Is she overweight?

gbind002

Member
Hi! CeCe is around 8-9 months we believe. She laid a clutch of 17 two months ago and since then has been eating so much!

Her diet consists of mostly mealworms. I will admit I have been feeding for a bit more waxworms than she deserves but she does really love them. But I’m cutting back.

I unfortunately do not have anything to weigh her so I cannot tell you how many grams she is. But I’m attaching photos!

She’s also done two full body sheds in the last few weeks.
 

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Hi there. Mealworms really are not a staple feeder. Most of us do not feed them at all. Wax worms are all fat. How many are you actually feeding and how often.
Visually she looks to be a good. However if she is 8-9 months and laid her first clutch with 17 eggs two months ago this is really young for her to start. I would expect a larger clutch of eggs with her next clutch with her current feeders. Normally we do not see them lay a first clutch until after 10 months old. Mature females are put on a diet by the time they are 10 months of 3 feeders 3 days a week. But these would be healthy feeders like dubia and crickets not mealworms and waxworms. At the age she is now she should already be moved over to an every other day feeding schedule of about 5 feeders.
Temps are extremely important as well for basking and should be 78-80max.

chameleon-gutload.jpg
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I have tried giving her crickets, dubias, hornworms, even silk worms. She won’t eat anything else. And I don’t mean a few times I’ve tried or even a few weeks. I’ve tried for months lol. She will not eat anything else. I do gutload the meal worms with greens most of the time. Her temps and humidity are also fine.
 
I have tried giving her crickets, dubias, hornworms, even silk worms. She won’t eat anything else. And I don’t mean a few times I’ve tried or even a few weeks. I’ve tried for months lol. She will not eat anything else. I do gutload the meal worms with greens most of the time. Her temps and humidity are also fine.
Yeah she is being stubborn. Are you removing the mealworms and waxworms and only giving her the other feeders? Or are you adding the ones she knows in? Or even breaking down and giving her a few because you feel bad?

They are like dealing with a toddler. It can take a week or so to get them on to new feeders when they are being stubborn. But you have to hold out and not offer anything other than the new feeders. Mealworms and waxworms would then be totally removed as these are not feeders she should be on. Also then you do not have to worry about her going back to the old feeders.

It may feel like your mistreating her but honestly with females you have to be strict. Weight issues not only compromise organ function but too much food and incorrect basking temps produce large clutches. These in turn shorten life span and have extreme risk of egg binding.

Making sure your supplementing correctly is also extremely important.
 
I would remove the mealworms/waxworks entirely and she’d go days without eating. I think she’s caved once and eaten only one cricket a few months back. But I would eventually give in and just go back to feeding her what she would eat.

But you are right. I have been thinking about the large clutches given how much she’s been eating.

So at this age just feed her once every other day?
 
I would remove the mealworms/waxworks entirely and she’d go days without eating. I think she’s caved once and eaten only one cricket a few months back. But I would eventually give in and just go back to feeding her what she would eat.

But you are right. I have been thinking about the large clutches given how much she’s been eating.

So at this age just feed her once every other day?
Yeah so a few days is not going to transition her over. It can take a week or more. Took 9 days for me to transition my male over to dubia off crickets. You just have to be the tough one.

Every other day no more than 5 feeders at this point. Next month work her into 3 days a week with 5 feeders and then after a few weeks transition her into 3 days a week with 3 feeders. But you have to get her off the "junk food". Properly gutloaded correct staple feeders that are supplemented correctly. She will break down and eat the new feeders as long as you do not break down and offer her the junk food. lol
 
Large clutches seem to lead to follicular stasis and dystocia quickly...and the chameleon can also end up with MBD which affects the bones and the muscles needed to push the eggs out...as well as prolapses that I think are the result of the muscles being weaker and pressure from large number of eggs likely playing a part too. If she produces these large clutches you will be lucky to catch her in time to have her spayed so she won't die.

Basking temperature being kept at 80F is important too.
 
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