New to chameleons

[MissSkittles]

OK, I have another question for my cup that I feed Marge with I use a small yellow cup with dried hot glue to keep the bugs from escaping but the big Doobie roaches can escape so I built a different one and she doesn’t eat out of it so I’m trying to use the old yellow one, but I need some advice to keep the bugs in

Can you post a pic of what you’re using and the other one?

 

[Bro Bott]

The first one is the one I wanna use the most the second is the one I currently use for small guys and the third she didn’t like to eat out of

 

[MissSkittles]

I would suggest buying (or making your own) shooting gallery style feeding station. I’ve made my own versions of it a few times from various plastic food containers. I can’t recall if they came from a frozen meal or take out, but I washed it very well before making. You could probably use any plastic food containers. Leaving about 1/4 x 1/3 of the bottom intact, cut a big enough hole for your cham to easily stick its head into. I sand down the cut sharp edges and then apply a scant thread of hot glue to make sure it’s dull enough. I kind of smear just the smallest thread of hot glue for better adhesion. If you run a nice line of it, it can easily come off. Some dull the edges with a lighter. I had poor success with that method. To stick it to the inside of the screen door, I use push pins stuck thru from the inside and then I found pencil eraser material adequate to secure by placing on the sharp points on the outside. You could probably use thin wire to secure it and not have to deal with push pins and erasers. lol It stays in place and with the exception of bsfl and wax worms, it helps prevent feeders from escaping easily. There are all different variations out there to buy, especially on Etsy. I hope I’ve helped a bit.

 

[Bro Bott]

I would suggest buying (or making your own) shooting gallery style feeding station. I’ve made my own versions of it a few times from various plastic food containers. I can’t recall if they came from a frozen meal or take out, but I washed it very well before making. You could probably use any plastic food containers. Leaving about 1/4 x 1/3 of the bottom intact, cut a big enough hole for your cham to easily stick its head into. I sand down the cut sharp edges and then apply a scant thread of hot glue to make sure it’s dull enough. I kind of smear just the smallest thread of hot glue for better adhesion. If you run a nice line of it, it can easily come off. Some dull the edges with a lighter. I had poor success with that method. To stick it to the inside of the screen door, I use push pins stuck thru from the inside and then I found pencil eraser material adequate to secure by placing on the sharp points on the outside. You could probably use thin wire to secure it and not have to deal with push pins and erasers. lol It stays in place and with the exception of bsfl and wax worms, it helps prevent feeders from escaping easily. There are all different variations out there to buy, especially on Etsy. I hope I’ve helped a bit.

You have helped a lot but I do have a few questions. First what is the pros of having that style feeder? Second I’m not sure she will actually use it or want to use it or even know there are bugs in there bc she doesn’t eat out of any of my other cup feeders. Third do you have a picture of it? I’m a little confused about shape. Thank you so much for the information though.

 

[MissSkittles]

You have helped a lot but I do have a few questions. First what is the pros of having that style feeder? Second I’m not sure she will actually use it or want to use it or even know there are bugs in there bc she doesn’t eat out of any of my other cup feeders. Third do you have a picture of it? I’m a little confused about shape. Thank you so much for the information though.

Well, I think we all have our own preferences when it comes to things like this. I can tell you my opinion on the pros and cons of it.
Pros: the feeders climb the screen and make themselves attractive moving targets for a chameleon. The way it is designed and the slick plastic inside make it more difficult for the feeders to escape. It stays in the same exact spot so that your chameleon always knows where food will be. It’s pretty much not taking up valuable space and is very easy to access when placed inside of the door.
Cons: it can be a pain in the tail to keep it clean, as it needs to be removed to be washed. Usually it’s just excess supplement that soils it, so it isn’t too bad unless you really overly dust your feeders. It does not contain bsfl well at all. They just squirm right thru the bottom within seconds. I haven’t even tried putting waxworms in, but I assume it might be similar. If not secured properly with tacks along the sides and not just the corners, roaches can escape too. Being a thin plastic, I did crack one when washing it a bit too vigorously. It was a small crack and I just glued it together.
I very often will see my chameleons walking over and looking inside their feeder stations just in case some bugs magically appeared. I had one big veiled guy that actually squeezed inside and slept in his at times. If for a male veiled, I definitely suggest the larger sized one.
They are due for washing, so pardon the soiling. This is one I bought. Outside view. I should have turned the tacks facing the other way with pointy ends out.

Inside view - what your chameleon sees. The edges are all dulled around the cut out and there’s a plastic protector where they might (and do) step.

This pic you can see how the tacks go. The bought one comes with clear rubbery things to place over the pointed ends…almost like some earring backs.

Here is one that I made from a food container. Not as pretty, but it works.

 

[Bro Bott]

Another update; Marge still is scared of me and runs away when I come in in her description it said friendly chameleon. I’ve had her for like 3 months so I’m hoping she will let me hold her in a few more months. There isn’t a point I don’t think in holding my hand with food in there bc she just hides when I come in. I do just sit next to her enclosure with the door open with food just in case she comes out. If anyone has anymore advice please let me know.

 

[MissSkittles]

Another update; Marge still is scared of me and runs away when I come in in her description it said friendly chameleon. I’ve had her for like 3 months so I’m hoping she will let me hold her in a few more months. There isn’t a point I don’t think in holding my hand with food in there bc she just hides when I come in. I do just sit next to her enclosure with the door open with food just in case she comes out. If anyone has anymore advice please let me know.

Friendly is not a word that is usually ever associated with our green friends from Yemen. I’m going to advise for you to continue to try hand feeding (try it with the desirable hornworms or silkworms). My veiled girl Stella has been with me for almost 7 years! She has and will not ever come out to me on her own. I continue to work on our trust thru hand feeding and gentle slow interactions. She will still hiss at me, puff up and often try to bite. Usually she will first try to eat my fingers, thinking they are fat worms and when she realizes they are not, they are attacked. On a very good day, she will reluctantly allow me to touch her chin spikes for a second or two, before posturing to bite. If I do hold her, she is pretty calm and understands that I will not hurt her. This doesn’t mean she enjoys it though.
On the opposite side, one of my panther boys, Mango, will run over as soon as he sees me open his door and tries to climb out onto me. Having ruled out all possible reasons for this, I’m left to believe he just likes sitting on my hand.
My others are at their own degrees of how they allow me to interact with them.
The primary thing I’m using too many words to explain, is that we have to accept each chameleon on their terms. We do what we can for them to learn that we can be trusted not to harm them, and the rest is up to them. I respect my chameleons’ boundaries, which in turn reinforces to them that I am okay.

 

[Bro Bott]

Friendly is not a word that is usually ever associated with our green friends from Yemen. I’m going to advise for you to continue to try hand feeding (try it with the desirable hornworms or silkworms). My veiled girl Stella has been with me for almost 7 years! She has and will not ever come out to me on her own. I continue to work on our trust thru hand feeding and gentle slow interactions. She will still hiss at me, puff up and often try to bite. Usually she will first try to eat my fingers, thinking they are fat worms and when she realizes they are not, they are attacked. On a very good day, she will reluctantly allow me to touch her chin spikes for a second or two, before posturing to bite. If I do hold her, she is pretty calm and understands that I will not hurt her. This doesn’t mean she enjoys it though.
On the opposite side, one of my panther boys, Mango, will run over as soon as he sees me open his door and tries to climb out onto me. Having ruled out all possible reasons for this, I’m left to believe he just likes sitting on my hand.
My others are at their own degrees of how they allow me to interact with them.
The primary thing I’m using too many words to explain, is that we have to accept each chameleon on their terms. We do what we can for them to learn that we can be trusted not to harm them, and the rest is up to them. I respect my chameleons’ boundaries, which in turn reinforces to them that I am okay.

Ok yea that makes sense. The one thing about Marge is she lets me pet her while she sits behind something. Today I pet her back and hands while she was hiding behind a stick but she didn’t puff up, T. rex arms or try to bite at all which makes me think she will at some point be friends. I had made a lot of progress where she wouldn’t run away when I opened the door and stuff but then she had an emergency and I had to grab her out of her enclosure and I think this made her even more afraid of me. So I’m hoping she will come around in the next few months. Thanks for the advice