How to get a new baby to eat. Please help!

[fubekka]

Hi everyone,

I'm new to the whole chameleon raising thing, I just got my first baby chameleon in the mail this morning. He seems to like his new cage, and I've seen him drinking every time I mist him, but I can't seem to get him to eat. He's 2-3 months old, and so the crickets I bought at the local pet store might be a bit too big, but I just bought 500 1/4 crickets online. What are some strategies to get him to eat? The enclosure I have him in is temporary while my reptarium comes in the mail and it's not conducive to range feeding, so is a cup the best way? I've tried hand feeding him but he runs from my hand. Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[mwebb]

Let him settle in

give him time to settle in, just put the crickets in the and leave him alone he will eat when is gets hungry. just dont stress him out by watching him.

 

[jannb]

Congrats! What kind of a chameleon did you get? How big is the enclosure? How hot are you keeping him?

 

[Gensen]

Good method to "judge"...

A good way to "gage" appropriate cricket size it that they should be no larger than the space between your Chameleons eyes. If they are to big they may not eat them, plus it's not good....

But if they are the right size than like others have said just put them in and leave him... he will settle in and eat... he might not if your right there watching esp scine he is not yet had a chance to "settle in" with you.

Good luck.....

 

[fubekka]

Congrats! What kind of a chameleon did you get? How big is the enclosure? How hot are you keeping him?

I got a little male veiled. The enclosure is a 30 gallon Exo Terra terrarium (I know it's bad for him, the Reptarium is already in the mail), and his basking spot varies between 85-95 degrees.

 

[jessica]

I got a little male veiled. The enclosure is a 30 gallon Exo Terra terrarium (I know it's bad for him, the Reptarium is already in the mail), and his basking spot varies between 85-95 degrees.

I believe thats too hot for a little guy!

Jannb has wonderful information in the blog section. My computer wouldn't let me add a link.

 

[kinyonga]

Welcome to the world of chameleons!

Give your chameleon time to settle in. If its too hot the chameleon may not eat...so you might lower your temperatures. If you have small enough/appropriate sized insects he should eat in a couple of days. If it continues not to eat then you should post again.

Here is some information you might be interested in...
Exposure to proper UVB, appropriate temperatures, supplements, a supply of well-fed/gutloaded insects, water and an appropriate cage set-up are all important for the well-being of your chameleon.

Appropriate cage temperatures aid in digestion and thus play a part indirectly in nutrient absorption. For baby veileds I usually keep the temperature in the low 80'sF.

Exposure to UVB from either direct sunlight or a proper UVB light allows the chameleon to produce D3 so that it can use the calcium in its system to make/keep the bones strong and be used in other systems in the chameleon as well. The UVB should not pass through glass or plastic no matter whether its from the sun or the UVB light.

Since many of the feeder insects have a poor ratio of calcium to phosphorus in them, its important to dust the insects before you feed them to the chameleon with a phos.-free calcium powder to help make up for it.

If you dust twice a month with a phos.-free calcium/D3 powder it will ensure that your chameleon gets some D3 without overdoing it. It leaves the chameleon to produce the rest of what it needs through its exposure to the UVB light. (Some UVB lights have been known to cause health issues, so the most often recommended one is the long linear fluorescent Repti-sun 5.0 tube light.) D3 from supplements can build up in the system but D3 produced from exposure to UVB shouldn't as long as the chameleon can move in and out of it.

Dusting twice a month with a vitamin powder that contains a beta carotene (prOformed) source of vitamin A will ensure that the chameleon gets some vitamins without the danger of overdosing the vitamin A. PrEformed sources of vitamin A can build up in the system and may prevent the D3 from doing its job and push the chameleon towards MBD. However, there is controversy as to whether all/any chameleons can convert the beta carotene and so some people give some prEformed vitamin A once in a while.

Gutloading/feeding the insects well helps to provide what the chameleon needs....so its important too.

Calcium, phos., D3 and vitamin A are important players in bone health and other systems in the chameleon (muscles, etc.) and they need to be in balance. When trying to balance them, you need to look at the supplements, what you feed the insects and what you feed the chameleon.

Here are some good sites for you to read...
http://chameleonnews.com/07FebWheelock.html
http://web.archive.org/web/200605020...Vitamin.A.html
http://web.archive.org/web/200604210...d.Calcium.html
http://www.uvguide.co.uk/
http://raisingkittytheveiledchameleon.blogspot.com/