How much should i be feeding?

[PicoTheCham]

Hello,
After my chameleon stopped eating crickets, then stopped eating superworms (which i learned weren’t the best for him anyways), I’ve switched to feeding him hornworms. I buy them at my local pet store in a pack of 5, and give him one every other day. He’s a male veiled cham, around 3 years old. I’m worried this might not be enough food for him. I let the hornworms grow pretty big, and they’re usually very juicy and large worms that he eats right up. Probably somewhere around 3-4 inches long. This was the amount recommended to me last time, but he’s a pretty big cham, and I want to make sure this is sufficient for him.

 

[jamest0o0]

Nope unfortunately that's not a suitable diet for him. Hornworms are mostly water. They are a great addition to a chams diet, but not as a staple. I'd recommend roaches, crickets, or silkworms as your staple(fed maybe 60-80% of the time). Then add in the hornworms and whatever else from there. Roaches and crickets have the benefit of being good gutloaders while worms do not hold as much.

If your cham is refusing a certain food, just let him go without eating. They can go a LONG time, more than what we feel comfortable with. To break hunger strikes I'd just offer the food I want mine to take each day, eventually they end up going for it.

 

[Tony_S]

I feel like every chameleon goes through this. My chameleon Ezekiel no longer wants to eat the crickets that I give him. But he will eat the orange heads as soon as I put them in the feeder.

I just ordered some small sample packs of different feeders from Josh's frog to see what he wants to eat now. I feel that as they get older that their food preferences/tastes change.

You just have to play with different staples until you find what he wants. Or like James said, hold out on the food until he starts eating a staple feeder again.

 

[NashansCamos]

Same here. My Jasper ate anything until I introduced silkworms to his diet a few weeks ago. He used to have locusts and dubia's but now he'll only eat silkies. It happened a year ago as well with waxworms - I just stopped offering him them and then he eventually just ate the normal food again. I'm wondering.... are silkworms ok for staple diet ? .

 

[jamest0o0]

Yup I noticed what you guys mention, as juevenile they weren't that picky, but as adults they had very specific food preferences that changed periodically.

 

[PicoTheCham]

Nope unfortunately that's not a suitable diet for him. Hornworms are mostly water. They are a great addition to a chams diet, but not as a staple. I'd recommend roaches, crickets, or silkworms as your staple(fed maybe 60-80% of the time). Then add in the hornworms and whatever else from there. Roaches and crickets have the benefit of being good gutloaders while worms do not hold as much.

If your cham is refusing a certain food, just let him go without eating. They can go a LONG time, more than what we feel comfortable with. To break hunger strikes I'd just offer the food I want mine to take each day, eventually they end up going for it.

I think silkworms are probably the best option for me, but I have a few questions about them:
1- How long do they last before turning into moths?

2- I’ve heard they put webs in the container, is that hard to deal with?

3- Where do you recommend purchasing these?

4- How many should I feed to my cham each week? I give him 1 large hornworm every other day currently.

He’s a pretty large male veiled chameleon, if this information is helpful.

 

[kinyonga]

This should answer some of your questions...
https://everythingsilkworms.com.au/silkworms/life-cycle-of-a-silkworm/

 

[CrisBruns]

Here is the feeder info

 

[MissSkittles]

I think silkworms are probably the best option for me, but I have a few questions about them:
1- How long do they last before turning into moths?

2- I’ve heard they put webs in the container, is that hard to deal with?

3- Where do you recommend purchasing these?

4- How many should I feed to my cham each week? I give him 1 large hornworm every other day currently.

He’s a pretty large male veiled chameleon, if this information is helpful.

Adding on to what everyone else has said. Silkworms are nutritious and can be used as a staple feeder. Depending on the size of the silkies, you could give probably three per feeding. Their growth is somewhat dependent on their food supply. If you want them to last a little longer, only give them enough food for a day or so every couple of days. However, roaches are perhaps the best feeder you can give. I know...yuck! I hate roaches as much as anyone else, but for my chameleon’s I have a big colony of discoids and starting a colony of Surinam. Discoid and Dubia don’t fly or climb and are quiet and so much cleaner than crickets. Another good feeder is BSFL. Chams like variety so using a few different staples is preferred.