Hunting help?

[Highway61]

I have a 5 month old male Jacksons that I've had for a little over a month now. He looks/acts healthy but have been disappointed that I've not seen him eat but for a few times. He is eating/drinking/pooping (looks normal) but I'd still like to see/have him consume more. For example, I'll release a few gutloaded/dusted crickets or dubia roaches in his viv but they'll all still be there and accounted for the next day. More often than not, I'll re-collect the crickets so they can be gut loaded again.

This morning Jack moved towards a horn worm I placed on a branch near it. He went right to it and threw his tongue at the worm but I guess it didn't have enough grip to pull the worm off the branch. He made no more attempts and walked right by it. Then he climed down to where he saw a dubia roach and this time his tongue struck the little roach and knocked it off the side of the plant bin at the bottom (bio-active viv). He finally got a cricket a few minutes later but of course I missed seeing him hunt it as he was chewing it when I came back for a peek. I was encouraged by his persistence and to see him stay with it and get something on the third try. Probably the first time I've noticed some hunger in his eyes!

So do the youngin's need practice at this or by 5 months should he already have this down?

 

[salty dog]

Could you post a picture of your chameleons home?

 

[Syreptyon]

They should definitely not be struggling to hunt at 5 m/o. Have you tried cup-feeding?

 

[Brodybreaux25]

He should not be missing anything within his range.

 

[Highway61]

Could you post a picture of your chameleons home?

I will put up some pictures of his home tonight.

 

[JacksJill]

Sometimes hornworms that have good grip on something give them trouble but the other feeders should be easy for him.

 

[JIFFYPOP]

I feed lil Cletus with a feeding bin, just one of the tall containers 100 crickets comes in. Hang it from a branch. 1st thing he does in the morning is go and check to make sure I gave him breakfast, then once again for lunch. Easier this way, you can see him eat, and also can count exact amount hes getting.

 

[Highway61]

Okie doke, I know I need much more vegetation and horazontil ledges but I'm still dialing in the viv. I will swap out the LED for something stronger to accelerate the plant growth as they aren't thriving like I expected they would. Also, humity might not optimal because I haven't purchased/installed a Mistking (yet). The fecal sample pictured looks like maybe my little guy was backed up as for what I've seen before hasen't been quite that massive. But he is looking more robust these days.

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon – 5 month Male Jacksons purchase from cbreptile.com. I’ve had him about six weeks now.

• Handling – About twice a week. I have a Reptibreeze nano that I use when taking him out to sunbathe and when re-arranging/cleaning vivarium.
• Feeding – Crickets, hornworms, superworms and dubia roaches. Gutload with Repashy Bug Burger and carrot tops, dandelion leaves, parsley.
• Supplements – Repashy Calcium Plus vitamin and calcium supplement 3xweek. Repti Calcium 2xmonth.
• Watering – I use an Exo Terra spray bottle in the mornings and evenings for about two minutes.
• Fecal Description – My cham lives in a bio-active viv so I only see the excrement if left on the leaves of the Ficus tree or other plants. What I’ve seen looks normal (but my eyes are somewhat untrained)
• History - none

Cage Info:
Cage Type - Reptibreeze 2x2x4 bioactive with planter box underneath.

• Lighting – Zoo Med Repti Sun LED / UVB 5.0 fixture 24" T5 HO arcadia 6%. Reptizoo cereamic infrared heat emitter, 110v 75W/100W/150W (basking). 12 hours on, 12 hours off.
• Temperature - Basking Temp 80-85, mid level 70-75, lowest point 65-70. One digital thermometer/hygrometer.
• Humidity - 55-60% most of the day, 60-65% at night.
• Plants - All Live plants, Ficus tree, pothos, bella palm, bird’s nest fern.
• Placement – Enclosure sits on top a 2’ stand on first floor that is always much cooler than the second and third floor.
• Location – Seattle, WA
• Current Problem: He eats, but not as much as maybe I think he should. Looks a tad thin. I have recently ovbserved that in the mornings now when they lights go on and I mist the viv, he wakes up he starts to hunt. But I'm off to my job shortly after that and don't ever see it again until the next morning.

 

[Graves923]

I would try cup feeding rather than free ranging the feeders. I personally always cup feed or hand feed and will throw a few crickets in the cage for enrichment.

Do either of your supplements have D3 in them?? Ideally, you want to use plain calcium 2x per week and use a multivitamin and Calcium with D3 1x per month each. Im wondering if there is a his appetite loss is due to a possible supplement overdose.

 

[KRGEE21]

I would agree with the above. The Repashy calcium plus is an all in one with D3. Should only be given once per month for any montane species. If using the calcium plus LoD you could go once per week, or every other week IMO. Also I would give the guy more cover higher up in his enclosure. If you can easily spot him there is too many bare spots in the cage.
How are you measuring your humidity? Have you considered an auto misting system?

 

[Highway61]

Duly noted on the suppliments, much appreciated! I'll adjust that as I'm a first time cham dad and still leaning as I go.

I did notice Jack get on the hunt when I turned his lights and misted his viv this morning. A new development has been this seems to stimilate his hunger or hunting instincts. Although I was standing right in from of the enclosure I still missed seeing him snag a bug (I think a cricket). Shortly after that he walked to another branch and this time I saw him snag a dubia roach! I noticed Jack is stimulated by movement as that seemed to be the catalyst for his attention on that roach. I have a Border Collie like that but that's a whole 'nother story