Now I know!

[MissSkittles]

I’ve been wondering why my ladies have been more into exploring the lower areas of their enclosures since I made them bioactive. I kind of assumed it meant they felt more comfortable in a more natural environment. Silly me! No...they found their clean up crew! As I was replacing some plants in Grumpy’s enclosure, I wondered why she was hanging out so close to my evil human hands and not hissing at me. I also wondered why I found only a couple of isopods. Well, of the two isopods I found, there is now one less. Sneaky sneaky little lady! ?
I have a good thick layer of leaf litter, but obviously that isn’t enough to protect the isos. Any ideas what else I can do before she eats them all? Cork bark maybe?

 

[jackthejellydragon]

that's funny. My guy does that with nats.

 

[PabloTheCham]

I’ve been wondering why my ladies have been more into exploring the lower areas of their enclosures since I made them bioactive. I kind of assumed it meant they felt more comfortable in a more natural environment. Silly me! No...they found their clean up crew! As I was replacing some plants in Grumpy’s enclosure, I wondered why she was hanging out so close to my evil human hands and not hissing at me. I also wondered why I found only a couple of isopods. Well, of the two isopods I found, there is now one less. Sneaky sneaky little lady! ?
I have a good thick layer of leaf litter, but obviously that isn’t enough to protect the isos. Any ideas what else I can do before she eats them all? Cork bark maybe?

Pieces of wood to hide under, and more isopods. I have enough isopods in my enclosure so even if he wanted to, he'd never be able to outcompete the isopods... there are thousands.

 

[jamest0o0]

@snitz427 don't yours do this all the time too lol.

I'd suggest a sheet of bark on the bottom

 

[kinyonga]

I wonder if eating the isos will affect the egg production?

 

[MissSkittles]

I wonder if eating the isos will affect the egg production?

I’m a bit afraid of that. I know Grumpy obviously has been eating hers. Haven’t yet checked Stella’s enclosure to see if she has any isopods left.

 

[PabloTheCham]

I’m a bit afraid of that. I know Grumpy obviously has been eating hers. Haven’t yet checked Stella’s enclosure to see if she has any isopods left.

What species are they?
(the isos not chams)

 

[snitz427]

@snitz427 don't yours do this all the time too lol.

I'd suggest a sheet of bark on the bottom

Heck yea... only noticed the Veileds doing it. Clarice goes to the bottom and practically hulks out and flips furniture over looking for them. Charlie hangs around waiting for them ... but now we have a game where I point to his cork flat, flip it over, and he races to eat the isopods that were on the bottom of it.

Oddly, I've given them to the Kinyongia multiple times, thinking they are a great size for them. The male has eaten a few without seeming to care one way or the other, but the female has now TWICE ate one, chewed it up, and then spit it out... drooling and wiping her mouth on the branch to get it all out. She very very clearly does not like the taste of them. I thought that was interesting... everyone else seems to like them, if not love them.

 

[snitz427]

I wonder if eating the isos will affect the egg production?

Do you mean in terms of them over eating? Or due to their nutritional properties?

 

[MissSkittles]

What species are they?
(the isos not chams)

Giant canyons. I may have to steal some dwarf whites from the roach bin. Those are way too small for her to eat.

 

[kinyonga]

Do you mean in terms of them over eating? Or due to their nutritional properties?

In terms of over eating.

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

I wonder if eating the isos will affect the egg production?

Whose? The chameleons or the isopods?

 

[bbyoda]

Those giant canyons are too tasty. I saw Yoda hunt one down the other day as well and he got a chunk of leaf litter with it. ? Not sure how many I have left. I'll probably have to order more from @jamest0o0 here soon.

 

[snitz427]

In terms of over eating.

I tried in the past to find some reliable nutritional data on isopods, but didn't find much. I can't speak for MissSkittles girls, but my Veileds might get 4 or 5 of them on a good day. They seem to only hunt them when they are really hungry and waiting for a feeding... not an every day thing (from what I've observed). The isopods are really quick to run for cover when exposed. I've watched both Charlie and Clarice hunt them, and while they do get a few...its not many before they lose interest. Even with Charlie, where I flip the cork and show him a ton of isopods... he only eats a few. The isopods either run off very quickly, or they freeze and are ignored. The Giant Canyons are twice the size of most of the other species I have. 4 or 5 of them is about equivalent to a medium dubia, in terms of mass.

I like using the powder orange because they are small, bold, and very active. They are about half the size of Giant Canyons, but twice as fast! Clarice really has a hard time catching them... I feel like they give her some mental stimulation. I use them in her cage as I do not dig up her eggs, and they are known to be voracious eaters. (Would not use them in a breeders enclosure)