All Worm Diet

[zlew]

Hey Friends,
Anyone keep their Cham on an all worm diet? My panther loves worms, butterworms and silkworms especially, and he doesn't eat crickets or roaches very well. Is a mix of butterworms, silkworms, Phoenix worms, and the odd mealworm or two here and there sustainable? Also, he hates hornworms for whatever reason. He loves to be hand fed his worms and I got him on a roach diet but he definitely doesn't enjoy it as much nor does he eat as much.

 

[zlew]

Also, the second I feed him a worm, he will stop eating roaches which is why I haven't been doing a mix as of yet, because I can vary the roach gutload but I can't do that for worms.

 

[jpowell86]

Offering only the above listed items is not a sufficient diet for a chameleon. Using superworms is okay, but not for everyday feeding....at least not as the staple part of his diet. Crickets and dubia(or whatever roach you may be using) are good because they are easily gut loaded. This help in maintaining the health of a chameleon. If all you feed is butterworms, phoenix worms and silkworms....he will hunger strike when offered crickets or dubias. That's like giving a child ice cream every meal and then switching them to broccoli....it doesn't work. If your cham is an adult, I would let him go without food for 2 days and then offer him crickets and dubia. When he is hungry, he will eat them. If he is young, I would work hard at weaning him off the fore mentioned feeders. Don't get me wrong, they are good....especially in my opinion..the silkworms, but I would use them intermittently throughout the week alongside his other feeders rather than using them as his main source of nutrition. How old is your panther??

 

[zlew]

He is about 2 1/2 years old, I have had him for 1 1/2 years. I know his ins and outs. He will not eat both worms and roaches at the same time, because as soon as I feed him a worm, he will refuse roaches. Right now I out-striked him to get him back on roaches, but he really prefers the various worm types. And butterworms, silkworms, and pheonix worms are all much healthier than superworms. Silkworms are arguably the healthiest feeders there are, so I don't think the ice cream to broccoli comparison is correct (Maybe chicken to beef ?). But, as with any animal, eating the same thing everyday isn't going to be very enjoyable, and I know from my past experience with my cham that he would much rather eat the worms over the roaches, so if a variety of healthy worm types is a good diet, that's what I would like to feed him.

 

[jpowell86]

so if a variety of healthy worm types is a good diet, that's what I would like to feed him.

Don't get me wrong, they are good....especially in my opinion..the silkworms, but I would use them intermittently throughout the week alongside his other feeders rather than using them as his main source of nutrition.

You basically repeated what I said. I in no way mean that worms are not healthy, but it is well known, for example, that Phoenix Worms can pass though a chameleon's digestive tract quickly. This doesn't offer him the nutritional intake required. Also, when you feed your chameleon only soft foods, you are almost flushing nutrients through his system more quickly. As I said in my last response, I think that they are very beneficial as bi-weekly additives to his diet, but not as the staple.

But, as with any animal, eating the same thing everyday isn't going to be very enjoyable

If you truly believe that eating the same thing over and over again isn't going to be enjoyable, then you would have never created this thread and asked your initial question. You were wanting validation in the fact that feeding your guy strictly a "worm" diet was enough.

Again, that is why I stated above that only feeding these worms to your chameleons is not beneficial in the long run. Have you tried mantids, hawkmoths, green banana roaches, etc. There are other options to give him variety besides adding another species of worm.

 

[zlew]

If you truly believe that eating the same thing over and over again isn't going to be enjoyable, then you would have never created this thread and asked your initial question. You were wanting validation in the fact that feeding your guy strictly a "worm" diet was enough.

Well, presumably the different worms have a different taste. And he certainly enjoys them more. The only reason I am asking this is because I want him to be happy and healthy, not because I want "validation."

but I would use them intermittently throughout the week alongside his other feeders rather than using them as his main source of nutrition

He will not eat both roaches and worms. If I fed him a worm, I would have to starve him out to get him back on roaches and crickets.

Also, when you feed your chameleon only soft foods, you are almost flushing nutrients through his system more quickly

I can add superworms and mealworms into the mix to get some chiton in there

Phoenix Worms can pass though a chameleon's digestive tract quickly

He will absorb the nutrition fine as long as he punctures the skin by chewing before swallowing, which he reliably does. Besides, since they're smaller, he eats more of them.
You seem to be getting upset. Please don't take this as me questioning your judgement. I'm questioning my own. I am only trying to learn and expand my own knowledge.

 

[ChameLIonLover]

My cham is similar. He pretty much stopped eating crickets and roaches. I have to trick my guy. I do this by offering the roaches first. I put the roach in his enclosure. Then I show him a worm, which is what he prefers... Before he shoots his tongue, I take the worm and go behind the screen with it and he will shoot at it eventually. Of course he gets the roach instead. THEN I give him what he really wants :]

 

[ChamDE86]

My guy basically eats an all worm diet with the exception of crickets. I have found that he will eat dubia roaches if I hold off on all feeders for two days. I do this when I see that he is becoming picky with his feeders. He gets silkworms, hornworms, phoenix worms, superworms, butterworms, and still loves crickets. Superworms are pretty easy to gut-load and there are members on here that offer them at every feeding (mixed in with other feeders). Personally, I use them as treats because my guy absolutely loves them and I don't want him to become addicted.

 

[Matt Vanilla Gorilla]

Offering only the above listed items is not a sufficient diet for a chameleon. Using superworms is okay, but not for everyday feeding....at least not as the staple part of his diet. Crickets and dubia(or whatever roach you may be using) are good because they are easily gut loaded. This help in maintaining the health of a chameleon. If all you feed is butterworms, phoenix worms and silkworms....he will hunger strike when offered crickets or dubias. That's like giving a child ice cream every meal and then switching them to broccoli....it doesn't work. If your cham is an adult, I would let him go without food for 2 days and then offer him crickets and dubia. When he is hungry, he will eat them. If he is young, I would work hard at weaning him off the fore mentioned feeders. Don't get me wrong, they are good....especially in my opinion..the silkworms, but I would use them intermittently throughout the week alongside his other feeders rather than using them as his main source of nutrition. How old is your panther??

Jpowell86 has wisdom! I will heed the words of wisdom received if I was you!

 

[garyl]

I have 2 chameleons ,I bought some worms to see if they like them. they haven't ate any of them,tryed to feed by hand ,put them in feed bowls even laid worms on branches with no luck ,my question is will crickets with cal and d3 be enough to maintain good health ??

 

[Andee]

Feed him the roaches/crickets before the worms?