Ryanoceros
Member
Chameleon Info:
Cage Info:
I know this has beaten to death but I figured I'd reach out. My panther has never been a big eater. I got him at about 3 months old from Kammers, and he did fine eating a few tiny dubias a day but after a month or so of that (the past 4 months) he eats less often than an adult normally would (quantity wise as well). I can sometimes get him to eat one roach a day, after he's had that he is completely uninterested in food and most likely will not eat the rest of that day or the next. 1 roach every other day isn't cutting it for me, especially at 8 months old. Same goes for any other food item, if he is uninterested in a roach and I try something like a silkworm today and he actually takes it, he's done for the next 48 hours. He has eaten superworms before but is completely uninterested in them (crazy I know).
This chameleon isn't around as much house traffic and activity as my last one was so I understand he may be shy and not eat or drink around me, but he won't eat alone either. I leave a couple dubia running around as well as a couple in a cup and almost always find them untouched. I was concerned he wasn't drinking too (he tries to shoot his tongue at drops, typically striking the drops off the leaves and then looking around like wtf, but his urate has continued to look great. I'm pretty sure I've caught him drinking from the top of the cage where the drops form and rain down.
He shows no signs of being sick or unhealthy and I've had his stool tested for parasites which came back negative.
In comparison, my last panther (RIP Clancy, lived a long, happy, and healthy life btw) was eating 5-10 dubia a day, every day, during his rapid growth phase. Once he was an adult he'd typically eat every other day, but still a fairly large serving. Being able to feed and water him by hand, as well as him not being shy about eating and drinking, took out all my guess work about his nutrition. Like any chameleon, sometimes he'd hunger strike, but it was manageable and temporary. That isn't the case with my current panther. Should I be concerned? Is it just his personality? Is there a better way to make him more enthusiastic about eating? I'll attach a few pics for reference. First one is him currently, and the other two are when I first got him.
I appreciate any help or advice!
(Crossposting between forums)
- Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care? : Ambanja Panther, Male, 8 months
- Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon? : Daily for at least a few minutes
- Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?: Dubia is the staple, silkworms, hornworms, superworms as a treat (assuming he takes them). Gutloaded mainly with Repashy Bug burger, supplemented with oranges/carrots/mustard greens, etc.
- Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?: Repticalcium with no d3 daily, with d3 every other Friday, Zoo Med vitamins without d3 on the other Fridays
- Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?: I have an mister above the cage so it creates rainfall, 3 times a day, for 3 minutes at a time. A dripper runs throughout the day. He used to drink water directly from the spray bottle but has since stopped doing that.
- Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?: Urate is typically fine. A decent quantity and almost always white. Stool size varies depending on the amount eaten, of course. Has been tested for parasites.
- History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.:
Cage Info:
- Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?: Custom built screen enclosure. 36" Wide x24" Deep x60" Tall
- Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?: 7:30am-7:30pm. I use 60 watt basking light and a 5.0 UVB light.
- Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps? Basking spot around 85-90 and ambient at night. Laser temp gauge and thermometer.
- Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?: i have a plants and a mist/rain system. It’s usually around 50-60.
- Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?: Yes, just the typical like schefflerra and pothos. Fake plants and leaves are all throughout his cage
- Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas?: At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?: Located in the corner of my gaming room, away from vents, not frequently trafficked. Top of the cage is about 6 feet from the floor.
- Location - Where are you geographically located?: WV, US
I know this has beaten to death but I figured I'd reach out. My panther has never been a big eater. I got him at about 3 months old from Kammers, and he did fine eating a few tiny dubias a day but after a month or so of that (the past 4 months) he eats less often than an adult normally would (quantity wise as well). I can sometimes get him to eat one roach a day, after he's had that he is completely uninterested in food and most likely will not eat the rest of that day or the next. 1 roach every other day isn't cutting it for me, especially at 8 months old. Same goes for any other food item, if he is uninterested in a roach and I try something like a silkworm today and he actually takes it, he's done for the next 48 hours. He has eaten superworms before but is completely uninterested in them (crazy I know).
This chameleon isn't around as much house traffic and activity as my last one was so I understand he may be shy and not eat or drink around me, but he won't eat alone either. I leave a couple dubia running around as well as a couple in a cup and almost always find them untouched. I was concerned he wasn't drinking too (he tries to shoot his tongue at drops, typically striking the drops off the leaves and then looking around like wtf, but his urate has continued to look great. I'm pretty sure I've caught him drinking from the top of the cage where the drops form and rain down.
He shows no signs of being sick or unhealthy and I've had his stool tested for parasites which came back negative.
In comparison, my last panther (RIP Clancy, lived a long, happy, and healthy life btw) was eating 5-10 dubia a day, every day, during his rapid growth phase. Once he was an adult he'd typically eat every other day, but still a fairly large serving. Being able to feed and water him by hand, as well as him not being shy about eating and drinking, took out all my guess work about his nutrition. Like any chameleon, sometimes he'd hunger strike, but it was manageable and temporary. That isn't the case with my current panther. Should I be concerned? Is it just his personality? Is there a better way to make him more enthusiastic about eating? I'll attach a few pics for reference. First one is him currently, and the other two are when I first got him.
I appreciate any help or advice!
(Crossposting between forums)
Attachments
Last edited:
