Help to feed please...

[Ange]

I have trouble feeding my two pygmy's because the base is coco substrate and forest moss on top... When i try to place the crickets near where costanza (male who's mainly always at bottom) is they hop away or go into the ground... i get lucky with cinnamon sometimes because shes on the thick branch that i have and and i just place the cricket on it and she gets it.... I fear that the crickets will grow and breed in the substrate and eat my pygmy's.... i had a snake when i was younger and the crickets ate him, i don't want the same thing to happen, Any suggestions?

 

[Ange]

Oh, one other thing..... is there anything i can put in the cage so that the crickets will come out like a specific food or something... i dont really want to feed them but if my pygmy's can eat them it'll be fine as long as they dont breed or grow large.

 

[STEB4311]

Use tweasers or something of the sort to "hand feed" them. Could work...

 

[Texas Panther Man]

You could try cup feeding. Or do away with the moss and coco substrate and go with organic soil. I think id try to feed sparingly til I figured out the best option. You can try to dump the crix on the plants and they might stay up out of the substrate for a bit.

 

[sarroca808]

make a cricket feeder thingy thats what i did. its simple i think you would just need to use a smaller jar. and the only crappy thing is i gotta cut the jumper legs off so i dont eat them in my sleep lol the screen is so they can climb up

 

[draetish]

Oh, one other thing..... is there anything i can put in the cage so that the crickets will come out like a specific food or something... i dont really want to feed them but if my pygmy's can eat them it'll be fine as long as they dont breed or grow large.

You do not want to keep uneaten crickets in with your chams. The crickets will feed on the chams at night while sleeping. Try putting a 3" tall container under a branch and see if the chams will feed out of it. Most of us on the forum "gut load" our crickets with kale, collard or turnip greens, yams, carrots, oranges so that if benefits the cham. A well nurished feeder is better for your chams health.

 

[draetish]

Use tweasers or something of the sort to "hand feed" them. Could work...

Please do not use tweasers, this could damage or injure your cham's tongue.

 

[gary1621]

Ange, i wish i could help, but im using week old locust for mine and the tend to walk around the plants and enclosure sides then stay on the bottom.

My issue is how to suppliment the pygmy's cos the calcium is tricky to get on the little feeders and stay on them until the pygmys find them!

 

[Trace]

Put a few slices of banana (with skin) in the cage. The crix will be attracted to the fruit and not your chameleons. It also creates a mini feeding station too. If you let the fruit rot a bit it before removal it will also attract fruit flies which can also be eaten.

I know there are a few kinds of insectivorous snakes - what kind did you have?

 

[Ange]

Thanks for all your help guys.... ill try out the cup thing or the jar, i dont think ill be putting any more crickets in the cage cuz Im super scared now that they might eat my Castanza and Cinnamon but i guess i can just leave some food at the bottom so they stay away. I feed my crickets but just not when its time for them to be food (in the tank)

 

[draetish]

Ange, i wish i could help, but im using week old locust for mine and the tend to walk around the plants and enclosure sides then stay on the bottom.

My issue is how to suppliment the pygmy's cos the calcium is tricky to get on the little feeders and stay on them until the pygmys find them!

The way I know my chams are getting their supplements is to take 1-2 feeders and dust them and then hand feed it. Then feed the rest without supplements.

 

[Ange]

I had a rough green snake, I bought when i was 13 from a reptile show.

 

[Ange]

I dont really want to hand feed because i am absolutly frightened by crickets on my hand or anywhere else.... its just they are fast and they jump i dont trust them.

 

[draetish]

I dont really want to hand feed because i am absolutly frightened by crickets on my hand or anywhere else.... its just they are fast and they jump i dont trust them.

Okay, then dust a couple of crickets, put in a feeder bowl and hold it in front of each cham so you know that each one is getting there supplements. You should give 2 dusted feeders to each one. After that, then place 2 separate feeder bowls on each side of the cage so they are not competing for food. Also, there is always a more dominent cham so watch carefully to make sure one isn't pooping, eating, drinking, etc. and going down hill. You must visually study each one to make sure nothing looks wrong, like sunken eyes, etc.

 

[Leilaskeeper]

I dont really want to hand feed because i am absolutly frightened by crickets on my hand or anywhere else.... its just they are fast and they jump i dont trust them.

Hold their leg .. lol .. sometimes I have to chase after them but for some odd reason, I find this fun. Listen to Draetish .. she knows what she's talking about.

 

[Lizardlover]

You do not want to keep uneaten crickets in with your chams. The crickets will feed on the chams at night while sleeping. Try putting a 3" tall container under a branch and see if the chams will feed out of it. Most of us on the forum "gut load" our crickets with kale, collard or turnip greens, yams, carrots, oranges so that if benefits the cham. A well nurished feeder is better for your chams health.

R.Brevicaudatus have this thing that they do where they vibrate when they are touched, I have witnessed a cricket go on one of my brevs at night and then hope right off. I dont think crickets pose a problem at night

 

[gary1621]

I would squish a 1 week locust if i tried hand feeding it, and that'd be just trying to get hold of the leg!!

To be honest i dont think the pygmy would want my huge fingers that close to it either.

 

[Ange]

Thank you all sooo much for the advice i should get the hang of this soon enough