would this be ok?
- Thread starter Dday
- Start date
oneillchameleons
Established Member
I would avoid it. Chams sleep quite deeply until the lights come on and crickets are know to bite and chew sleeping reptiles if they have the chance. Put em in a cup or Tupperware and don't take the chance.
Dday
Member
Cool. Thanks
ChamDE86
Avid Member
How big are the crickets and how many do you normally feed per day? I've honestly never had issues with crickets biting my chameleon. If they are properly gut-loaded and full prior to you putting them in the cage, the chances of your chameleon being bitten within 3 hours are fairly low. You can also put some cricket food in the cage for them to eat if you're worried.
brownie64
Avid Member
I have had a chams tail get a chunk taken out of it by crickets. If it were me I would never leave crickets around a sleeping Cham. Even though a well fed cricket might not bite why take the chance? Just put them in a feeder cup like oneillchameleons said. I would leave some food in there for the crickets just incase of escapes.
trickedoutbiker
Avid Member
I have my chameleon's lights on 8:30am - 8:30pm and leave for work at 5am. An auto mister and dripper keeps him hydrated all day, but I can't feed him until I'm off at work at 3:45 or 4:45 and get home 15 min after I'm off work. I know feeding in the mornings is recommended, but unless I change my chameleon's lights to come on super super early, or want to wake him up by opening the cage door at 5am to drop in crickets (which he will undoubtedly wake up from, probably see the crickets, and eat them all super fast before lights come on 3.5 hours later) then I just can't do morning feedings except on weekends. Or I could use the feeder cup method but again, that would require me opening the cage super early and he would wake up. On top of that, he is only 6 months only right now and sometimes when he sees lots of crickets, he eats them like BAM BAM BAM so fast that he forgets to swallow them all the way, and I've seen him choke before and he wasn't able to extend his tongue because of a cricket lodged in his throat. They aren't bigger than they are supposed to be, he just gets super excited and eats them so fast sometimes and forgets to swallow one before eating another. And in a feeder cup, they'd all be RIGHT THERE so he would eat them like that, fast.
So he gets fed at like 4 or 5 pm. ..... I know I can't be the only one who does this, it just frustrates me that there isn't anything I can do about it :-(
Any suggestions?
So he gets fed at like 4 or 5 pm. ..... I know I can't be the only one who does this, it just frustrates me that there isn't anything I can do about it :-(
Any suggestions?
oneillchameleons
Established Member
If you can cup feed in the morning without letting too much light in the room he shouldn't even wake up. Most of my chams sleep through everything except direct light on them. I also leave for work very early in the am but I slowly changed the light timer (about fifteen minutes every few days) so I could feed before I left. It doesn't leave much time for observing or cage cleaning in the evening though. I think as long as they have at least a few hours before lights out and proper basking temps, there shouldn't be any problems with digestion.
Gwendalyn.brock
Established Member
I would use a feeder cup, like a solo cup for feeding since you leave before the chameleon wakes up. And then you don't have to worry about them biting.
