How to get chams interested in roaches

[shrink9]

Hi,

I have been very successful with my roach colony. The only problem I have is not getting my chams interested in the roaches. Any suggestions on how you do it? They tend to want to hide when I release them in the cham cages. How do you handle this issue?

Thanks.

Allen

 

[lampshade]

Wait till your cham is settled on a branch near enough to a side panel of the enclosure front/back or side to side. Then place the roach on the screen NOT on the floor and don't just randomly dump him in. If he runs, wrangle him and place him till he doesn't. If he just freezes his wiggling antennas will catch your chams attention enough that he will snag him. Most important though place your roaches on the screen.

 

[PantherVeileD]

yup exactly what lampshade said. I tried cup feeding, leaving the roach on the bottom of the cage with a big container... I never free range the roach because they hide and could escape from the cage!

Watching a cham munching down a roach is awesome!! Sound effects *CRUNCH CRUNCH*

 

[Zen Reptiles]

Bowl feed.

 

[Chameleonboy]

Try smaller roaches and then work your way up.

-Clemonde

 

[susurrus]

Wait til one's molted. Chameleons love freshly molted insects. My cham doesn't really eat them (which is fine as I'm starting a colony), but the only one he ate was molted and he was the most interested I've seen him be in food.

 

[toddmkeller]

In my experience...

I start by feeding juveniles roach nymphs when they are big enough to eat them... If you get them to get used to the roaches when they are young usually they will eat them when they get older. Each chameleon is different... I have a few that LOVE LOVE LOVE them some Dubia, however I have a few that are scared and will even fire up/run away from a roach.

Good Luck,

Todd

 

[jojackson]

You could start cup feeding white (fresh moult) ones! mine loves em! once they get the idea, toss a few dark ones in aswell. Once they start munching they wont be too fussy. You might withhold food for a day or two first. Get it hungry!

 

[martyllian]

You could try holding the roach in your hand until it calms down and then putting it in your chameleons field of view, and then letting it crawl on your hand until the chameleon snipes it.

It's what I did. Don't know if it will work for you, it all depends on if your guy or girl runs from your hand being anywhere in his or her cage.