Willy is addicted to junkfood... :(

[andy d]

Soo I made the mistake of feeding my chameleon meal worms for a couple days when our local pet shop ran out of their cricket supply. At the time I wasn't aware mealworms aren't good for him. It wasn't until I started reading a few threads on here that I learned what feeders are best, and what aren't.

Anyways, it's been about a week or so and I'm having a hellofa time trying to get him to eat crickets again. I have to get his attention with it first and put it close to him for him to want to eat it. Now if I hold up mealworm, he literally will perform every acrobatic trick in the book to get it.

I read some chameleons gan get addicted to certain feeders, so I started thinking maybe I could kick his addiction with another worm critter that's actually good for him. I ordered silkworms for him... he ate a few, but now really isn't interested in them at all. I thought well its early maybe he isn't hungry... but I held up a mealworm for him to see and right away he started climbing towards me. I swapped it for a silkworm, and he looked at it,looked at me, then just stayed perched.

I'm not about to support his junk food addiction and give him more mealworms... how can I get him interested in crickets again and get him into silkworms??

 

[Syn]

How old is he? Depending on how old he is, just don't feed him anything until he eats crickets.. but some are so stubborn that they just will not switch even if they are starving.
In the mean time, be sure to gut load your mealworms well, and try to get them right after they molt so they are soft-bodied.

 

[jamncristian]

I would offer small superworms instead
of meal worms

still I would not offer superworms alot

stop offering meal/super-worms for a while and he will probably
get interested in other foods
other foods

 

[Syn]

OH hur hur I am still half asleep and it didn't occur to me that superworms look the same as mealworms (to chameleons at least)... D'oh on me.