ColorCham427
Avid Member
I've been told that most prolapses are caused by dehydration.
Prolapses: How common?
- Thread starter leid
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Eric Adrignola
Avid Member
Well, my veiled chameleons eat about every other day, no more than 5 crickets a feeding, on average. If I give them access to all the food they coudl eat, they would eat 20 or more adult crickets a day for a week or so, go on a "hunger strike" for a week or two, pass a massive, outsized turd, and after a few days or a weke, start over.
Deremensis do the same. They'd eat 5 times as much as they needed to if I let them.
Melleri are the same. They would eat 20-30 crickets a day, dozens of roaches, etc - if I let them. They gain weight on much much less than that.
When freshly wild caught, I have found my melleri and deremensis' appetite to be justified. They had to eat significantly more food to maintain weight than what was required after parasite treatment. Lots of variables.
There are a lot of fat chameleons out there, I've seen them. My veiled was under 200 grams at 17" long. I saw some in person that were smaller in length but weighed in at over 300 grams. They were born after he was an adult, and they died before he did.
I have not seen any evidence that any of the chameleons I have kept have any self-regulation of their feeding. The only animals I've owned that didnt' totally pig out were juvinile melleri and deremensis - the adults never stopped eating. Without exception, all my adults would eat much more food than they needed.
Deremensis do the same. They'd eat 5 times as much as they needed to if I let them.
Melleri are the same. They would eat 20-30 crickets a day, dozens of roaches, etc - if I let them. They gain weight on much much less than that.
When freshly wild caught, I have found my melleri and deremensis' appetite to be justified. They had to eat significantly more food to maintain weight than what was required after parasite treatment. Lots of variables.
There are a lot of fat chameleons out there, I've seen them. My veiled was under 200 grams at 17" long. I saw some in person that were smaller in length but weighed in at over 300 grams. They were born after he was an adult, and they died before he did.
I have not seen any evidence that any of the chameleons I have kept have any self-regulation of their feeding. The only animals I've owned that didnt' totally pig out were juvinile melleri and deremensis - the adults never stopped eating. Without exception, all my adults would eat much more food than they needed.
Eric Adrignola
Avid Member
If he maintaines, or gains weight, then he's fine. If he loses weight, up his intake.
Eric Adrignola
Avid Member
Note, this picture that I'm linking to is of a healthy chameleon. It is showing a slight bulging of the casque. In obese chameleons, this is much more pronounced. I would say this chameleon is heavy for its size, but not necesarily fat - can't tell from just a picture. It's a nice as heck chameleon, too.
If you see a chameleon with a casque bulging way the heck out, a round tail base, and "popeye" arms, chances are it's overweight. Sometimes, edema sets in, and makes them look fat - the tail base is a good indicator. It should show definition in the tail muscles. If it's oval shaped in cross section, and lacks a bulge in the middle (muscles),it could be overweight.
http://market.kingsnake.com/image/906855.jpg
If you see a chameleon with a casque bulging way the heck out, a round tail base, and "popeye" arms, chances are it's overweight. Sometimes, edema sets in, and makes them look fat - the tail base is a good indicator. It should show definition in the tail muscles. If it's oval shaped in cross section, and lacks a bulge in the middle (muscles),it could be overweight.
http://market.kingsnake.com/image/906855.jpg
Eric Adrignola
Avid Member
Well, the prolapse is the intestines. Due to the effect of moving a larger-than-normal fecal bolus through, some muscles be weakened, and the pressure from the other muscles (that are trying to force the feces out) end up forcing the intestines out with it.
I thought (from what I have read) that too much food means the rate of digestion slows down (bowel/intestines can't keep up) which means that the gut motility/peristalsis slows down which leads to constipation which means that the muscles have to strain and the result is a prolapse (weakened/relaxed muscles may play a part)?? (This is the short version...its a little more complicated than that.)
From what I've read, I think this slowing down, etc. can also result in poorer digestion which might be why some of the females that are gravid have egglaying difficulties (maybe short of nutrients)....anyone know anything about this?? I need to study it more.
From what I've read, I think this slowing down, etc. can also result in poorer digestion which might be why some of the females that are gravid have egglaying difficulties (maybe short of nutrients)....anyone know anything about this?? I need to study it more.
Eric Adrignola
Avid Member
that's a better explaination of what I was thinking. With gravid females - especially when they have outsized, unnatural clutches - it could be a mechanical complication. A very common cause for female veields becoming eggbound is an entanglement of the oviduct and intestines. I would suspect that their proxiity to each other could lead to many other problems in captivity should something go amiss.
