Feeders

A varied diet is usually the best diet! Aim not have any one feeder make up more than 20% of your chameleons diet, and certainly no more than 50%

Silkworm(Excellent, gutloadable, have an enzyme (serrapeptase) that may assist with calcium absorption, but another which may reduce Thiamine(B1) -upto40% of diet, if rest diet is not also softbodied) Terrestrial Isopod/wood sow/ pill bug /porcellio (gutloadable, great enrichment feeder, high calcium and very well likes by chams -can form up to 25% diet, more if other options are soft bodied) Roaches General (Good option, easy to breed, easily gutloaded-can form up to 40% of the chameleons diet)
Hissing Roach (are not too fast, but can climb, large adults too big for many chameleons)
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Dubia Roach (tendency not to move much means some chameleons dont notice them, easy to breed and dont climb)
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Turkistan Roach (small, moves fast, doesnt climb)
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Butterworm (somewhat gutloadable, can be offered semi-regularly, a bit high in fat-can form up to 20% of the chams diet) Zophobas morio /superworm/kingworm (can be offered semi-regularly, gutloadable, have high fat content-should be calcium dusted -can form up to 20% of diet - if offered too frequently some chams will get "addicted" - a hard habit to break -offer only as part of a varied diet) Hornworm (good for a hydration boost, can be offered semi-regularly, up to 20% of the chameleons diet - large hornworms should only be offered to very large chams) Cabbage Lopper, Leaf Roller, Fruit worm(small, can be offered regularily-can form up to 20% of the chameleons diet ) http://www.chameleonforums.com/worm-hanging-thread-80253/

Mealworm (inexpensive, easy to breed, can be somewhat gutloaded, too hard to digest for regular use, also fairly fatty - can be 10% of the diet, up to 20% if you're using lots of softbodied feeders as well like silks) Cricket (decent inexpensive feeder option, can be offered regularly, calcium dust them, easily gutloaded -can form up to 40% of the chameleons diet) Locust /Grasshopper (Good feeder option, gutloadable -can form up to 40% of the chameleons diet) Exception: LUBBERs (Romalea guttata) can be toxic Stick insect (very well-liked, gutloadable -can form up to 30% of the chameleons diet) House and Blue bottle Flies (most chams enjoy flying food -can form up to 30% of the chameleons diet) Soldier Fly Maggot / Pheonix Worm (high calcium, can be offered somewhat regularly, small - larger chams may not notice them -can form up to 20% of the chameleons diet, may have tough skin so pierce with a pin if your cham doesnt chew) Fruit Flies (can be offered regularly, only good for small chameleons, dust lightly) Bean beetle weavils (good for small chams, up t0 30% of diet) Aphids (very small)

Snails (good enrichment feeder, gutloadable, can form up to 15% of the chameleons diet) Katydid (can form up to 20% of the chameleons diet) Termite (decent option -can form up to 20% of the chameleons diet- Good source of riboflavin and niacin) Waxworm (poor choice, primarily fat, treats only or not at all) Pachnoda larva fruit beetle / sun beetle (enrichment option) Button Quail (infrequent treats only for largest chameleons) Painted Lady /Moths (enrichment feeder, good mainly for the joy it brings the cham to hunt fluttering things)

Pinkies (poor option -primarily fat - risk of gout) Firebrat (small) http://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/834-firebrat-small-prey.html
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Comments

sandrachameleon
unfortunately, there's a size limit to blog entries - im maxed out on this one. which is too bad, as there are a few more things i'd like to include.
 
amanda509
what about slugs? arent they like snails without the shells? would they be more digestible? was curious :) and also about moths, i heard their wings are hard to digest, therefore not to feed alot, but what if i removed the wings? could i feed them more plentifully?
 
sandrachameleon
amanda509;bt1107 said:
what about slugs? arent they like snails without the shells? would they be more digestible? was curious :) and also about moths, i heard their wings are hard to digest, therefore not to feed alot, but what if i removed the wings? could i feed them more plentifully?
Click to expand...

Some chameleons will eat slugs. Less calicum in them than in snails. If wild sourced, the issue of parasites exists. Slugs create more "slime" than snails, and they can carry/pass meningitis causing worms.

Moths are not hard to digest from what I've read - however they are fairly high in fat and otherwise low in nutrition. So not the best feeder options. that said, Chameleons usually enjoy hunting flying moths, so for the "happy" factor that are worth offering now and then.
 
sandrachameleon
Where to buy feeders:
http://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/171-where-buy-feeders-online.html

How Much should I feed my chameleon?
http://www.chameleonnews.com/02SepDonoghue.html
http://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/518-approx-calories-day-required-maintain-chameleon-weight.html

Feeder gutloading:
http://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/75-feeder-nutrition-gutloading.html
http://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/407-gutloading-isnt-just-crickets-roaches-gutload-everything.html


Bug nutrition info:
http://www.chameleonnews.com/02SepDonoghue.html
http://www.chameleonforums.com/nutri...22/#post171073
http://www.geckotime.com/nutritional-value-of-commercially-raised-insects/
http://chamownersweb.net/insects/nutritional_values.htm
http://www.phish3r.com/feederinfo2.htm
http://www.organicvaluerecovery.com/...of_insects.htm
http://www.ent.iastate.edu/Misc/insectnutrition.html
http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html(scrolldown to mixed list of feeders, fruit, veggies)
http://doubleds.org/newfeederpg.html
http://bamboozoo.weebly.com/the-feeders.html
http://www.planetscott.com/babes/nutrition.asp
http://www.nal.usda.gov/awic/zoo/Who...nal02May29.pdf
http://www.nagonline.net/Technical%2...02MODIFIED.pdf
http://www.organicvaluerecovery.com/...of_insects.htm
 
sandrachameleon
JosieJobo;bt2183 said:
Aparently wax worm moths are more helthy and fun to eat too??
Click to expand...

I wouldn't say the moths are healthy, but certainly many chameleons do seem to be stimulated by flying prey - we could call it fun :)
 

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