First time eating

[gracie88]

I just feed my new baby veiled chameleon for the first time (a couple minutes ago) and he only ate three crickets and one super worm... Is this ok? I just got him yesterday and he was a new arrival to the reptile store so I think he just needs to settle in a little more and adjust to cup feeding. Luckily, he wasn't super upset when I reached my hand in (to hold the cup for him to eat out of) but he did turn a bit spotted and it took him a second to realize that I was just feeding him. He eventually turned completely green while eat so I think thats a small sign of progress. I am going to leave him be until tonight.

 

[Beman]

Do you have a feeder dish in the enclosure?

 

[gracie88]

Do you have a feeder dish in the enclosure?

What do you mean? I just hold the bowl while he is eating and then take it out when he doesn't want anymore or is finished.

 

[Beman]

What do you mean? I just hold the bowl while he is eating and then take it out when he doesn't want anymore or is finished.

You should have a feeder run or cup in the cage so he can eat at will. He is going to eat far less with you standing there holding a cup. It is not that he isn't hungry. His fear of you overrides his desire to eat. Babies should be eating a minimum of 12 feeders everyday in the first half of the day, so that they have time to bask and digest.

 

[ATyrone]

What do you mean? I just hold the bowl while he is eating and then take it out when he doesn't want anymore or is finished.

I am a new cham owner aswell and definitely not an experience owner, but i think your method of feeding is poor no disrespect sometimes chams take a while to eat it may take them hours i would just throw the crickets in there and attach the cup to the side of the cage with the super worms so he can take is time to eat them . it is also fun to watch them hunt down crickets crawling around

 

[gracie88]

You should have a feeder run or cup in the cage so he can eat at will. He is going to eat far less with you standing there holding a cup. It is not that he isn't hungry. His fear of you overrides his desire to eat. Babies should be eating a minimum of 12 feeders everyday in the first half of the day, so that they have time to bask and digest.

I will put a cup in there for him right now! Thank you for the help!

 

[gracie88]

I am a new cham owner aswell and definitely not an experience owner, but i think your method of feeding is poor no disrespect sometimes chams take a while to eat it may take them hours i would just throw the crickets in there and attach the cup to the side of the cage with the super worms so he can take is time to eat them . it is also fun to watch them hunt down crickets crawling around

No offense taken, thank you so much for your help! I just did that and he hasn't started eating yet but I can tell he is super intrigued ?? Thanks again!

 

[Gingero]

I am a new cham owner aswell and definitely not an experience owner, but i think your method of feeding is poor no disrespect sometimes chams take a while to eat it may take them hours i would just throw the crickets in there and attach the cup to the side of the cage with the super worms so he can take is time to eat them . it is also fun to watch them hunt down crickets crawling around

Hard to keep track of how much a cham is eating as well as keep the crickets gutloaded if you do this. OP just brought their cham home yesterday which is why I advised cup feeding to be able to track food consumption.

 

[gracie88]

Hard to keep track of how much a cham is eating as well as keep the crickets gutloaded if you do this. OP just brought their cham home yesterday which is why I advised cup feeding to be able to track food consumption.

I thought this too so instead of just throwing some in I put the crickets and superworms in a cup (3 super worms, 10 crickets total) and they aren't easily able to get out. Thank you for the advice!

 

[gracie88]

No offense taken, thank you so much for your help! I just did that (although I did leave the crickets in the cup aswell as the worms) and he hasn't started eating yet but I can tell he is super intrigued ?? Thanks again!

 

[ATyrone]

Hard to keep track of how much a cham is eating as well as keep the crickets gutloaded if you do this. OP just brought their cham home yesterday which is why I advised cup feeding to be able to track food consumption.

That's a good point i didn't think of that. I just got my cham and i watch him for awhile until he eats at least 3 then i just come back later and see if there are any left and if there are i count them to see how many he ate but it is alot more work that way lol.