I've only been able to get my 4 month old Ambilobe to eat crickets so far. I've tried meal worms and giant meal worms but he doesn't seem interested in them, as they don't move much? I'm cup feeding and he readily eats 15-20 small crickets a day. I want to vary his diet more obviously, so any suggestions? I was thinking silkworms and putting them on the vines to crawl around, and I'm still trying to get my girlfriend ok with the idea of dubias. Curious if dubias can climb a plastic cup or not?
feeders?
- Thread starter MplsCham
- Start date
Blink
New Member
There are many feeder options you can try. For chameleons it is best to have a varied diet. Dubia roaches are definitely good. They are super easy to keep. They can not climb plastic, unless it is texturized. I have never had them clump out of a feeder cup. I have heard that silkworms are a great feeder choice, but I have not tried them yet (although I am looking into getting some soon.). You can try superworms, which are a better alternative to mealworms and I find that they move a lot. You need to be careful with these, though, because chameleons get addicted! Another feeder I would recommend is the black soldier fly maggot (aka Pheonixworms, Reptiworms, or Calciworms). There are so many other feeders as well... Hornworms, locusts, beetles, flies... The list goes on! The more obscure the feeder, though, the more difficult it is to obtain. You may end up having to order from online. Hope this helps!
sandrachameleon
Chameleon Enthusiast
if you superworms and mealworms arent moving around much, you might consider a different supplier. Mine are active (except when getting ready to pupate).
dubia dont climb - make sure the plastic or ceramic or glass container is more than 2 inches deep. Terrestrial isopods will also stay in containers. so will soldier fly maggots
silkworms that climb around would be a good choice
butterworms are an option - they will crawl about on vines and branches too (not quite as well as silkworms).
dubia dont climb - make sure the plastic or ceramic or glass container is more than 2 inches deep. Terrestrial isopods will also stay in containers. so will soldier fly maggots
silkworms that climb around would be a good choice
butterworms are an option - they will crawl about on vines and branches too (not quite as well as silkworms).
MeruJack
Avid Member
I have been raising my own silkworms. If you buy eggs they are pretty cheap and easy to raise. All of my chameleons love them. You can even control the size of them by how much and how often you feed them. I have also just started a Dubia colony because I want to get away from crickets. Silkworms and Dubia roaches will be my two main feeders but I also have maggots, wax worms, and others to give them some variety. I am also raising flightless fruit flies and bean beetles for my smallest chams and also because I have a Jackson's chameleon that is 8 months pregnant! I'm sure I will be doubling or even tripling my chameleon population very soon and will need LOTS of tiny feeders!! But silkworms and dubias are the way to go for the long haul in my opinion.
I tried feeding him giant mealworms yesterday, first from his cup, and then I put a couple on the screen so they would crawl around on it. I hadn't feed him any crickets yet, and he is used to eating in the morning. He seemed interested in watching them walk on the screen, and I for sure thought he'd eat them, but then he just walked away? An hour later and I caved and have him 15 small crickets, which he devoured in one sitting. I think I'm going to order some silk worms and see if I can have any luck?
