Introducing new food

[animallover27]

How do you guys go about introducing new foods to your chameleons?

Chupacabra was raised on crickets but he ADORES hornworms, so I've ordered him some silk worms, butter worms, and wax worms (because the fewer crickets I can keep in the house the happier I am) . . .

The silk worms I think can cling onto branches like the hornworms and he seems to love that, but how do you guys feed the less agile worms to your chameleons?

Also, I've seen people online feed their chameleons locusts (though they look totally different than what we call locusts in Texas where I live) - where do you buy those? I assume feeding him wild ones wouldn't be safe . . .

 

[juju]

yeah it wouldnt be safe cause you wouldnt know if they had a parasite or not. also if you are looking for something new roaches are also a good feed they have mroe meat then crickets so u can feed your cham less of them but they get more out of them.

 

[animallover27]

Do roaches smell? Because that is what I hate about the crickets - I clean them once a week and they still have that sweet rotten smell

 

[juju]

not that i know of im sure if u clean there cage it should be fine im getting a colony here soon so i can cut back on buying crickets

 

[juju]

i just looked it up they dont smell at all i know when crickets die they smell like death lol such a bad smell

 

[Swayne8998]

How do you guys go about introducing new foods to your chameleons?

Chupacabra was raised on crickets but he ADORES hornworms, so I've ordered him some silk worms, butter worms, and wax worms (because the fewer crickets I can keep in the house the happier I am) . . .

The silk worms I think can cling onto branches like the hornworms and he seems to love that, but how do you guys feed the less agile worms to your chameleons?

Also, I've seen people online feed their chameleons locusts (though they look totally different than what we call locusts in Texas where I live) - where do you buy those? I assume feeding him wild ones wouldn't be safe . . .

Superworms can cling to branches as well. Locusts where you live are actually called cicadas. The real locusts are illegal to buy in the U.S.

Do roaches smell? Because that is what I hate about the crickets - I clean them once a week and they still have that sweet rotten smell

No, not at all! Roaches are way better to use then crickets. They have no odor, are much more hardier than crickets, LIVE much longer than crickets, and you only need to clean the cage once every 3 or 4 months. The babies actually eat the feces.

 

[animallover27]

Ok - that makes sense about the locusts - the ones we have here look totally different than what I've seen online . . .

I'm going to have to look into the roaches . . . I'm not squeamish so the fact that they are roaches doesn't worry me at all . . .

I think that my petsmart has superworms so I could get some there just to try them out - I'd never seen them cling, but maybe I just had dumb ones

 

[juju]

make sure you dont feed to many super worms and other worms allot of them can be very fatty so limit how many u feed to your animals

 

[Swayne8998]

Ok - that makes sense about the locusts - the ones we have here look totally different than what I've seen online . . .

I'm going to have to look into the roaches . . . I'm not squeamish so the fact that they are roaches doesn't worry me at all . . .

I think that my petsmart has superworms so I could get some there just to try them out - I'd never seen them cling, but maybe I just had dumb ones

Haha. Be careful with them though. They are mean and will bite. One time one reached up and bit my guy's nose while he was eating it I got my dubias from maxttu, for a very good price. Normally dubia roaches are 50 cents a pop.

 

[juju]

Haha. Be careful with them though. They are mean and will bite. One time one reached up and bit my guy's nose while he was eating it I got my dubias from maxttu, for a very good price. Normally dubia roaches are 50 cents a pop.

yeah i just ordered a starter colony from him should be here saturday i think

 

[Swayne8998]

yeah i just ordered a starter colony from him should be here saturday i think

Oh really? When did you order them?

 

[juju]

yesterday but he cant send them out til thursday cause of July 4th but i got the roaches place already to go so should be cool

 

[Swayne8998]

yesterday but he cant send them out til thursday cause of July 4th but i got the roaches place already to go so should be cool

Nice! Just remember to feed them off sparingly or not at all for the next few months to get the colony established. Give them lots of heat, darkness, and oranges!

 

[juju]

Nice! Just remember to feed them off sparingly or not at all for the next few months to get the colony established. Give them lots of heat, darkness, and oranges!

yeah im gonna leave them be and feed them tons or oranges and carrots plus what ever else i can get my hands on lol shouldnt take to long for them to start making the babys xD

 

[animallover27]

Chupacabra doesn't give feeders much of a chance - but I'll be sure not to give him extra roaches in his cage and keep my eye on them when I feed him . . .

I knew butterworms were high fat - but not the others - thanks for letting me know!

 

[froggielog]

Roaches can be expensive but if you shop around you can get a lot for pretty cheap. I live in Texas too and they do great in this heat (I keep mine in the garage) They don't smell to bad and they don't jump or escape!

 

[animallover27]

I'd love to keep them in the garage! I know waterbugs do great in Texas so it makes sense dubias would like it too . . .

 

[Swayne8998]

I keep my colony in my unfinished basement on a rug. Even in 10% humidity, the moisture from the oranges and carrots keeps the humidity high (and the egg carton and the roaches together keeps temps good--you want to aim for 90's). You want humidity to be about 40% to allow the roaches to successfully molt... I found a molt gone horribly wrong once https://www.chameleonforums.com/what-86536/

 

[juju]

I keep my colony in my unfinished basement on a rug. Even in 10% humidity, the moisture from the oranges and carrots keeps the humidity high (and the egg carton and the roaches together keeps temps good--you want to aim for 90's). You want humidity to be about 40% to allow the roaches to successfully molt... I found a molt gone horribly wrong once https://www.chameleonforums.com/what-86536/

yhea i remember when u posted that i was like wtf to xDD