Thoughts upon Crickets and other stuff

[HyperC]

Hello all, I bought my chameleon little over a month ago and Petsmart said she was about 3 months old her name is Cammie I have her in a screened cage 18x18x36 her health seems to be good, her stool is the right colors...Now i have some questions ATM i have been dusting her crickets with zoo meds reptivite with D3 so what other vitamins do you all recommend...

Also i got sick of running out of crickets every week some times 2 a week she has been eating about 10-18 large a day...I dunno if that is my fault or what but i buy 4-6 dozen large a week and hand feeding her grapes, peppers, blueberries and what not...LOL is she eating that much because i put them all in there?

So over this weekend i went online and ordered 1,000 Adult Crickets from ArmstrongCrickets they came shipped perfect only problem is how long will they live for never thought about that I do have Cricket drink and what ever they came shipped with in a 10 gallon tank...

 

[SarahcoadunatioZac]

Well a couple things... first off, welcome to the forum! It's full of rich knowledge that I for one would have been lost without.

What is your schedule for dusting? Do you not have plain calcium dusting?

The experienced keepers recommend light dusting of regular calcium NO d3 every feeding. Calcium WITH d3 twice a month and multivitamin twice a month.

Crickets live for a few weeks. Depending on the species, with a quick search I got about 8-10 weeks. So basically you have enough for seven weeks (with the numbers you gave us.) Might not live that long, good luck though.

You need to gut load properly for the health of your Chameleon.

Here's a couple links for gut load:

https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/ferretinmyshoes/446-basics-gutloading.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlM9RaCBt_M

https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/75-feeder-nutrition-gutloading.html

You also may want to fill out a https://www.chameleonforums.com/how-ask-help-66/ form to get a general check on your husbandry.

 

[ferretinmyshoes]

Welcome to the forums!

I am worried you got crickets that are too large for your new cham. If she's only 3 months old then adult crickets are probably too large for her. Rule of thumb is not to feed anything that's longer than the width of her head. Feeding prey that's too large could be a choking hazard.

Here are some links to some cricket info you might find interesting:
Crickets 101
Keeping Crickets in Bulk
Gutloading Basics

Please let us know if you have any questions about any of that. And you should post pics of your new little one!

 

[HyperC]

Nah, she loves the big ones...Cammie is 4.5 to 5 inches long from head to butt Thanks for those links i was sad when i saw the video with the 8 month old broken legs...So would you all recommend that i gut load the crickets or just dust them

P.S. Thanks for the help

 

[kinyonga]

What species of chameleon is it?
If it's a veiled or panther overseeing her constantly will likely make her produce a large clutch. Both of those species can lay eggs without being mated...so it's important that once they are sexually mature they have a place in the cage to dig to show you hat they need to lay eggs. Failure to provide a place will likely lead to egg binding.

Regarding supplementing and gutloading/feeding the insects...both are important.

Proper nutrition is important for your chameleon's health...and the nutrients need to be in balance.

Providing appropriate temperatures helps the chameleon to digest its food properly thus aiding in nutrient absorption.

Proper UVB lighting allows the chameleon to produce the D3 needed to use the calcium in its system.

Since most of the feeder insects have a poor ratio of calcium to phos its important to dust them with phos - free calcium powder at most feedings to make up for it.

It's usually recommended that you dust twice a month with phos - free calcium / D3 powder to ensure that the chameleon gets some D3 without overdosing it and leaving it to produce the rest from its exposure to the UVB light. D3 from supplements can build up in the system and lead to health issues but as long as the chameleon can move in and out of the UVB it shouldn't overdose from its exposure to the UVB.

It's also recommended to dust twice a month with a vitamin powder that contains a beta carotene source of vitamin A. Vitamin A from beta carotene (prOformed) will not build up in the system but vitamin A from prEformed sources will. There is controversy over whether a chameleon can convert the prOformed to prEformed or not and by using a vitaminpowder with beta carotene it leaves control of the prEformed in the owner's hands.

Calcium, D3, phos and vitamin A are all players in bone health and other systems in the chameleon and need to be in balance. You need to look at what you are feeding the insects and supplementing with when trying to attain a balance.

 

[HyperC]

She is a veiled chameleon...As far as lighting goes she is under a blue 60 watt and Repisun 5.0 UV...I am just more less wondering about what Vitamins brands and such to get her like, i said all i got ATM is Reptivite with D3

Oh any idea why she bites my old lady, and not got me yet? I will say tho the first couple weeks she had no problems walking on my hand...Now it has been a job to get her out

A cool thing i must say is she knows when her bed time is even with the clock change...Is that normal for them to pretty much sit at the top and then at night go lower for sleep?

 

[SarahcoadunatioZac]

Nah, she loves the big ones...Cammie is 4.5 to 5 inches long from head to butt Thanks for those links i was sad when i saw the video with the 8 month old broken legs...So would you all recommend that i gut load the crickets or just dust them

P.S. Thanks for the help

Problem isn't that they don't like them, its that its a choking hazard and if left in the cage over night will take bites out of your chameleon while it sleeps.

If I were you I'd just go to the pet store and try to swap some out for smaller ones.

 

[Zen Reptiles]

Hi HyperC,

Chameleons are the easiest reptile to care for so long as you don't F*** a few things up.

1) Do not oversupplement: They are much more sensitive to supplements than most commonly available reptiles. You want to use a PLAIN CALCIUM every feeding. When you dust your bugs, you want there to be just a fine, light coating on each insect. Not CAKED on. Vitamin D3 is made naturally by the chameleon through it's skin (it is actually a hormone, and mis-classified as a vitamin)....hormones are produced in the body, vitamins are absorbed by the body through food. One unique thing about Vitamin D3 is that it can be both manufactured by your body (through exposure to UVB rays, it's the very same with you and me as it is our reptiles), or it can be taken orally (like people get it in milk, calcium supplements, etc). The problem with D3 is that the body regulates itself when it produces it itself.

That is to say, when the body makes enough D3, it stops filling up once it hits full. When you give it orally, it tries to fill PAST full and can cause oversupplementation, kidney problems, and other serious health problems.

UVB provides enough D3 naturally, but a lot of us use a Calcium + D3 supplement once to twice a month. If you dust VERY, VERY lightly, once a week is fine.

Popular opinion at the moment is to use Repashy Calcium PLUS because it is touted as a cure-all all-in-one supplement; this is true for most common reptiles like crested and leopard geckos, but not at all true for chameleons. Use 1) calcium 2) calcium +D3 3) multivitamin separately and the latter two sparingly.


2) Don't over or under water: overwatering causes moisture buildup in the cage, which causes bacteria buildup, which primarily causes lung infections and death. Underwatering causes dehydration and death. You want to use a clean water source (Reverse osmosis or Distilled, or Rain water if you have unpolluted rain water ((which is rare these days)) )....Many of us spray for 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until water droplets form on the screen, leaves, and furnishings in the cage. WAIT UNTIL THIS WATER DRIES COMPLETELY before spraying again. Depending where you live and your humidity levels, this could be 20 minutes (desert, dry, winter time area I live in right now), or 2 hours (Florida).

Chameleons drink rain water which is naturally distilled water in the wild. Rain water, Distilled water, and Reverse osmosis water are all of similar quality. Tap, well, bottled, spring and otherwise don't cut it as they are full of chemicals, heavy metals & minerals......IMO people shouldn't even be drinking them.

3) Variety of diet & gutload is key: Chameleons get bored of the same food just like you and me. Most reptiles will happily eat crickets for 25 years straight. Chameleons are on a higher intellectual field and develop a 'woe is me' complex when they are fed the same thing all day ever day. The healthiest foods for them is crickets, silk worms, phoenix worms, roaches (green banana roaches if you can), superworms, waxworms...........in that order. No one insect should make up more than 20% of their monthly diet is the generally accepted rule of thumb. You can use wild moths and insects but make sure you do some research on what is safe and what is not.

4) HANDLING IS OKAY. Popular opinion is that chams are hands-off & look-only. I strongly believe that the sooner you tame (or force) a chameleon to get used to you, the less stress they will have to endure throughout their lifespan. 2 months of stress getting used to you pales in comparison to 8 years of stress every time they see you. The best way to go about taming your chameleon is slow, progressive, gentle, understanding, sweet slow loving.

5) Your female WILL lay eggs, research it and be prepared for it.

6) DO NOT OVERFEED YOUR FEMALE OR SHE WILL DIE PREMATURELY. Females should eat 5-6 insects a day at the most. However, yours is young and growing, so 8-10 is acceptable now. 10-18 like you are feeding will cause her to become obese, produce too many eggs, and die of egg complications.


As long as you understand a few key principles, chameleons are the easiest pet to care for. Goodluck and POST PICS!


PS don't worry about the larger sized crickets. A lot of people are afraid of choking but aside from never, ever hearing of a cham die from choking, chams will eat one large bug and let it sit in their mouth for 10-20 minutes while the saliva digests the insect, making it easier to swallow and digest. The problem I see is putting too many insects in your cage at once. If a cham zaps one large cricket and sees another one it can go after, instead of letting it 'stew' in the mouth and break down with the enzymes in the saliva, it will POWERCRUNCH it, swallow it too fast, and move on to the next one. As long as you are aware of that, you can maybe feed 4 crickets on two or three separate occasions per day instead of throwing them all in at once.

 

[Zen Reptiles]

Oh as for sleeping, I have had chams choose the same spot for 3-4 years...same spot every night, same time. Why you think a cham knows we have daylight saving's time is beyond me though

 

[HyperC]

Oh about that Repashy Calcium Plus are there any local chains that sell that? Also I was looking at the makers site and didnt see one for veiled chameleons for All in one

I called a local place and they said they only have https://www.store.repashy.com/calcium-plus-4-oz-bag.html is this the i can use for everyday feeding without anything else?

Oh BTW i tried feeding her super worms but she never went for them, She really seems to like things running around...Good thing this female mantis i found has laid 5 eggs sacks

 

[SarahcoadunatioZac]

Oh about that Repashy Calcium Plus are there any local chains that sell that? Also I was looking at the makers site and didnt see one for veiled chameleons for All in one

I called a local place and they said they only have https://www.store.repashy.com/calcium-plus-4-oz-bag.html is this the i can use for everyday feeding without anything else?

Oh BTW i tried feeding her super worms but she never went for them, She really seems to like things running around...Good thing this female mantis i found has laid 5 eggs sacks

I hope those ootheca hatch, not all do.

 

[HyperC]

Has anyone ordered from Greatlakes hornworm? they seem to have better pricing then Armstrong and different types of worms...LOL btw went last night and bought Repashy Calcium Plus and 5 minutes in the store and POW car got hit in the parking alot and thank god someone got the plate cause the guy drove off!! Here is a couple photos of her not the best but the first one is from the first day i got her...Then I moved her into a screened cage couple of days after the 3rd pic is from last night

 

[SarahcoadunatioZac]

Sorry about your car, and great cage! Really love the Buddha statue, I plan on having stone statues in my guy's enclosure in the future.

Just a warning, do not leave adult crickets in the cage over night. They can chew on your chameleon at night and your chameleon will not wake, thus large wounds.