Dead feeder technique?

[MrColors]

Hello,

My Jackson's is very very picky about his food. He will only eat very fluttery things (butterflies, moths) or very active bugs (prefers grasshoppers to crickets). With winter around the corner, I will be unable to catch him his favorite foods, and his diet will be limited to crickets and superworms (he will not eat waxworms or hornworms).
I would love to get him some silkworms. However, as I am sure you all know, shipping is extremely expensive. It will also be more difficult in the winter months. The other day, I bought him some silkworm cocoons (they came in a little can). I also bought a long tweezers, as he is shy of my hand. I tried not feeding him for a day, as the woman suggested, to build up his appetite so he would more readily take it. I dangled it in front of him, danced it all around the cage, even made the little scrapey sounds on the mesh that attract him to grasshoppers. NOTHING.
I need him to start eating this way. Not for every time, but it'll help a lot. I'll be able to diversify his diet more, etc. How do I get him to do this?
I have heard that you can tie a string around it (or just make one stitch through the middle so there is less string) and use that to make it appear alive, and then cut it very close when he has taken it. However, I am fearful of this method--what if the string gets tangled in his intestine?
I have also heard--and this is odd--that you can do the same thing but with a hair, and that it will be less harmful because the hair is organic material.
Any suggestions would be lovely!
Thanks so much

 

[AngieL]

Do you mean you're trying to feed him silkworm pupa? I'm not sure if any chameleon would eat dead food tbh. I'm sure he won't starve himself. If it were me, I would just give him the other bugs and he will get hungry eventually and eat whatever I would imagine. Would he eat from a feeding cup? I would be careful with string or even hair, hair can tangle around intestines too and is very tough do doesn't break down very quickly.

 

[Solid Snake]

Feeding silkworm cocoons is no good.

Feeding canned food is no good.

He will need live, well gutloaded food.

The canned crickets and such that you find in the pet stores have preservatives and god knows what in them. You also have no way of knowing what that dead insect has been raised on.

Its just not an option.

 

[MrColors]

I haven't tried a feeding cup. I put the pupa on a white tupperware container and rested it atop some of the branches, in case he was just performance-shy.
Yeah, that's what I figured about the string/hair as well, I was just wondering if anyone else had a suggestion that I'd never heard of.

 

[MrColors]

Feeding silkworm cocoons is no good.

Feeding canned food is no good.

He will need live, well gutloaded food.

The canned crickets and such that you find in the pet stores have preservatives and god knows what in them. You also have no way of knowing what that dead insect has been raised on.

Its just not an option.

This is true, I suppose I never thought of it, obvious as it is. Sighh, I just wanna give him as much variety as, well, as I can afford I guess

 

[Solid Snake]

This is true, I suppose I never thought of it, obvious as it is. Sighh, I just wanna give him as much variety as, well, as I can afford I guess

I definitely understand. Focusing on your gutload, and changing it up often will help add a variety to his nutrition intake.

I notice my jackson is not the most fond of hornworms either. Making sure they are size appropriate, and not intimidating to the animal will help to coax him into eating them.

Id recommend getting yourself a dubia colony, they really are one of the best feeders to offer, and raise yourself.

 

[Alexl]

How much is he actually eating a day (and what exactly)? That would be the most interesting thing about your feeding issue. Just one day isn't a lot to wait for him to be hungry again if he was really overfed. I don't know any healthy chameleon who does not eat enough and needs to be fed dead insects due to this... sounds very strange to me.

About feeding practice: What about a little cup with (living ) feeders hanging inside his cage? Tweezers aren't that good choice in my opinion, cause chameleons can easily injure their tongues hitting the tweezers. Some recover, some do not. Another idea about flying feeders... you said he won't eat wax worms. Why not waiting 'til those become moths? Moths are much more attractive to most chameleons and not that fatty as their larvae are.

 

[MrColors]

How much is he actually eating a day (and what exactly)? That would be the most interesting thing about your feeding issue. Just one day isn't a lot to wait for him to be hungry again if he was really overfed. I don't know any healthy chameleon who does not eat enough and needs to be fed dead insects due to this... sounds very strange to me.

About feeding practice: What about a little cup with (living ) feeders hanging inside his cage? Tweezers aren't that good choice in my opinion, cause chameleons can easily injure their tongues hitting the tweezers. Some recover, some do not. Another idea about flying feeders... you said he won't eat wax worms. Why not waiting 'til those become moths? Moths are much more attractive to most chameleons and not that fatty as their larvae are.

He usually eats up to four cabbage butterflies (or) 3-4 crickets or grasshoppers. I also throw a superworm or two in about once a week. I was worried that he was underfed because he looks so skinny compared to a female i had seen, but i believe you helped clear that up in a different post. I was not offering the dead insects to make him eat more in quantity, but more in diversity.

I buy waxworms in little refridgerated tupperwares full with sawdusty stuff (i'm assuming some sort of meal for them). I assume they will not become moths in this. How do I make this happen??

 

[SpartyTessy]

Have you tried Dubias? Those are the most preferred staple feeder by most and most will not hesitate to eat many of them. They are pretty much the healthiest feeder you can feed to your Cham. Keep in mind you never want one feeder to be more than 40% of their diet so Dubia's, Crickets, Grasshoppers, etc are a great choice. You should try to make a good feeder cup. There are many great ideas many have come up with on these forums. The one that I use is called the Sunny D Death trap keeping the feeders sideways in the cub staying visible for your Cham to eat and keeps the feeders in the cup. Also keep in mind an adult Jackson should really only be eating 4 times a week and they do not eat as much as say Panthers, etc. Take a look at this great care sheet created by Hoj. It will give you much helpful info on Jacksons and once you read it should give you a really good idea on their care.

 

[laurie]

He usually eats up to four cabbage butterflies (or) 3-4 crickets or grasshoppers. I also throw a superworm or two in about once a week. I was worried that he was underfed because he looks so skinny compared to a female i had seen, but i believe you helped clear that up in a different post. I was not offering the dead insects to make him eat more in quantity, but more in diversity.

I buy waxworms in little refridgerated tupperwares full with sawdusty stuff (i'm assuming some sort of meal for them). I assume they will not become moths in this. How do I make this happen??

Take the cup out of the frig, put all the worms and sawdust in a larger container. They need air to breathe, put in a sightly warm not hot, place. Some but not all will become moths. I can never get then all to turn. Some always die and get nasty. ugh