My chameleon drinks LOADS but wont eat!

StickyPad

New Member
Hi.
So I have a female 8-month old chameleon who i don't think is eating. Every time I spray, she drinks the droplets off the window and sides, and sometimes goes to suck the leaves. She does this for about 10 minutes before returning to her basking spot. I haven't seen her eat in about 3 days. I used to feed her about 12 a day and she would eat them all but she started eating less so i had to reduce them a few at a time. I now add 4 a day, but there is a lot in there and I don't think she is eating! Help!
If you need a picture of her, check my profile picture. thats her now!
 
a>

Hope the picture postd correctly :confused:
 
dont think the pic posted right...check my profile picture. thats the pic I was going to post. sorry, im not sure how to post a picture :S
 
dont think the pic posted right...check my profile picture. thats the pic I was going to post. sorry, im not sure how to post a picture :S

If a cham is dehydrated sometimes they won't or can't eat well. Describe your setup and your humidity levels. If she's spending so much time drinking it could be that's your real problem. Are your feeders loose in the cage? Makes it hard to really monitor how much she's actually eating.
 
1_zps2058a7e7.jpg


Here's StickyPad's picture. :) Her belly looks big to me, but I don't know if that's how she always is. Does it look like she's gotten bigger lately? Any changes in personality?
 
Sounds like you have only been using crickets... Try offering something else. Ie. Superworm, silk or butter worms, roaches. I did this when my cham went on a eating hiatus, and he started again with superworms. Worth a try...
 
As Vmag said, try feeding her different types of food. She can loose interest in them quite quickly if your only feeding her with crickets. On top of that, you NEED to feed her different insects. She might also be gravid, when was the picture taken that you use as your profile picture?
 
I noticed she was getting fatter, but now shes looking more and more ribby. The food is free in her tank but i take them out when they start to grow too much. I'm worried about her - i haven't seen her eat in a while. Her set up is not too crowded and i spray her every 2 hours. temp is around 30 degrees Celsius in hotter spot, 25 in cooler spot. She begs to come out quite a lot and sleeps while I hold her.
 
What insects do you give her? If you can offer her something new she might snap it out of your hand.Or at least she might eat it :) My first cham was a Jacksons, and when he first saw a spider he charged at it, forgot about his tongue and just bit it and chewed it but good :eek::D
 
shes just on brown crickets...I tried her on morio worms but she wouldn't eat them! she actually looked quite disgusted...
 
She shouldn't be sleeping in your hand !! Chameleons don't sleep during the day , that's a sign that Something's not right I think you should fill out the how to ask for help form and see if there is anything that could be causing this ?
 
Where is the form I need to fill out? sorry but I'm new to all this forum lark! She only sleeps on us when she gets tired, at 7pm-ish. never during the day. She goes to sleep at 8pm (light goes off). Do you think there is a problem?:confused:
 
Can anyone give advice? i noticed that them I put her light on just now, she had 2 small lumps on her side, at the back near her tail. has she broken something?
 
Can anyone give advice? i noticed that them I put her light on just now, she had 2 small lumps on her side, at the back near her tail. has she broken something?

we cannot tell much from you pic but she looks pretty large. The bumps can be eggs!!! Do you have a laying bin in your cage for her? She does not have to be mated to produce eggs incase you did not know this! here is a video on how to set up the bin. https://www.chameleonforums.com/laying-bin-set-up-educational-video-77225/
 
Last edited:
good call, i was trying to think and my cham is male so i don't have to worry about eggs lol

I have seen pics with the protrouding bumps and they were indeed eggs, especially in that area. The cham in the pic almost looks like a male with the bars!
 
Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - Veiled, female, 8 months. had her for 5 months.
Handling - She begs to come out several times a day and sits on the window sill.
Feeding - She eats brown crickets, coated in calcium powder. I put in 4 a day. They eat potato and occasionally cricket food.
Supplements - Komodo, and I dust the crickets before putting them in and they drink water off a sponge which has liquid calcium in it.
Watering - I spray her tank every 2-3 hours and for 3 minutes. She drinks as soon as i spray and sometimes she makes me spray it in her mouth!
Fecal Description - She poos once a day, and it is usually 1 firm brown bit and a yellow/white bit.
History - No history that I know of...
Cage info:
Cage Type - The cage is glass.
Lighting - Brand is exo terra canopy and bulbs. heat and light. goes on at 7am and off at 8pm.
Humidity - I have a humidity gauge to measure humidity and spray every 2-3 hours for 3 minutes. humidity is at 80% and she drinks every time i spray.
Plants - No live plants, just silk and plastic.
Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? The top of the cage is about 2 meters off the floor and it is near a window in my living room. The tv is quite loud...should that effect?
Location - I live in Britain in the United Kingdom.

Current Problem - I haven't seen her eat in a while but she opens her mouth and licks the air when I spray, them licks the windows. In the past 3 weeks, she has started going right to the bottom of the tank and begging to come out. Also, she tries to climb the glass. I have attached some pictures to demonstrate the problem and also tank size.
 

Attachments

  • 13..jpg
    13..jpg
    5.8 KB · Views: 111
  • 14..jpg
    14..jpg
    5.6 KB · Views: 99
  • 15..jpg
    15..jpg
    5.7 KB · Views: 96
  • 16..jpg
    16..jpg
    5.8 KB · Views: 107
  • 17..jpg
    17..jpg
    6 KB · Views: 109
Back
Top Bottom