Quick Question about the Logistics of Using Worms as Feeders

[GlennFrog]

I recently bought mealworms and waxworms to feed to my new veiled chameleon. I put them in a dish in the bottom of the cage, but she's almost never at the bottom of the cage. How is she supposed to know they're there? Should I put her at the bottom to show her where they are? I tried feeding her one from my hand, but she seemed to be afraid of my hand so she wouldn't eat it. Wouldn't me moving her by hand disinterest her from feeding?

 

[DELxREPTILESJC]

I usually put wax worms on a leaf in front of my cham. Omce he sees it wiggling. He goes for it

 

[GlennFrog]

My enclosure isn't exactly conducive to putting food on leaves... It isn't bare, but the foliage density is on the low end of the spectrum; I haven't been able to flesh it out as much as I'd like. I'm planning on getting some live plants to add to the cage soon. Thanks for the input. Hopefully when I get the cage leafier I'll be able to control the feeding more directly. I have read that people can hand feed their chameleons, and I was hoping Carmen would eat the waxworm out of my hand, but no dice. Should I try moving her to the floor, or would that stress her out too much? I would like her to eat her worms because I'm worried that she isn't hydrating herself enough, and the juicy worms could help to supplement her water intake.

 

[fluxlizard]

I just use small plastic food storage containers- about 4 or 5" long, 3 " or so deep and 3" or so wide. They are lightweight and can be placed up in the branches and plants where the chameleons will feed out of them.

 

[GlennFrog]

How do you attach it to the screen cage? Or do you just let it hang free, using the plants to hold it up? I've had a lot of trouble getting vines and such installed on the screen cage. I'm not sure how I'd install a hanging cup into the cage.

 

[ZiggyStardust]

Get a small, plastic yoghurt tub or something similar, with vertical sides, so that the worms can't creep out.

Place it on a branch or vine and use either some very thin wire or a cable tie to attach it to the vine by poking a couple of holes in the bottom of the tub.

Here's a pic of mine..... Ziggy has no problem accessing it and hurries over to it as soon as food arrives!

 

[GlennFrog]

Thanks for the suggestion, Ziggy. I'll give it a try and hopefully she'll start eating the worms soon. I'm going to clean out a yogurt cup and cut it smaller so the worms are easier for her to get to. Thanks for the help everybody.

 

[eat2muchrice]

You can use magnets to attach things to your screens. I made this cricket cup for my chameleon, the back has a metal plate and I use a magnet to hold it. It is strong enough to hold onto glass so it could easily hold onto a screen.

 

[fluxlizard]

How do you attach it to the screen cage? Or do you just let it hang free, using the plants to hold it up?

With my lightweight plastic food storage containers I simply wedge the container into the plant or branches near the lizard. It is fast, cheap and easy.

 

[GlennFrog]

Alright I added a small yogurt cup for the worms, that I tied to a plant using a small amount of insulated wire. She hasn't eaten from it yet from what I can tell but I guess it's just a matter of time. Thanks for all the help guys.

 

[OwenPowell]

You can use magnets to attach things to your screens. I made this cricket cup for my chameleon, the back has a metal plate and I use a magnet to hold it. It is strong enough to hold onto glass so it could easily hold onto a screen.

That cricket feeder looks awesome! Whats it made from?

I'm using something similar made from a half gallon milk carton with some screen hot glued to the back, but I'd love to have something that looks that nice in there instead haha.

 

[laurahlove]

Yeah, I'd love to know how you made that also!!!

 

[GlennFrog]

It is a cool box, and I'm sure it's nice to have, but is there an advantage to having your crickets all in one spot? Excuse my ignorance, but wouldn't free roaming crickets better replicate a hunting environment?

 

[eat2muchrice]

That cricket feeder looks awesome! Whats it made from?

Yeah, I'd love to know how you made that also!!!

It is a cool box, and I'm sure it's nice to have, but is there an advantage to having your crickets all in one spot? Excuse my ignorance, but wouldn't free roaming crickets better replicate a hunting environment?

Thanks for the compliments; I don’t want to hi-jack this thread so I’ll make a build guide and pm you the link once it is up. Mine is made out of a makeup brush kit box that I stole from the wife. The main thing to making one of these is to get creative, look around your house and I’m sure people have hundreds of cool things besides water bottles to make them out of.

Here are a few advantages to having a cricket box.

1. Your chameleon knows where to find food.
2. Can be moved to different locations to replicate hunting.
3. No free roaming crickets pooping everywhere.
4. Track the number of crickets being eaten.
5. Remove them all at night so they don’t “Chirp/Cricket”
6. Feed the crickets in the box, so they have extra plump before being eaten.
7. Dead ones are easy to find and remove.
8. No hiding crickets somewhere in your cage or escaping into your house.
9. Easy to clean.

I’m sure there are more advantages, but the thing for me is that I couldn’t get my chameleon to eat until I made this cup. Now he eats like a champ, I’m kind of worried that he is getting to fat.

 

[laurahlove]

Thanks for the compliments; I don’t want to hi-jack this thread so I’ll make a build guide and pm you the link once it is up. Mine is made out of a makeup brush kit box that I stole from the wife. The main thing to making one of these is to get creative, look around your house and I’m sure people have hundreds of cool things besides water bottles to make them out of.

Here are a few advantages to having a cricket box.

1.Your chameleon knows where to find food.
2.Can be moved to different locations to replicate hunting.
3.No free roaming crickets pooping everywhere.
4.Track the number of crickets being eaten.
5.Remove them all at night so they don’t “Chirp/Cricket”
6.Feed the crickets in the box, so they have extra plump before being eaten.
7.Dead ones are easy to find and remove.
8.No hiding crickets somewhere in your cage or escaping into your house.
9.Easy to clean.

I’m sure there are more advantages, but the thing for me is that I couldn’t get my chameleon to eat until I made this cup. Now he eats like a champ, I’m kind of worried that he is getting to fat.

Well, you had me at number 5. Every night I have to hunt down that one cricket that won't. Shut. Up. Its torture. I'm looking forward to see how you made it!

 

[ZiggyStardust]

Now he eats like a champ, I’m kind of worried that he is getting to fat.

Unfortunately, that is one of the disadvantages from using cup feeding as a stand alone method.... it can also make chameleon's lazy. Making them hunt for their food, at least occasionally, replicates what they would do naturally in the wild and is good for them, makes them move around/exercise and stops them becoming overweight.

 

[ZiggyStardust]

Now he eats like a champ, I’m kind of worried that he is getting to fat.

Unfortunately, that is one of the disadvantages from using cup feeding as a stand alone method.... it can also make chameleons lazy. Making them hunt for their food, at least occasionally, replicates what they would do naturally in the wild and is good for them, makes them move around/exercise and stops them becoming overweight.

 

[eat2muchrice]

Unfortunately, that is one of the disadvantages from using cup feeding as a stand alone method.... it can also make chameleons lazy. Making them hunt for their food, at least occasionally, replicates what they would do naturally in the wild and is good for them, makes them move around/exercise and stops them becoming overweight.

That sounds just like us, humans! My chameleon will only eat two crickets at a time, climbing back and forth to the feeder and basking area throughout the whole day. The top and bottom of the feeder hides the cricket’s line of site, the chameleon see's them climbing up and down and that triggers their instinctive hunting response. Although that is not much exercise, I feel it is important to let him free range outside of the cage to really stretch his legs. Hope I don’t sound like I’m arguing.

 

[GlennFrog]

So Carmen still hasn't eaten from her cup. I've tried holding her up to it so she could see the worms wiggling in there but she wasn't interested. I also tried setting her down on the plant next to the cup so she could find it on her own, but she just walked right past it. Is there an easier way to entice them to eat? I'm not worried that she's starving or anything, I just want her to eat the worms to shake up her diet a bit and get some variety in her feeding.

 

[eat2muchrice]

So Carmen still hasn't eaten from her cup. I've tried holding her up to it so she could see the worms wiggling in there but she wasn't interested. I also tried setting her down on the plant next to the cup so she could find it on her own, but she just walked right past it. Is there an easier way to entice them to eat? I'm not worried that she's starving or anything, I just want her to eat the worms to shake up her diet a bit and get some variety in her feeding.

I had that same problem and was worried about my chameleon, mine would not eat worms or take any hand fed food, for the first week I had him he did not eat. I hated the idea of crickets but that’s what he eats now, make a cup like mine and place it where she can have easy access and view, leave her alone and let her eat.
There could also be other reasons why she is not eating, but I would try making a cricket cup first.