Normal?

[HeelsFan]

I have a 4/5 month old male veiled who is eating at least 20 1/2 inch crickets a day, they may even be slightly too big for him but I ordered them in bulk and the 1/4 inch were to small of course. There is no doubt in my mind that if he could get out of his cage he would drag his food bowl to me like a dog. Question is, should I start cutting back or since he is young just let him eat until he decides he's full? He is shedding every 2/3 weeks. Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[Syn]

If you see him getting fat, like pop eye arms, then he's eating too much. He's probably growing.

 

[CHAMpion]

Yeah very normal for his age. Just make sure they are gutloaded and supplemented.

 

[desultadox]

Yeah at that age your Veiled will be a veritable garbage disposal.

 

[sandrachameleon]

Young chameleons can eat a considerable amount. That does not mean you have to give him an endless supply. more than 20 feeders (you're not just offering crickets, right?) a day is a little excessive, even for a growing chameleon.

 

[ChrisnLisa]

If you see him getting fat, like pop eye arms, then he's eating too much. He's probably growing.

I will have to disagree about the popeye arms. I have had several chameleons with popeye arms while that young who were not overweight. A lot of arm girth is muscle from climbing all day. But I will say, I would not be giving him more than 20 crickets a day. Are the crickets an appropriate size for him, they may be to small.

For new keepers, an easy way to see if your veiled is becoming overweight is by looking at his casque. Each side stores fat, aka fat pads. If they are looking squishy and sticking out real far, it is time for a diet. Here are some pics of one of my veileds Puffer...he is a good example of a chubby boy.

 

[Syn]

ChrisnLisa,

Sorry if I made that a little too general. I didn't mean so much the Popeye figure, but more or less the size compared to the rest of the body.

I've seen the term "popeye" arms used often to describe how fat a chameleon is, though. :O

 

[SSimsswiSS]

Think a good rule of thumb for a young cham is to offer as many crickets (or other food source) as one will eat over a few minutes. Once they slow down or stop, take the extras away. Can do this method a couple of times daily.

 

[HeelsFan]

Yes currently his diet is all crickets, as far as gut loaded they are all fed fresh fruits and vegetables untill the time they are offered. Also supplemented with cal with and without D3 and vitamins "no not all at once". Believe me when I say these crickets arent to small, I cant even count how many he was eating a day when I got the 1/4 inch crickets last time. Thanks for the pics of the casque, that was a great example but I dont see any excess fat in those areas so hopefully he is just growing rapidly and healthy.