feeding schedule

[MrScowt]

just wondering what kind of feeding schedule a 6-7 month old veiled should be on. i think im over feeding mine because hes starting to get fat. had him since he was 2 months so i was used to feeding him alot.

 

[slinko9]

I would guess to say about 4 - 6 feeders a day!!!

 

[TheLivingLegend]

I would guess to say about 4 - 6 feeders a day!!!

My 7 month old cham was eating 10-15 crickets a day.

 

[DavidBuchan]

It's usually pretty difficult to overfeed a male Cham so you can usually let him have as much as he wants - do you have pics?
The number of feeders does depend on the size he prefers, my favourite caresheet recommends about 8 every day - https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/chameleonsinmyhouse/395-veiled-chameleon-care-sheet.html

 

[MrScowt]

see thats kinda what im feeding him but hes getting pudgy....ill attach a picture of him. you can see the what im talking about near his hind leg.

 

[DavidBuchan]

Do you feed many waxworms or mealworms/superworms? Those are the fattier feeders available..... He does have a bit of a belly on him, but I don't think it's anything to worry about .
It is at about this age that he will naturally cut down his own food intake anyway (and start to get a bit more territorial - the 'terrible teenage' phase).

 

[MrScowt]

yes im feeling the bitchy attitude already from him ill just cut him down to 8-10 a day rather than the 15-20 i was doing.

 

[Alexl]

It's usually pretty difficult to overfeed a male Cham so you can usually let him have as much as he wants -

In my opinion, that's a quite dangerous advice. I've never seen an underfed healthy patient, but lots of overfed sick ones. Of course you can overfeed a chameleon and it's really not that difficult. They all eat as much as they can, not knowing there will be no lack of food tomorrow as it could be in wilderness. They don't know there will be no weeks or months without any food kept as pet.The results of feeding "as much as the chameleon wants" will be raising abdominal fat pads first, then adipose muscles, damaged liver and kidneys. In the end, those chameleons will have an increased expectation of life - and don't we want to live them as long as possible? Even 10 feeders a day are lot too much for an subadult chameleon. Remember they don't need 70% of their energy to keep temperatures a we mammals do.

 

[slinko9]

Oh my,,,,I was told to feed my 7 week old guy as much as he would eat in 2 5 minute sessions,,,,Id say he eats between 13 - 18 small crickets a day!!! I read to keep this up for at least another month,,,,but,,,,i do notice a fat little belly on him!!! And his basking quite a bit!!!!

 

[Kate]

Oh my,,,,I was told to feed my 7 week old guy as much as he would eat in 2 5 minute sessions,,,,Id say he eats between 13 - 18 small crickets a day!!! I read to keep this up for at least another month,,,,but,,,,i do notice a fat little belly on him!!! And his basking quite a bit!!!!

Thats fine for a baby as he has a lot of growing to do.

 

[slinko9]

Thanks Kate!!!

 

[pssh]

I would feed every other day. Keep an eye on his weight. He should be growing steadily for now.

It is very possible to overfeed a male. My male veiled would get huge if I fed him more than 2-3 times a week. He only eats about six-eight 1" dubia/the equivalent a week to maintain his weight. I tried feeding him more but his fat pads on his casque got huge and he was too heavy. His cheeks even got big!

 

[Alexl]

I tried feeding him more but his fat pads on his casque got huge

There's no fat pad inside their casques. It's pure muscle which only "stores" fat in really obese chameleons (as you noticed via weight).

 

[pssh]

I should have worded that differently. I meant the casque "pads" got fat.