baby panther doesn't eat

G

Gianfranco

New Member
Hi everyone!

My first baby panther, who is almost 5 months old, arrived here 10 days ago. Since then I saw him eating some crickets and silkies a few times at the beginning , but during the last 5 days I don't think he has eaten a single bug.
I had started at the beginning with crickets in a cup but unsuccessfully, so I tried to let the bugs roam in the cage. The result is the discovery of a nice colony of crickets hidden in a orchid pot.

My breeder recommended to change the decoration of the cage, so Today I added way more vegetation so he has more spots to hide. He seams pleased but again I offered him a few crickets jumping in a cup almost right under his nose but he didn't show any interest......5 hours later they are still there!

I sincerely don't know what to do to make him eat.....
He has a big screen cage (24x24x48), full of vegetation and branches, a dripper, a habba mist system, a good light (megaray), good temp (28-30 at basking spot)........please help me with advices.
Thanks in advance.
Gf:confused:
 
Please fill this out and post some pictures so the members here can try to help you with what's going on with your cham.

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Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever 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?
Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
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?
Location - Where are you geographically located?

Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.


Pictures are helpful
 
flys

When i have small chams that go on hunger strikes i use house flys to stimulate their appetite for a few days and they seem to snap out of it.
 
Last edited:
Spidarpharm.com

I think they'll ship to Canada? They sell the eggs and they're a good price. You just let them hatch at room temp in a cup or put the eggs in a container in the cage that the flies can get out of once they hatch. Be careful not to mist into the egg container.
 
Your cage is to big and I would increase the temperature to the upper 80's at the basking spot also increase hydration and stop supplementing for now.
 
hehe google and wiki are so handy in times like this mate remember to do ur reasearch on chameleon behaviour i recommend buying a book cause stuff on te internet is mostly opinion on how over people raise there chams .but dont read me wrong most of this stuff i quility herp stuff so keep your eyes out for a book :D:D:D:D:D
 
here is the complete info you asked me:
My chameleon is a panther Ambilobe red bar, male, almost 5 months old. H's been in my care for the past 11 days.
I handle him rarely at the moment he is still afraid of my hand.
I try to feed him crickets, silkies or butterworms. I try to put 6 crickets in a cup twice a day. I feed my feeders rabbit pellets, bee pollen, lettuce, oatmeal scales.
I have tried to dust the crickets a few times a week with repcal calcium and repcal herptivite.
I water with a dripper and a habba mist. The habba mist goes on every 3 hours for 60 sec and I also mist manually twice a day. I saw my cham drinking several times.
I haven't seen any fecal matters in these last days because he doesn't eat, but the first days it was solid and brownish with some white. No the cham has never been tested for parasites, he comes from a reputable breeder in town.
I have no history about my cham.

The cage is a screen one 24x24x48.
I have a Mega ray 100W which is on from 8 am until 10 pm.
I am not 100% sure about the temperature ( I have ordered a Temp gun and am still waiting for it), but it should be around 30C at basking spot and 23C at cage floor. The lowest overnight temp is 22C in the room.
The humidity level is around 60, I have a hygromether.
I have only live plants: a big Schefflera arboricola, an ivy, two pothos, two little orchids.
The cage is located in a room near a window with no direct sun. The top of the cage is at 5 feet from room floor.
I am in Québec, Canada.

The major problem is that my baby cham doesn't want to eat. The last time I saw him eating was last Sunday. I have all the possible books about Chams and have read them all carefully, but no one explains how to make a baby cham eating.
I join a picture of him and of the cage.
Thanks all for your interest and help.
Gianfranco

/Users/gianfrancobottaro/Pictures/iPhoto Library/Originals/2010/2010-02-26_2/DSC00325.JPG
/Users/gianfrancobottaro/Pictures/iPhoto Library/Originals/2010/2010-02-26_2/DSC00326.JPG
/Users/gianfrancobottaro/Pictures/iPhoto Library/Modified/2010/2010-02-26/DSC00323.jpg
 
Your pictures are not showing up.

You need to gutload with a large variety of fruits and veggies. Collard greens and butternut squash are excellent. I also use apple, carrot and orange.

I have never used a Mega ray bulb but 100 watt sounds hot. You need to be able to keep a close eye on the temps. I would recommend a temp gun.

I would turn the lights off allot earlier. I keep my lights on from 8 am to 6 pm in the winter.

If he were mine, I'd find a good chameleon vet and take him right away for a good check up. He could have parasites. The vet will need a fresh poop sample to do a fecal and that will be hard to get if he's not eating. Don't wait chameleons go downhill fast.

If he's still drinking try putting a feeder in his mouth when he has it open to drink and see if he'll eat it.

You need three different supplements to dust the feeders. Plain calcium with no d3 to dust with at just about every feeding. Calcium with d3 twice a month and the herptivite only once a month.
 
Yes you need to improve on your gutload and im not sure but is that bulb a uvb bulb because i checked online and it didnt say.

You need to dust with calcium without D3 almost everyday execpt once a week with calcium with D3 and then once or twice a month with reptivite.

One thing that worries me is what times do you feed him???? If you feed him to late in the day it could cause impaction which would help explain some of his eating problems. They need the light and heat to digest there food so you should be feeding prob before noon.
 
here are the pictures of the cham and the cage DSC00326.jpg

DSC00323.jpg
 
Considering that my Mega ray bulb 100w is 2 inches above the cage the temperature of the cage taken with a Temp gun is 26C at basking spot and 22 in the midsection of the cage. What do you think of it?
He hasn't eaten yet, so Today it makes a full week without eating...
 
Baby cham still not eating

Hello everybody! I come back to the forum with the same problem and now I really need your help.
After two weeks without eating in my house the breeder took my baby cham back and I don't know exactly for what reason but the cham started eating again right after being back to its first home: the breeder.
The breeder told me that during a week the cham was eating properly from the cup: crickets or Phenix worms. I was really happy!
My cham came back home last Saturday and since then.....he didn't eat a single bug. I offered him all kind of stuff: crickets, superworms, silkies, Phenix worms, mealworms, butterworms....I have tried anything.
The setup is always the same as in the pictures I posted previously with the same temperatures (between 30 and 22 C), the lamp is always the Megaray 100w bulb.
At a certain point the breeder thought that the fact that in the same room as the cham there were two cages with finches (they only sing a little bit) and a small parrot (the only noise he makes is his little talking) could bother or stress him, so I bought a folding screen (like a japanese one) and now the birds cannot be seen by the parrot.......
Another cham specialist recommended me to remove the cup with the bugs for a couple of days and he is sure that after that the cham will eat...
I don't really know what to do to make him eat and what is wrong with the setup or anything else. I am so disappointed!!!!!!
Please, give me advices! Thanks in advance.
Gianfranco
 
Are the walls in the room or the divider brightly coloured, such as reds , oranges or yellows???

Did the breeder keep the cham in a cage with brown / black aluminum frames and dark screen?? Your silver cage might be the problem.
 
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