Hungry Chameleon ???

[JimChamFam86]

hey guys.

we have a veiled chameleon, he is about 4-6 months old.
we feed him like 4-5 small to medium crickets in the morning and 3 or 4 at night.
it seems like he is hungry during the day because i noticed he goes all the way down to where we place the crickets, it seems he is looking for food.
also how can I feed him vegetables or fruits, I have noticed that he is trying to take a bite off the plastic plants but when I place greens inside he is not interested.
any suggestions.

 

[bloftis1]

At night??? You shouldn't feed at night because when you do and you soon turn the lights off he wont be able to digest his food without it. Feed during the day usually mine eats early in the day from 7am-noon. Try feeding him other feeders as well. Keep a nice variety in his diet, crickets, superworms, silkworms, hornworms, etc. My panther chameleon somewhat does the same with the "plants" he'll try to attack his vine lol. Also how about your supplementation?

 

[JimChamFam86]

At night??? You shouldn't feed at night because when you do and you soon turn the lights off he wont be able to digest his food without it. Feed during the day usually mine eats early in the day from 7am-noon. Try feeding him other feeders as well. Keep a nice variety in his diet, crickets, superworms, silkworms, hornworms, etc. My panther chameleon somewhat does the same with the "plants" he'll try to attack his vine lol. Also how about your supplementation?

I give him crickets at 6 am and than at 6 pm, i usually turn the lights off around 9.
Im gut loading the crickets with carrots, beet greens and mango.
Im giving him repti-calcium with D3 and reptivite without D3, not every day. one day ill give him one then one day rest then next day the other. but i think its too much, so i will probably star doing it once a week per each.

 

[bloftis1]

I give him crickets at 6 am and than at 6 pm, i usually turn the lights off around 9.
Im gut loading the crickets with carrots, beet greens and mango.
Im giving him repti-calcium with D3 and reptivite without D3, not every day. one day ill give him one then one day rest then next day the other. but i think its too much, so i will probably star doing it once a week per each.

6pm is still a bit late, I stop feeding at 2pm, sometimes a little snack at 3pm. The calcium without D3 should be used about 5-6 days a week, the calcium W/ D3 should be used twice a month, and his multivitamins twice a month as well. I would definitely look into some other feeders as well they like a nice variety

 

[JimChamFam86]

6pm is still a bit late, I stop feeding at 2pm, sometimes a little snack at 3pm. The calcium without D3 should be used about 5-6 days a week, the calcium W/ D3 should be used twice a month, and his multivitamins twice a month as well. I would definitely look into some other feeders as well they like a nice variety

any suggestions on other feeders ?
we gave him hornworms.
I read mealworms are actually not good for them.

 

[bloftis1]

any suggestions on other feeders ?
we gave him hornworms.
I read mealworms are actually not good for them.

Yup hornworms are pretty good for them! But yes stay away from mealworms. You can purchase superworms, fairly cheap in my opinion! You can also get silkworms, dubia roaches if you dont mind them lol!

 

[bloftis1]

You may also do butterworms, waxworms, black soldier fly larvae (bsfl).

 

[JimChamFam86]

You may also do butterworms, waxworms, black soldier fly larvae (bsfl).

thanks for the info

 

[bloftis1]

thanks for the info

Yes! Of course, no problem

 

[44937]

what about feeding times for young chams? I have a 2 month old cham which is still pretty hungry into the evenings. what time do you stop feeding young chams?

 

[NickTide]

any suggestions on other feeders ?
we gave him hornworms.
I read mealworms are actually not good for them.

I would only use mealworms if I was in a major pinch... Like all 3 of my roach colonies died along with my stick insects, I ran out of black soldier flies and the petshop ran out of everything except mealworms. I may give them a few to get them by. Super worms (look like jumbo meal worms) are ok for an alternative feeder.

Horns have a lot of water so keep in mind that x grams of horns is not the same as x grams of crickets or roaches. I don't know what the ratio is but feed a bit extra if you're feeding mostly horns.

Roaches are great as as staple feeder. Once you get a colony started you will always have feeders available. No worrying about packages delayed or if you cant get to the pet shop. Even if you rely on the mail for everything else, having this one feeder can save you a ton of money and grief.

some other alternatives are... black soldier flies. Big fan of them. I buy them by the 1000 and keep them in my $60 wine fridge at 55 degrees. I take out a hand full at a time, give them a little food and feed off them when they turn into flies. The worms are just as good but you have to separate the worms from the "dirt" plus chams love flying insects. I feed dubias but I am switching to orange heads when I get enough because chams tend to get tired of the slow moving dubias. Some say they have a better meat to shell ratio as well. As a treat I give them stick insects. Once you have them going, you will have an endless supply of them. Too much trouble to feed them as a staple... catching them in a cup 1 or 2 at a time. Blue bottle flies are a good choice as well. Gut load with a bit of honey. I use super worms sometimes as well. Mantis oothes can be collected in most parts of the US (and world?) or purchased inexpensively, hatched out and fed.

 

[JacksJill]

How many hours a day do you have on your lights? Most chameleon species kept as pets are from near the equator and are used to 12 hour days. Their seasonal variation is only an hour +/ -. Extra long days can lead to sleeping during the day and stress related health problems.

Plant eating in veiled's can be an attempt to get moisture more than food. Be sure you are hydrating properly. https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/caresheets/veiled/
https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/water/

 

[makkatfloof]

At night??? You shouldn't feed at night because when you do and you soon turn the lights off he wont be able to digest his food without it. Feed during the day usually mine eats early in the day from 7am-noon. Try feeding him other feeders as well. Keep a nice variety in his diet, crickets, superworms, silkworms, hornworms, etc. My panther chameleon somewhat does the same with the "plants" he'll try to attack his vine lol. Also how about your supplementation?

@bloftis1 i actually have a question now that you say this.
So my boy REFUSES to eat any earlier than 4:30 pm. His light times are from 9:45-9:45 during the day. Is feeding him at this time enough for him to digest still?

 

[bloftis1]

Yeah that should be a good time, when does he stop eating?