Two questions...1-uvb 2-#of crickets?

[lovepicasso]

How do you know if they are getting the proper amount of uvb when they free range in the house and don't stay very long in one place?.......As y'all know, Picasso has to be hand fed, we have to force his mouth open and put the cricket in, he is close to 8 months old and as a baby he would eat 10 to 12 a day and now I don't know how many he should have at this age, I know every time we pick him up he must think" Oh hell here comes the stick between the lips" and will soon not want us to even touch him, we have been giving him 5 to 6 a day and a couple of wax worms.....God bless him, he tries to stick them with his tongue and that doesn't work, so he just gives up and walks away....Thanks.

 

[Padose]

Hey, So FYI, I had no idea that anyone else had a chameleon named Picasso before this forum. My wife and I actually spent 3 days tossing names around trying to figure out what to name our guy, and when Picasso came up on the boy names list, we both went "yes!"

So anyway, for our Picasso, he is right at about the same age maybe a month or so older, and he eats about 5 or 6 3/4 inch crickets each day. Recently he has been throwing a fit and wants nothing but superworms, but he also just finished a shed so he's pretty hungry and eating more than that.

Oh, and the UVB, I'm not positive, but as long as he is getting enough to process calcium and digest his food. As to how many hours a day that would be, I'm not sure.

That's just my limited experience, one cham, so hopefully others will add their experience too.

 

[lovepicasso]

Hey, So FYI, I had no idea that anyone else had a chameleon named Picasso before this forum. My wife and I actually spent 3 days tossing names around trying to figure out what to name our guy, and when Picasso came up on the boy names list, we both went "yes!"

So anyway, for our Picasso, he is right at about the same age maybe a month or so older, and he eats about 5 or 6 3/4 inch crickets each day. Recently he has been throwing a fit and wants nothing but superworms, but he also just finished a shed so he's pretty hungry and eating more than that.

Oh, and the UVB, I'm not positive, but as long as he is getting enough to process calcium and digest his food. As to how many hours a day that would be, I'm not sure.

That's just my limited experience, one cham, so hopefully others will add their experience too.

Thanks, I hope your Picasso is as loving and sweet as mine....is he a veiled?.....would love to see some pictures of your boy.

 

[Tay And A]

Idk but I've been told that a Cham needs at least 14 hours a day of UVB a day. Don't know if that's correct but I have my lights on a time now.

 

[Padose]

Idk but I've been told that a Cham needs at least 14 hours a day of UVB a day. Don't know if that's correct but I have my lights on a time now.

From almost all the care sheets I've read a chameleon needs 12 hrs light to 12 hrs dark :s I'm sure they need a lot and it's best to have UVB on the whole time chams are awake, but with the free ranging I'm not sure how to mark enough exposure vs not.

And lovepicasso, yes he is a male veiled. So far he is quite shy and nervous! I'm trying to be very patient and build his trust in me, but it's a s..l..o..w process so far. He still runs for cover every time I actually come to the cage to feed or clean, and ducks behind a branch for a minute or two whenever I'm in the room. Hopefully he'll warm up and be as brave and loving as your guy! Then I'll actually be able to take a real picture of him instead of across the room

 

[Padose]

https://www.chameleonforums.com/free-range-uvb-lighting-question-99169/

This thread says at least an hour next to UVB

 

[lovepicasso]

Thanks.....he does get that much, in the mornings I put him under a basking and UVB bulb for at least that amount of time.

 

[crocky]

Sheri just tell that boy that he is stay under the UVB for a certain amount of time or he is grounded! LOL. I would imagine though that he will sit under there when he feels the need to regulate it, just like heat but I could be wrong.

 

[pigglett79]

I have read that at least an hour a day of UVb is required. Does he ever eat silks or horn worms? When my Jackson had tongue trouble he would go up and bite the worms. I also babysat a cham with tongue issues (he can shoot but always misses), he would go up and bite them as well. At least some worms worked in with the crickets could give him a chance to try to eat on his own.

 

[lovepicasso]

Sheri just tell that boy that he is stay under the UVB for a certain amount of time or he is grounded! LOL. I would imagine though that he will sit under there when he feels the need to regulate it, just like heat but I could be wrong.

He got a spanking the other day for not doing as told, next I will ground him.

I have read that at least an hour a day of UVb is required. Does he ever eat silks or horn worms? When my Jackson had tongue trouble he would go up and bite the worms. I also babysat a cham with tongue issues (he can shoot but always misses), he would go up and bite them as well. At least some worms worked in with the crickets could give him a chance to try to eat on his own.

He does try to eat on his own, like a regular lizard does, but he still doesn't know how to get it all the way into his mouth that way and so he will give up after it falls out a couple of times.....I think maybe some bigger worms might be better.....thanks for the reply.

 

[ferretinmyshoes]

An hour is not enough. 4-6/day is minimum imo and the more the better. I'll show you how George eats without being able to use his tongue.

 

[ChameleonMom]

I have to force feed Camo every third day and he doesn't really enjoy it either! What I do is gently put my fingernail into the crack of his mouth and gently put a tiny bit of pressure downward and he'll do the work for me and just go ahead and open his mouth. That's when I pop in the feeder. It's all a fairly gentle procedure but he doesn't like it. I think he feels 'less of a man' to have to be hand fed...lol...especially by 'Mommy' but if its the only way to keep him alive and healthy, I'll put up with the dirty looks and grimaces!! Good luck with Picasso!!

 

[lovepicasso]

An hour is not enough. 4-6/day is minimum imo and the more the better. I'll show you how George eats without being able to use his tongue.

I would like to see how he eats, thanks Dayna.

I have to force feed Camo every third day and he doesn't really enjoy it either! What I do is gently put my fingernail into the crack of his mouth and gently put a tiny bit of pressure downward and he'll do the work for me and just go ahead and open his mouth. That's when I pop in the feeder. It's all a fairly gentle procedure but he doesn't like it. I think he feels 'less of a man' to have to be hand fed...lol...especially by 'Mommy' but if its the only way to keep him alive and healthy, I'll put up with the dirty looks and grimaces!! Good luck with Picasso!!

Thanks Lisa....we put a long q-tip like stick we got from the vet, in front of his mouth, push down a little and he will open,but if he isn't hungry or doesn't want that stick in this lips, he makes it really hard to open, so we don't.....but like you said, we have to do it to keep them alive......Camo sounds like he is a little sweetheart.

 

[ReptileLove18]

just wanted to say lovepicasso, you are doing a great thing by all the hard work and love you put into picasso. even if he doesnt always like it!! i think its good to give kudos to all the amazing owners who work so hard to bring their chams back to health after an injury and you are one of them that deserves those kudos. keep plucking along and im so glad that he is slowly getting better