Female Veiled Chameleon. What are our Diet Habits?

[mattdeshurst]

Hello, I am curious what exactly people are feeding their veiled chameleons. I am trying to find a well-rounded consistent diet so I can place a food order online every couple of weeks. What are you feeding you veiled chams, how many, and how often? Thanks in advance!

 

[Beman]

Hey there. How old is your female? Have you had gender confirmed? Food intake for females is different then that of a male. Also age makes a difference for when we start cutting feeder amount down for a female vs a male. Basking temp is also important when it comes to food intake and controlling clutch size for a female.

 

[mattdeshurst]

Hey there. How old is your female? Have you had gender confirmed? Food intake for females is different then that of a male. Also age makes a difference for when we start cutting feeder amount down for a female vs a male. Basking temp is also important when it comes to food intake and controlling clutch size for a female.

Hi, thanks for the reply I should have been a little more specific. She is a year old. I am fairly certain of the gender. Her basking temp I need to increase but, it is currently around 81F. I am looking to switch from a 125w bulb to a 150 to try to increase the basking temp. I am feeding every other day. I dust with calcium no d3 at every feeding and every 2 weeks do a vitamin dusting and calcium w/d3 dusting. I have a linear repti 5.0 ubv light for her ubv.

 

[Beman]

Hi, thanks for the reply I should have been a little more specific. She is a year old. I am fairly certain of the gender. Her basking temp I need to increase but, it is currently around 81F. I am looking to switch from a 125w bulb to a 150 to try to increase the basking temp. I am feeding every other day. I dust with calcium no d3 at every feeding and every 2 weeks do a vitamin dusting and calcium w/d3 dusting. I have a linear repti 5.0 ubv light for her ubv.

Ok and how many feeders each feeding? What supplements are you using for vitamins and D3?

She should actually be cooler not hotter. Should be no hotter than 78-80 at the branch.How are you testing your basking temps? Most of us do not use anything stronger than a 60-75 watt incandescent bulb.

Has she laid her first clutch of eggs?

 

[mattdeshurst]

Ok and how many feeders each feeding? What supplements are you using for vitamins and D3?

She should actually be cooler not hotter. Should be no hotter than 78-80 at the branch.How are you testing your basking temps? Most of us do not use anything stronger than a 60-75 watt incandescent bulb.

Has she laid her first clutch of eggs?

I am currently feeding 8 bugs per feeding. The staples are Dubai roaches and crickets which make up about 50% or more of the diet then I give wax worms, super worms, and soldier fly larvae. I have only had her for a week. I adopted her from a couple that was struggling to care for her. I am using both a digital thermometer/Hydrometer and also I use a temp gun once a day to record my temps. She has not laid any eggs yet. I am at 80-81F with a 125w bulb I am not sure I would be able to reach 78f with a 60-75w bulb.

 

[Beman]

I am currently feeding 8 bugs per feeding. The staples are Dubai roaches and crickets which make up about 50% or more of the diet then I give wax worms, super worms, and soldier fly larvae. I have only had her for a week. I adopted her from a couple that was struggling to care for her. I am using both a digital thermometer/Hydrometer and also I use a temp gun once a day to record my temps. She has not laid any eggs yet. I am at 80-81F with a 125w bulb I am not sure I would be able to reach 78f with a 60-75w bulb.

So temp guns are not reliable. They measure the surface temp. You want a temp gauge with a probe at the basking branch to get an accurate reading. You can use a zip tie to secure the probe to the branch. then clean cut the zip tie so that nothing sharp is hanging out.


So your variety is good. You are going to want to drop the wax worms though... They are super fatty.

Typically by the time females are 9-10 months old we want them on a schedule of 3 feeders 3 days a week. But this has to be combined with lower basking temps of 78-80 max. Lower temps decrease metabolism. Lower temps with lower food intake produce smaller clutches that are safer on their bodies to lay. Larger clutches are more high risk of egg binding along with reducing a females lifespan. A permanent lay bin must be in the enclosure as well so that she has it when she is ready.

Can you post some pictures of your girl so I can see how her overall condition looks?

 

[mattdeshurst]

So temp guns are not reliable. They measure the surface temp. You want a temp gauge with a probe at the basking branch to get an accurate reading. You can use a zip tie to secure the probe to the branch. then clean cut the zip tie so that nothing sharp is hanging out.


So your variety is good. You are going to want to drop the wax worms though... They are super fatty.

Typically by the time females are 9-10 months old we want them on a schedule of 3 feeders 3 days a week. But this has to be combined with lower basking temps of 78-80 max. Lower temps decrease metabolism. Lower temps with lower food intake produce smaller clutches that are safer on their bodies to lay. Larger clutches are more high risk of egg binding along with reducing a females lifespan. A permanent lay bin must be in the enclosure as well so that she has it when she is ready.

Can you post some pictures of your girl so I can see how her overall condition looks?

https://www.grainger.com/product/21...4-MT4_FEw5ukM93t9CBoCmIAQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Something like that for the temp? I will try to take some current pics this afternoon. Thanks for the help.

 

[mattdeshurst]

So temp guns are not reliable. They measure the surface temp. You want a temp gauge with a probe at the basking branch to get an accurate reading. You can use a zip tie to secure the probe to the branch. then clean cut the zip tie so that nothing sharp is hanging out.


So your variety is good. You are going to want to drop the wax worms though... They are super fatty.

Typically by the time females are 9-10 months old we want them on a schedule of 3 feeders 3 days a week. But this has to be combined with lower basking temps of 78-80 max. Lower temps decrease metabolism. Lower temps with lower food intake produce smaller clutches that are safer on their bodies to lay. Larger clutches are more high risk of egg binding along with reducing a females lifespan. A permanent lay bin must be in the enclosure as well so that she has it when she is ready.

Can you post some pictures of your girl so I can see how her overall condition looks?

I also forgot to mention I am using Herptivite multivitamins and repti calcium brand for calcium powders.

 

[Beman]

https://www.grainger.com/product/21...4-MT4_FEw5ukM93t9CBoCmIAQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Something like that for the temp? I will try to take some current pics this afternoon. Thanks for the help.

That would work... Zoo med also makes a cheap one. it is roughly accurate but off normally by a degree or 2.

 

[Beman]

I also forgot to mention I am using Herptivite multivitamins and repti calcium brand for calcium powders.

So with the herptivite. Is has not been proven or decided but it does not have preformed A... It has beta carotene instead. This is a divide in the hobby. Those that believe they can convert beta carotene to vitamin A and those that think they can't and that a multivitamin with preformed A is needed. Vitamin A has a direct impact on their eyes.

I personally use a multivitamin with preformed A.

Supplementing with what you have would be calcium without D3 at most feedings and then rotating week to week at one feeding between calcium with D3 and the herptivite.

 

[Mrjamwin]

I feed my Chams, Dubias, crickets, an occasional horn worm and I gut load my feeders with the remains of my dead enemies. Oh and I use a Calcium supplement without D3 and a multi-vitamin every other week.