Alternative Foods for Chameleons. SUBMIT YOURS

[Goldenarcher1328]

Figured i'd start an interesting thread to see what information i can stir up.

Alternative foods for chameleons, what out of the "normal" foods do you feed your chameleons and why. Most people that i know feed crickets, dubia roaches, silk worms, mealworms, phoenix worms, and some veggies like dandelion greens and collard greens.


Any other foods or fruits/veggies that you feed?

I feed Celery Greens, because of accessibility and i've found a huge increse in pigments in other animals when they consume them. my Male Veil will munch on willow leaves because i have willow growing in the enclosure, and if he's in willow trees.

Lets hear what your've got and why

 

[chameleonfan101]

i sometimes feed my crickets and my veiled sometimes will eat blackberries, i use cucumber a lot of the time for water source since it makes my cricket container smell a little better haha i also use kiwi and mango to gut load

 

[Goldenarcher1328]

i sometimes feed my crickets and my veiled sometimes will eat blackberries, i use cucumber a lot of the time for water source since it makes my cricket container smell a little better haha i also use kiwi and mango to gut load

Sweetness! never really thought to feed any fruits to the chams directly because i know sugars can really mes with certain reptiles digestive system. Interesting.

 

[Hoj]

my veiled loves Kiwi and mango

 

[Sabayon]

Other than what you mentioned, I'll be feeding mantids and stick bugs to mine

Sorry to the mantid lovers out there

 

[chameleonfan101]

Sweetness! never really thought to feed any fruits to the chams directly because i know sugars can really mes with certain reptiles digestive system. Interesting.

i have only fed blackberries directly only occasionally and it was usually when they were dehydrated since they seem to be pretty juicy!

 

[Goldenarcher1328]

Other than what you mentioned, I'll be feeding mantids and stick bugs to mine

Sorry to the mantid lovers out there

Haha oops i thought i put them into that list. But yes, i certainly have heard of that, however i haven't tried it.

i have only fed blackberries directly only occasionally and it was usually when they were dehydrated since they seem to be pretty juicy!

They are very juicy and i can see where that logic is coming from!

my veiled loves Kiwi and mango

Hmm really? I'll have to try that with my female. she is picky though, so maybe she'll find something new.

 

[Solid Snake]

Bees!

GIFSoup

My xanth loves them. She gets a couple a week.

I feed mantids as well.

 

[reptilover]

Bees!

GIFSoup

My xanth loves them. She gets a couple a week.
I
I feed mantids as well.

Bees stinging isn't an issue? I brought my guy in from his outdoor freerange do to bees!

 

[Goldenarcher1328]

Bees Eh? I would be afraid of stinging to the head of my cham.. Hmm Anyone else have experience with that?

 

[KylieT]

my cham looooves strawberries.

 

[SSimsswiSS]

Bees Eh? I would be afraid of stinging to the head of my cham.. Hmm Anyone else have experience with that?

I hand catch bees, between index finger and thumb. I'm a lefty so way i catch the bee keeps the stinger on my fingernail, so it can't sting me. You can manually remove the stinger and feed to the chameleon.

 

[mrguy]

feeding my Jackson

Jax seems to only eat crickets or superworms, and neither of them for very long before going on strike. So I alternate them. Tried wax worms and only looked at them. The superworms made him go crazy when I first got them. I place 2 of them in a deep plastic container and place it so he can zap them out of there. Clever, he grabs them by the head. I hate picking those creepies up because they sure act like they are going to bite me! Do they? Anyways Jax won't touch veggies or much else at this time...

 

[KylieT]

Jax seems to only eat crickets or superworms, and neither of them for very long before going on strike. So I alternate them. Tried wax worms and only looked at them. The superworms made him go crazy when I first got them. I place 2 of them in a deep plastic container and place it so he can zap them out of there. Clever, he grabs them by the head. I hate picking those creepies up because they sure act like they are going to bite me! Do they? Anyways Jax won't touch veggies or much else at this time...

Supers do bite. Mine didn't hurt but he was gnawing on a calloused part of my hand and I didn't realize. Had to pry it off.

 

[OldSkoolxReasons]

Mine go nuts for mantids and bees as well. I'm not as brace as Steve. I catch a couple in a jar. Throw it in the freezer for a min or two and then pull them out one by one and remove the stinger with tweezers. It's tedious but thy make my chams go nuts. Must have good flavor. Also on occasion my chams will get baby crayfish after a shell shed. They are super soft and my hams love them. An old frend of mine used to do it with his meller's and they lived forever. So mine get them every once in awhile.

 

[Goldenarcher1328]

Mine go nuts for mantids and bees as well. I'm not as brace as Steve. I catch a couple in a jar. Throw it in the freezer for a min or two and then pull them out one by one and remove the stinger with tweezers. It's tedious but thy make my chams go nuts. Must have good flavor. Also on occasion my chams will get baby crayfish after a shell shed. They are super soft and my hams love them. An old frend of mine used to do it with his meller's and they lived forever. So mine get them every once in awhile.

Crayfish?! Thats awesome. I'll have to try that, i catch those all summer for my fish to munch on.

 

[alexonti]

Beef tacos and some pizza slices LOL
Some veggies!!!

 

[Solid Snake]

I hand catch bees, between index finger and thumb. I'm a lefty so way i catch the bee keeps the stinger on my fingernail, so it can't sting me. You can manually remove the stinger and feed to the chameleon.

I may try that.

I grew up playing Zelda, so I just use the jar method, then release them stinger and all in her cage.

So far stingers havnt been an issue.

Is it difficult to remove?

 

[PitchFork]

I don't have my cham yet, but should shortly. I plan on using a sweep net, and finding any and all bugs. (at least ones that are not on the unsafe list)

Could probably find 50types of spiders lurking on my property. Not to mention 100's of different insects. Can't wait to figure out what his favorites are.

 

[sandrachameleon]

Termites. Snails.
Terrestrial isopods.