Feeding paterns

Feeding paterns

Postby chamelofan » Tue Feb 10, 2009 3:57 pm

Hey everyone

Wanted to know if I should give my chameleon food every day or is it okay to give him once every second day.
My chameleon is about one foot long and um oh yeah how much

tnx a lot new guy chamelofan :smt006
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Re: Feeding paterns

Postby Fooble » Tue Feb 10, 2009 4:42 pm

Well what species is it?
Maybe start with that, how old and what you are currently feeding.
Try provide more info then someone can help you.
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Re: Feeding paterns

Postby chamelofan » Tue Feb 10, 2009 4:49 pm

okay well his a veiled and about 6-7 months and crickets
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Re: Feeding paterns

Postby Fooble » Tue Feb 10, 2009 5:31 pm

Current Feeding Cycle?
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Re: Feeding paterns

Postby chamelofan » Tue Feb 10, 2009 7:41 pm

6 large crickets in morning every second day but when he was smaller every day on smaller size using calcium powder in bucket. he eats out of it when I bring into cage. some crickets also roam free in his cage for him to eat and they even breed in there so I've got little crickets in there all over. also gives him calcium powder at morning now.
tnx for helping
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Re: Feeding paterns

Postby Fooble » Tue Feb 10, 2009 7:51 pm

Have you tried getting a relatively deep feeding bowl and put a little calcium power in there put some crix in
and let the chameleon eat at his own accord. I often just leave a few in such a bowl and get them to fee don there own.
Calcium is important though.

The general rule is that the prey should be no larger than the space between the chameleons eyes.
This is particularly important with young chameleons, but a good idea for all stages of life.

During the first six months of a veiled chameleon's life, it has an amazing appetite. Reptiles are extremely good at converting food into body mass, and grow at an amazing rate during this time. At this stage of life they should have access to as much as they can eat (please see specific care for females) which could be up to 25 or 30 small crickets a day!
This should taper at about six months old and by one year of age the chameleon will most likely do quite well on three to five insects once every other day or so.
Vitamin and mineral supplementation should continue throughout the animals life (see supplements page)
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Re: Feeding paterns

Postby Chameleons » Tue Feb 10, 2009 9:54 pm

Veiled are a tricky thing to be specific about when it comes to feeding. At the risk of offending, I am not sure where the quote comes from that says "At this stage of life they should have access to as much as they can eat " but I disagree quite strongly. A lot of Veiled suffer from MBD and one of the causes is over feeding.

A Veiled will eat whatever is shoved in front of it when small and will grow at an amazing speed. This is often at the expense of its health and its bones. "Young calyptratus grow extremely fast in captivity probably due to the greater abundance of food items available than what they would find in nature. This rapid and unnatural growth has cost the lives of many thousands of these captive animals because they are not supplemented with enough balanced minerals to keep their bones growing the same rate as the rest of their bodies." (Linda Davison, Chameleons, Captive Care and Breeding)

Some books suggest that heavy feeding, with correct supplements, is done but then on one day a week no food is given. A slower growing Veiled will live longer and breed better than one grown fast. None of ours have ever eaten 25 crickets a day and they are very healthy, breeding and giving large egg clutches. And 3 crickets every other day is far too few in normal circumstances.

As adults we feed ours every other day. Gravid females may be fed daily but otherwise all follow the same regime. Juveniles are fed well 6 days a week and starved on the 7th.

How many crickets? What is the temperature, the size of the chameleon, its mood, its stress levels etc? 6 large crickets every other day sounds close but maybe low. I probably - on average - feed them between 6 to 10 but they are bigger chameleons. And also individuals - some are gluttons, others like to ponder before they dine. On colder days (ours live outdoors most of the time) their appetites dwindle noticeably.

Fooble is spot on with his comment about the need for calcium. But you also need to check that the UV light is in good order and the right strength - and close enough to the animal to give it UV.

Vary the diet if you can. Silkworms, cockroaches and moths/butterflies are all good. The adults of the soldier flies - Gaga grubs/phoenix worms are taken with relish. I don't feed mine mealworms.

Giving a daily number of crickets is a dangerous game. Fooble suggested that a deep box is put in with crickets inside. That's a good idea and you can guage how many he wants to eat and work from there. Your set up and chameleon will be different from everyone else's.
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Re: Feeding paterns

Postby chamelofan » Wed Feb 11, 2009 6:34 am

tnx a dozen I really will follow advice and I do have UV light in cage. He doesn't stress a lot and gets his sun light throw the week and I tried silkworms and guess what he loves them. He even took two at once. once again tnx
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