my free-ranged has stopped cup feeding...suggestions?

EvilLost

New Member
I'm not quite sure whats going on, but over hte course of the past week Clark has slowly eaten less and less (he is average 1-2 crickets per day now and I havent seen poop in awhile). He is still pretty active though...

but...he has stopped cup feeding. He used to take crickets straight from the cup if I brought it near him, or he would wait at its "usual spot" in the morning when he was hungry. However, over the past week he completely ignores the cup. I have tried bringing it up to him, changing its location, just leaving it completely alone...no luck.
The only crickets I have seen him eat are the ones that manage to crawl out of the cup and are climbing around on his plants. (I leave it on its side now so they can get out). Since I free-range him, this is obviously not a long-term solution...

Obviously the first idea is to try putting him in a cage, but he HATES that. I have not managed to keep him in a cage for a single day without him turning absolutely black even under ideal conditions (4'x2'x2' 85 basking+uvb, 70 cool side, plenty of plants+sticks...) as soon as I take him out of the cage he is good colors again but still won't eat.


I guess what I am asking is....
How do you feed your free-range chameleon if he refuses to cup feed? Or, why would he stop cup feeding when he used to do so well with it before?
 
Will he hand feed? How old and what kind of chameleon? Try some silk or hornworms and just let the worm crawl on a branch in the FR.
 
I would try some silkworms or other treats he likes. Maybe a larger cup like a pail with some vines in it may fool him into thinking it's not a cup. I suspect when he gets hungry enough he'll start cup feeding though. I free range but never had a problem with cup feeding.
 
yes he will hand-feed worms, but not very many (i can feed him like 3 a day)

also, i have tried a larger cup...was having more success with the smaller cup but the crickets hop right out of it (which is why I think I was having more success..its more 'free-range'like).

however, i have not tried a "giant" cup yet...I will try to set one of those up tonight thanks :)


he's a panther chameleon should be around 4.5months old...i've had him since end of january and he hs loved his cup until now. even today he ate 2 crickets out of the cup but won't eat anymore....

he is also tiny! 10.1grams :\
 
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