Help!!!!

Iris

New Member
I have a Jackson's chameleon that had babies unexpectedly. We bought her from Petsmart about 2 1/2 months ago, and we didn't know she was pregnant. So, I was not prepared for the babies. I don't live somewhere that I can get pinhead crickets or anything at a store. I have ordered them online, and they should get here tomorrow. My problem right now is that I bought fruit flies from Petsmart...they come in a vile. They don't have any left at the store. Each vile only had about 25 flies and a bunch of maggots, and I've gone through the 2 viles that they had. The maggots are not maturing fast enough...the babies are hungry, and I haven't been able to feed them today. Can I feed them the maggots? Is there anything else I can do? Please help.

Thanks,
Brandi
 
Don't feed them the maggots. They should be fine to feed on pinhead crickets and if you search a few petshops, you should be able to find those. Also small pheonix worms. They come in tiny black cups. Sift out the worms, put them in a dish lid and feed.

Don't forget to consentrate on hydration and humidity. Also temperatures. Those factors are just as important for newborn jacksons.
 
There are no stores that have them here. I thought I was gonna be able to get fruit flies today, but they were out of them, and by the time I realized that, it was too late to drive to get anything else...I'd have to drive over an hour to get something else. How long can they go without eating? Because if I can't feed them the maggots, I don't have anything else. I won't get the crickets until tomorrow afternoon. :confused:
 
You don't need to feed them today. They'll survive- and if any didn't survive, than it is unlikely that they died because of hunger or malnutrition. It is common to lose some during the first while. All you can do is your best and hope for good outcome. I don't know when they were born, but remember, they have just exited sacs that contained the best nutrients possible for them.

Tomorrow, or tonight, call around to the stores and ask once more about the pheonix worms and see who might have pineheads the next day. Pinheads are usually delivered to stores on tuesday, along with most live feeders. So you may be in luck.

If you are really worried, you could collect tiny tiny bugs from a grassy area that you are sure is pesticide and insecticide free. A woody medow. I forget what they are called... almost like little green triangular hoppers.
 
i found a lot of independant pet stores that carry small crickets...even try calling some places that sell exotic fish cause sometimes these stores have a small reptile dept
 
Thanks for your help. They are 5 days old. They ate fruit flies yesterday. I have 1,000 pinheads coming tomorrow. I have to order them online, because none of the pet stores around here sell them. Some sell small crickets...but still too big for the babies. I hope they will be ok until tomorrow...maybe some of the fruit flies will hatch. I will be devastated if some don't make it. I'll let you know how they do after they get pinheads tomorrow. Again, thank you!
 
She had 9...one died. :( The birth was amazing! I saw all but two being born.
 
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Iris said:
Thanks for your help. They are 5 days old. They ate fruit flies yesterday. I have 1,000 pinheads coming tomorrow. I have to order them online, because none of the pet stores around here sell them. Some sell small crickets...but still too big for the babies. I hope they will be ok until tomorrow...maybe some of the fruit flies will hatch. I will be devastated if some don't make it. I'll let you know how they do after they get pinheads tomorrow. Again, thank you!
Don't be. New born Jacksons aren't the easiest to take care of, and there is no shame in losing some. There are people with much experience that have just never had any luck even through several clutches.

They'll be fine. One day without food won't do them in. You may also want to look into silkworms. You can buy eggs, or some private breeders will sell them to you at whatever size needed.
 
The one came out smaller than the rest, and it couldn't get out of the membrane thing. I was afraid to touch it at first...I was still in shock, because I had NO IDEA she was pregnant! So, when she started having babies, I was kinda freaking out. It was moving a little. When I realized that it had no chance unless I helped, I tried breaking the membrane. But, I guess it was too late. The rest came out right away and started crawling around...climbing on everything. Some tried crawling on Iris...she was not happy. So, after the last baby was born, I removed her. Then, I removed them later, cleaned the cage and put her back in. The whole time, I was frantically trying to look up what I'm supposed to do...I had a friend researching for me while they were being born. It was crazy. They are the sweetest things now. I know I can't keep all of them, but I don't know how I can give any of them up either. :eek:
 
Its often the case that the chameleons that need aid in coming to life, end up passing in the first while anyways. Thats a solid clutch by the way. No slugs, no stillborns, just one loss. You are off to a good start.
 
:D Just think what could have happened if I actually planned it! We don't even know the daddy.
 
Hey Iris,

When the brevs hatched, I was in a similar situation. I had nothing to feed the little guys, although I had crix and fruit flies on order. I fed them aphids from the rose bushes in the back. They hadn't been sprayed yet, so were clean of pesticides. The little brevs snatched them up with no hesitation. After a day or two, I just cut small aphid covered stems and placed them in the baby cages. The neonates took care of it from there.. :D

Heika
 
Thanks Heike! I'll see what I can find... I saw your little brevs, getting along so sweet. Mine are getting better. They were fighting a lot, but I bought them a hammock, so now they have a little more space to spread out.

Tree...what is a clutch mate? And, do you think I can hunt him down for child support? :D
 
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I would get some fruit flies for backup/variety. 1000 pinheads can just "die" without notice. Get a few big fruit fly cultures for variety, and backup, if the pinheads drop. I order from flyculture.com. He provides a lot of media, and the cultures last a VERY long time. I'd go with melanogaster ADN hydei flies. The hydei are slower to get going, but better for the chameleons when they get a bit bit for the tiny flies. Buy some spare media, and start your own - it's a good idea when you've got a few babies. 1000 pinheads, every week, gets old real fast.
 
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