my male sub adult stopped eating

[AndrewBrian]

Hi guys i got mu chameleons last thursday late afternoon they are about 5 days old with me.... i didnt get to choose them they are extremely difficult to get they came from USA straight to my city with a long stopover for domestic flight i brought them in myself. My concern now is my male sub adult it seems a bit scrawny or dehydrated... when i got him he ate 2 adult dubian roaches right away... the next morning he ate 2 more... problem now is that for the past 2 days i dont think he ate anymore... tomorrow is the 3rd day he is still very active and i notice that he loves to sun bathe unlike my 2 females that prefer to be in the shade when the sun hits their cages... he turns really dark and turns sideways and stays for about an hour on the branch without moving sometimes just turns the other side to sun bathe his other side... im guessing is there a possibility he has digestive problems on the first 2 days of eating? his dropping was huge... but only pooed once in 4 days... help please he is still so new im afraid he will worsen but he is drinking water a lot and is very fast moving doesnt seem sickly will post pics of him in the sun thanks!!! or maybe i should give him more staple food rather than dubian roaches crickets perhaps? or grasshoppers?



species : ambilobe panther chameleon
handling : took a 24 hour plane journey
feeding : chameleon ate 2 dubian roaches upon arrival and 2nd day
watering: i mist the cages and leaves of their enclosures 3 times today since i got them
fecal description : the fecal matter was brown with orange and white
history: no idea

cage :home made wood sidings and screen cage size is for adult panthers recommendation
lighting: natural sunlight i put the cage outdoor
temperature: daytime 30-34 degrees celsius night time 24-28 degrees celsius
plant : plastic
placement :garden patio
location : general santos city philippines

 

[CLP]

If some of the urates are orange, it is possible he's a bit dehydrated. In addition to misting, you should have a dripper going as well especially given the heat in your area. Your chams will be quite thirsty. Also make sure they have access to shade at all times.

Not eating when first adjusting to a new environment is not unusual. I realize he ate the first day, but it could just be he was really hungry after a long flight. Give him a few days of lots of water (misting and dripper) and try to give him some "space". In other words, leave him alone except for misting and offering food. Some chams will go several days or even a week without eating until they settle in to their new environment. Also, I find one of my guys doesn't like eating in front of me, so I just put the food in and leave him alone.

You seem unsure if he's eaten or not. Are you cup feeding? If you use a cup, then you can monitor how much they're eating - count the feeders you put in the cup and then you'll know if they've eaten.

Good luck with them!

 

[AndrewBrian]

thanks bro no im not cup feeding i tried for 2 days he didnt touch the food.... so i let the roaches out maybe when they move it attracts him more... i have a female that also doesnt cup feed for months now... she enjoys the hunt none of these chams seem to eat out of my hand... thats a good idea will try not to handle him... yes they have a shade area this guy just loves the sun more than the other chams he can stay in the hot morning sun for an hour without moving

 

[ashleyroxyou]

If some of the urates are orange, it is possible he's a bit dehydrated. In addition to misting, you should have a dripper going as well especially given the heat in your area. Your chams will be quite thirsty. Also make sure they have access to shade at all times.

Definitely reccomend a dripper. If you can put one right above his sunny spot that would be great. He could get the benefits of the sun without getting too dried out!!

I just use a plastic water battle with a needle point hole in the bottom and leave the bottle top on. With the top on you can twist it to control the drip speed.

Also the older they get the less often they eat. You may only need to feed every other day!!

 

[carol5208]

Natural sun is the best thing you can provide as far as liqhting. Chameleons can be very finicky eaters even after you have owned them for a long time. I don't think you have anything to worry about right now

 

[AndrewBrian]

wow carol u got a really beautiful looker over there boomer! such a beauty is is a pure ambanja or a designer cross? never seen one so colorful.. im just a bit scared because i dont know if the breeder that sold me the panther took good care of it before he is rather skinny... hopefully he will be eating soon... will try to mix up his diet with some grasshoppers maybe or crickets instead of just adult dubias

 

[AndrewBrian]

Hi guys the dripper worked like a charm... he actually bathes in it just letting the dripper drip on the leaves and all over his body.... I just discovered my male chameleon hates dubias.... i tried grasshoppers and he loved it so much... i guess it resembles crickets more... i just ordered a colony of crix can anyone help me on how to keep my crix? will a plastic bin and egg trays inside do? i ordered 500 of em....