Wild food...

[Beelinn]

I've read enough postings on this site to scare me into controlling every aspect of my chams diet. It seems baby boy has other ideas. When he basks in his tree, flying bugs come to see the sweet smelling gardenia so I moved the tree inside when I saw him going after them. So now he's happily basking in the sun in front of a window. And he's caught 2 houseflies. So tell me, is this just an insecticide worry primarily, or when do I need to get him wormed? He just seems so happy being on his tree, I hate to keep him cooped up!

 

[Chameleon Mike]

Its mostly the insecticide you have to worry about. I'm sure he likes getting out of his cage and diversity in his diet is good.

 

[kinyonga]

Some things that might be of concern are exposure to pesticides, possibly picking up parasites, concern about what the insect had been eating.

Concern with the parasites ...to me it not only concerns them having to be treated for whatever they pick up but is it a parasite they can handle?
Some parasites that normally end up in a certain animal may behave differently in an animal it wouldn't normally run into.

Concern with what the insect ate..if it ate something toxic to the chameleon that might kill the chameleon when it eats it.
For instance, wild caught horn worms have eaten tomato plants and that makes them toxic. Monarch butterflies have eaten milk weed which makes them toxic. Some Insects the chameleon wouldn't see in its native country and it may not recognize as toxic.

So does variety outweigh these things? Whether to do it or not is something you have to decide. I'm not saying don't do it...I'm just saying be aware of the possibilities. Be careful to select insects that are likely to be safe for the chameleon to eat.

You might like to read these...
http://reptiles.guru/chameleon/can-chameleon-eat-wild-bugs/
http://blogs.thatpetplace.com/thatr...e-best-foods-for-pet-chameleons/#.WTcpInopDMI
I don't agree with the canned bugs in the site above...but that's just my opinion.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/what-wild-caught-food-is-toxic.42666/page-2
https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/wild-caught-insects-parasites.36626/

Non-chameleon examples of wrong host...
http://microbiologyupdates.blogspot.ca/2012/02/when-parasites-attack-wrong-host.html

 

[EveryGreen]

Some things that might be of concern are exposure to pesticides, possibly picking up parasites, concern about what the insect had been eating.

Concern with the parasites ...to me it not only concerns them having to be treated for whatever they pick up but is it a parasite they can handle?
Some parasites that normally end up in a certain animal may behave differently in an animal it wouldn't normally run into.

Concern with what the insect ate..if it ate something toxic to the chameleon that might kill the chameleon when it eats it.
For instance, wild caught horn worms have eaten tomato plants and that makes them toxic. Monarch butterflies have eaten milk weed which makes them toxic. Some Insects the chameleon wouldn't see in its native country and it may not recognize as toxic.

So does variety outweigh these things? Whether to do it or not is something you have to decide. I'm not saying don't do it...I'm just saying be aware of the possibilities. Be careful to select insects that are likely to be safe for the chameleon to eat.

You might like to read these...
http://reptiles.guru/chameleon/can-chameleon-eat-wild-bugs/
http://blogs.thatpetplace.com/thatr...e-best-foods-for-pet-chameleons/#.WTcpInopDMI
I don't agree with the canned bugs in the site above...but that's just my opinion.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/what-wild-caught-food-is-toxic.42666/page-2
https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/wild-caught-insects-parasites.36626/

Non-chameleon examples of wrong host...
http://microbiologyupdates.blogspot.ca/2012/02/when-parasites-attack-wrong-host.html

how come you know about so many articles and information! its insane

 

[kinyonga]

I'm a trivia freak and I have too much time on my hands?!?! .

 

[Tattersb]

Some things that might be of concern are exposure to pesticides, possibly picking up parasites, concern about what the insect had been eating.

Concern with the parasites ...to me it not only concerns them having to be treated for whatever they pick up but is it a parasite they can handle?
Some parasites that normally end up in a certain animal may behave differently in an animal it wouldn't normally run into.

Concern with what the insect ate..if it ate something toxic to the chameleon that might kill the chameleon when it eats it.
For instance, wild caught horn worms have eaten tomato plants and that makes them toxic. Monarch butterflies have eaten milk weed which makes them toxic. Some Insects the chameleon wouldn't see in its native country and it may not recognize as toxic.

So does variety outweigh these things? Whether to do it or not is something you have to decide. I'm not saying don't do it...I'm just saying be aware of the possibilities. Be careful to select insects that are likely to be safe for the chameleon to eat.

You might like to read these...
http://reptiles.guru/chameleon/can-chameleon-eat-wild-bugs/
http://blogs.thatpetplace.com/thatr...e-best-foods-for-pet-chameleons/#.WTcpInopDMI
I don't agree with the canned bugs in the site above...but that's just my opinion.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/what-wild-caught-food-is-toxic.42666/page-2
https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/wild-caught-insects-parasites.36626/

Non-chameleon examples of wrong host...
http://microbiologyupdates.blogspot.ca/2012/02/when-parasites-attack-wrong-host.html

Thanks for the articles!

 

[kinyonga]

You're welcome.

 

[Sloppysponge]

Sweet, all this info right here! This is awesomeness!!! thank you for the links

 

[kinyonga]

No problem!