gus silkworms, I'm a little confused about how to go about it. Do I need to gut load? Do most adult chams eat multiples at a time? I don't have colonies of anything as we have a reptile store in my town so I just try to keep small amounts of feeders on hand by the week or two.

 

[mj ellerby]

That superworm stuff is an urban legend, hornworms are more likely to hurt your cham than superworms. Even then it's highly unlikely.

I agree on above, hold off the fruit until he gets back on his staples.

Good to know about the super worms. I use to hand feed those until one plunged his little spiky head into my finger once, that's one reason I dislike them so much, haha!

 

[MissSkittles]

Since I have never fed Gus silkworms, I'm a little confused about how to go about it. Do I need to gut load? Do most adult chams eat multiples at a time? I don't have colonies of anything as we have a reptile store in my town so I just try to keep small amounts of feeders on hand by the week or two.

Silkworms only eat mulberry leaves or chow, so no other gutloading is really possible or needed. You would probably have to order some silkworms on line...get medium size if possible. They should come with enough chow. I have female veileds and give them 2-3 per feeding depending on size. Since they are a favorite feeder, I‘ve learned to breed silkies. I also have a roach colony. Yes, I know...ewwww! Dubia and discoid roaches are very easy to breed, cleaner and quieter than crickets and don’t fly or climb smooth surfaces. Check out the site’s sponsors for silkworms and other feeders.

 

[mj ellerby]

Silkworms only eat mulberry leaves or chow, so no other gutloading is really possible or needed. You would probably have to order some silkworms on line...get medium size if possible. They should come with enough chow. I have female veileds and give them 2-3 per feeding depending on size. Since they are a favorite feeder, I‘ve learned to breed silkies. I also have a roach colony. Yes, I know...ewwww! Dubia and discoid roaches are very easy to breed, cleaner and quieter than crickets and don’t fly or climb smooth surfaces. Check out the site’s sponsors for silkworms and other feeders.

Thanks for the information. I'll check into it!

 

[JackRipper]

I give allitle bit of this crested gecko banana pudding mixto my chams when i feed the crested. Or Gerber baby food varietys. They love it they lick it rite off my finger, my adult male tries to eat my finger so be careful

 

[PabloTheCham]

That superworm stuff is an urban legend, hornworms are more likely to hurt your cham than superworms. Even then it's highly unlikely.

I agree on above, hold off the fruit until he gets back on his staples.

well, I've been bit a superworm, and it hurts. Hornworms don't bite, so how could they hurt the cham? I thought they were as harmless as it gets.

 

[Beman]

well, I've been bit a superworm, and it hurts. Hornworms don't bite, so how could they hurt the cham? I thought they were as harmless as it gets.

Hornworms absolutely do bite! They have mandible just like superworms have. This is why some keepers feed much smaller supers or horns so the bite risk is lower.

 

[PabloTheCham]

Hornworms absolutely do bite! They have mandible just like superworms have. This is why some keepers feed much smaller supers or horns so the bite risk is lower.

oh. I didn;t know that they could bite. I guess they are just less aggressive.

 

[Beman]

oh. I didn;t know that they could bite. I guess they are just less aggressive.

No they do... and it hurts the same as a superworm does. so yes you have a bite risk with both

 

[mj ellerby]

No they do... and it hurts the same as a superworm does. so yes you have a bite risk with both

Thanks for the heads up on horned worms. That was something I didn't know.

 

[mj ellerby]

I give allitle bit of this crested gecko banana pudding mixto my chams when i feed the crested. Or Gerber baby food varietys. They love it they lick it rite off my finger, my adult male tries to eat my finger so be careful

Is this used as a treat? He is eating fruit, just not feeders that I currently have on hand. I am concerned he'll get too picky if I give him treats all the time.

 

[JackRipper]

Is this used as a treat? He is eating fruit, just not feeders that I currently have on hand. I am concerned he'll get too picky if I give him treats all the time.

As long as he's eating and you are offering a variety.

 

[jamest0o0]

oh. I didn;t know that they could bite. I guess they are just less aggressive.

Hornworms are pretty aggressive IME. They also have a strong grip and can hurt a chams tongue at large sizes.