Is there a feeder food that is very sticky?

[jajeanpierre]

I've decided to try to train my chameleon to do a simple behavior. I need a way to deliver the food reward. All her food will be delivered to her during or immediately after training sessions, which will be every other day. Small roaches would work as they can be crawling on my finger or hand and are somewhat controllable. I don't want to restrict her diet to only small roaches, though.

Is there a feeder food that is sticky that I could use as a sort of glue to stick a very small cricket to my finger?

I thought about honey, but think that it would be very unhealthy for my chameleon and there might even be the risk of botulism or whatever it is that raw honey sometimes has.

Thanks.

 

[chamelisa]

Instead of using honey...

http://www.lllreptile.com/products/19080-zilla-jump-start-supplement-and-appetite-stimulant

This is pretty sticky stuff.

Chamelisa

 

[pigglett79]

I will add m thoughts here for others to read as well.

I think hand feeding works best with worms since they don't jump or move as quickly. One thing to think about is that the chameleons tongue is pretty sticky and if it misses the small bug and hits your hand it will stick to it. This could result in serious injury if you jerk your hand at all or the cham yanks back too hard or bites down on their tongue before it is retracted (all of which I have heard of and can lead to permanent tongue damage).

I have heard suggestions of wetting your hand first so if they do hit your hand accidentally their tongue wont stick to it.

My panther has hit my finger or hand and stuck a couple of times, mostly accidentally when I was trying to put his favorite food on a tree branch for him and he got over excited and went for my hand. One of those times I got a hard bite on my finger because I let him pull my finger in to his mouth to prevent tongue injury.

When it happens its scary. Just wanted to mention so that you can mentally prepare.

I usually hand fed with hornworms, silk worms or butter worms. with hornworms I would lightly powder their feet with plain calcium because their grip is pretty strong.

 

[jajeanpierre]

I will add m thoughts here for others to read as well.

I think hand feeding works best with worms since they don't jump or move as quickly. One thing to think about is that the chameleons tongue is pretty sticky and if it misses the small bug and hits your hand it will stick to it. This could result in serious injury if you jerk your hand at all or the cham yanks back too hard or bites down on their tongue before it is retracted (all of which I have heard of and can lead to permanent tongue damage).

I have heard suggestions of wetting your hand first so if they do hit your hand accidentally their tongue wont stick to it.

My panther has hit my finger or hand and stuck a couple of times, mostly accidentally when I was trying to put his favorite food on a tree branch for him and he got over excited and went for my hand. One of those times I got a hard bite on my finger because I let him pull my finger in to his mouth to prevent tongue injury.

When it happens its scary. Just wanted to mention so that you can mentally prepare.

I usually hand fed with hornworms, silk worms or butter worms. with hornworms I would lightly powder their feet with plain calcium because their grip is pretty strong.

Thanks for the input. I hadn't even considered that.