Crickets - How often would you recommend?

[GlitterDragon]

I am curious, as i've heard a few people offer vastly different eating schedules for their Cham's.

How often, and how much, does/should one feed his(or her,lol) Panther Chameleon?

He is accustomed to large crickets(though these in the last batch were a little too big for my comfort, so he may go to medium).

He likes when I come with the tube(crickets are in them) and I force one out onto a leave......where he immediately catches it! WITH PRIDE too I might add. Then i'll let another two in the cage, which I find im hunting later.

 

[christineacero]

Some feed them everyday and others every second day. Go with how hungry your Cham is. I don't have panthers but both my girls and all my babies start looking for crickets immediately when they wake up so I've gotten used to feeding them everyday

 

[xcrystalx]

hi,make sure you add plenty of variety to his diet

 

[Psychobunny]

Depends on age. And there is no magic number they should eat.

If a young one, I feed them once a day, as many as they will eat in one meal.
With cricks 1/2'', between 10 and 20.

When they are over a year old, feed less, maybe every other day.
Again, just keep giving them the food until they turn away because they have had enough.

Past 2 years old, maybe 3 times a week feeding.

My Jax is a few years old, he will only eat one good size dubia every few days.
If I try to feed him another, he does the rapid head bob to let me know he doesnt want it, and it is annoying him, so take it out!!

 

[sandrachameleon]

I am curious, as i've heard a few people offer vastly different eating schedules for their Cham's.

How often, and how much, does/should one feed his(or her,lol) Panther Chameleon?

He is accustomed to large crickets(though these in the last batch were a little too big for my comfort, so he may go to medium).

He likes when I come with the tube(crickets are in them) and I force one out onto a leave......where he immediately catches it! WITH PRIDE too I might add. Then i'll let another two in the cage, which I find im hunting later.

It depends. How old is the chameleon? Babies and Juvies need to eat far more than adults. Babies up to about 6 months old should be fed as much as they can consume in about 5 minutes, two to three times per day. Juvies 6 months to about a year eat less, perhaps 10 insects once daily. As they reach a year old their growth rate and appetite reduces. I feed my adults about 4 or 5 times a week.

Is it male or female? if female, are you allowing it to breed or hoping to restrict egg laying (increase lifespan)?

what all besides crickets are you offering (you will want to provide a wide variety of well gutloaded prey)

You can see exactly what I offer my panthers (and veiled) in my blog here on this site (you have to go back a few years to see what I was offering baby panthers, as I havent bred them in a while): https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/food-diary/

 

[GlitterDragon]

Wow - wow - wow - THANKS!!!

Wow, thanks for the responses.

Confetti is approx 2 years old, and sounds like he is on the right feeing schedule.


Now, don't yell at me, but gutloading? ECK - i've only been putting random vegetables in with my crickets, like a carrot or a green bean/edamame.

 

[jamjam]

random vegetables doesn't necessarily mean its bad. as well a dry gutload is also beneficial. check out sandra chameleons blogs for nutritional info, gut loading recipes and all sorts of useful info

 

[christineacero]

Commercial gutloads are okay too, as long as you get a good brand. Repashy Bug Burger or cricket crack are the best ones and seem to be the only ones recommended on this forum. This is easier if you don't have time to make a dry gutload but still want the beneficial nutrients. I make a bunch of bug burger and offer that to my crickets, along with various fresh veggies and fruits such as endive, zucchini, cucumber, celery, leaf lettuce, red pepper, carrots etc

 

[sandrachameleon]

Now, don't yell at me, but gutloading? ECK - i've only been putting random vegetables in with my crickets, like a carrot or a green bean/edamame.

here are some links you may find informative / useful re gutloading:

https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/75-feeder-nutrition-gutloading.html

https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/659-green-leafy-goodness-gutloading.html

https://www.chameleonforums.com/blo...-nuts-seeds-healthy-part-perfect-gutload.html

https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/215-oxalic-acid-content-vegetables.html

https://www.chameleonforums.com/blo...just-crickets-roaches-gutload-everything.html

https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/847-commercial-gutloads.html

https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/823-august-2013-dry-gutload-mix.html
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/697-dry-gutload-mix-august-2012.html

https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/nutritional-information/

If you are currently using crickets almost exclusively, please check out this link:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/74-feeders.html