Feeding vertebrates

[Andee]

I would worry about fat soluble vitamins just building up too much and getting toxic. Since they don't need as much of it compared to something like mammals.

 

[Digby Rigby]

https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/mice.61234/#post-572314

 

[jamest0o0]

@Digby Rigby What you mentioned in that post is why I like the idea of offering these once and awhile. The vitamins from the organs. And I'd imagine the adults are better, didn't realize they were still pretty tiny.

 

[Andee]

The only thing you need to watch is their feces after they poop to make sure the bones aren't an issue. It shouldn't be, their bones are super fragile and should be plenty edible in my opinion but I have never fed them to adult chams, only blueys and they have much stronger jaw powers and are meant to eat protein like this.

 

[jamest0o0]

Makes sense, I won't be trying this soon, but maybe when all of my Panthers and Parsons are large adults. I'll experiment and see how they do with a mouse or gecko ~1x a month

 

[Andee]

Definitely report back, I would be interested a lot. And currently no one I have is old enough or eats on his own

 

[jamest0o0]

For sure. What I'll do is feed 1-2 Panthers these once a month and not do it with another 2. See if I can notice any differences. I'm no scientist, but we see more and more studies showing that vitamin supplements for people aren't very effective. You know that eating vitamins from a complete food source is absorbed much easier and put to use. So with this i would think eating a whole animal with organs and all(on the rare occasion) would offer a nice vitamin/mineral boost.

My concern is what to do, mice? I feel like they'd have to be alive because I don't think I could get a chams to eat a dead one.
Or, lizards... which day geckos would probably be the best for. They can be easily bred, small, and are native to madagascar. Plus they're diurnal.

Any thoughts on other prey items?

 

[Andee]

Oh yeah...i always forget when I feed protein sources like this that chams don't eat non-moving prey items most of the time. I agree maybe stunned mice?

 

[Crashbandit05]

What about a green anole? Fairly cheap and small

 

[JoeDigiorgio]

For sure. What I'll do is feed 1-2 Panthers these once a month and not do it with another 2. See if I can notice any differences. I'm no scientist, but we see more and more studies showing that vitamin supplements for people aren't very effective. You know that eating vitamins from a complete food source is absorbed much easier and put to use. So with this i would think eating a whole animal with organs and all(on the rare occasion) would offer a nice vitamin/mineral boost.

My concern is what to do, mice? I feel like they'd have to be alive because I don't think I could get a chams to eat a dead one.
Or, lizards... which day geckos would probably be the best for. They can be easily bred, small, and are native to madagascar. Plus they're diurnal.

Any thoughts on other prey items?

Economically I think getting your hands on a bunch of brown anoles will be best for this purpose. They breed easily too. 3 males and 10 females can probably be kept in something manageable in size and the young ones produced would be a great size for panthers.

 

[jamest0o0]

I just like that day geckos are from the same areas as Parsons, plus they look cool and I wouldn't mind keeping them. I was also under the assumption that anoles needed more space and were more difficult to breed..?

 

[jamest0o0]

And I won't start freaking about parasites, but it would probably be easier to get clean day geckos than anoles which are treated like garbage.

 

[JoeDigiorgio]

And I won't start freaking about parasites, but it would probably be easier to get clean day geckos than anoles which are treated like garbage.

That was my point about feeding the baby ones off not the adults. Very few day geckos can be kept and bred in small places. And at the cheapest you'd be looking in the $20-30 each to start.

 

[jamest0o0]

Gotcha, well I'll look into it either way before jumping into things.

 

[laurie]

Its makes it a little more pretty if you ask for the cute mice.

Wow I would never thought to ask for the cute mouse! I will admit Titan, my parsons, gets a mouse once every 4 to 6 weeks. Sadly I must also admit my husband is the one who feeds Titan his mouse. I an your basic wimp!

 

[Virgil1972]

I only feed my ball python the cutest rat in the bunch. Blue ribbon cute.

 

[jamest0o0]

Lmao