How do i feed new cham crickets without them jumping away?

[lurker9090]

So new 3.5 month male ambilobe panther just arrived from reptile express this morning. Of course im terrified something will go wrong so I let him be for around 3 hours, then tried feeding him small crickets by tongs, he wasnt interested so I left him alone the rest of the day

Im assuming he didnt eat the cricket because 1-stress from moving, 2-me being there and him being shy.

So im thinking I need to leave food in there for him to eat it once i leave, however everyone says to just put the food in a cup but the crickets will just jump away? I was thinking of trying dubia roaches but the breeder said she didnt feed him dubia roaches so i want to START him on crickets (just until he starts eating) and then add diverse insects

But the crickets jump out!!

Is there like a special type of cup im missing that they cant jump out of but the cham can still reach?

Right now i have one of those cham feeding cups that has screen on the back for insects to crawl up so cham can see

 

[Beppo]

So new 3.5 month male ambilobe panther just arrived from reptile express this morning. Of course im terrified something will go wrong so I let him be for around 3 hours, then tried feeding him small crickets by tongs, he wasnt interested so I left him alone the rest of the day

Im assuming he didnt eat the cricket because 1-stress from moving, 2-me being there and him being shy.

So im thinking I need to leave food in there for him to eat it once i leave, however everyone says to just put the food in a cup but the crickets will just jump away? I was thinking of trying dubia roaches but the breeder said she didnt feed him dubia roaches so i want to START him on crickets (just until he starts eating) and then add diverse insects

But the crickets jump out!!

Is there like a special type of cup im missing that they cant jump out of but the cham can still reach?

Right now i have one of those cham feeding cups that has screen on the back for insects to crawl up so cham can see

Hi and welcome! Congrats on your new chameleon! I think the feeder run cup is going to be your best bet. They will escape and the key to them not trying to nibble on your guys if he doesn’t eat them all is to make sure there is food for the crickets by placing some carrots in there for them to eat. I don’t no of anyway to contain them completely since they do hop, but I could be wrong…

 

[Throwingstones]

I got one of those feeder runs from full throttle, I think sunset chameleons has another feeder run. Another option is those bird feeder cups like on Neptune.
I got my Cham and my original set up from someone rehoming her and she was using a little bird cup that was similar. I just changed it all because I’m bougie

Also putting the crickets in the fridge for 10min will slow them down a little bit. When I went on vacation I meal prepped so my friend, who doesn’t like bugs, was able to feed her and she did the fridge trick.

 

[Spookies]

Personally I use bird feeder for worms or roaches, but crickets, I just free roam and let my chameleons hunt for it, since I have a bioactive enclosures any uneaten or dead crickets will just become part of the ecosystem in there. I also tend to find that most of the time the crickets will just climb up towards the lights anyways, and that is an easy target for my chameleons to just snack on.

 

[Princess22]

Currently I use one of these! The grate lets the crickets (and Dubia’s when you start them) climb so your Cham can still hunt them but there’s a border so they can’t go all the way to the top or sides, I figure they can still jump out but I have only had a couple jump out on me in the time I’ve been using it! Hope you find something that works for you!!

 

[Beman]

You need a feeder run. Avoid Tong feeding it is vary dangerous with a cham and an easy way to severely injure their tongue.
Full throttle feeders, Sunset chameleons, TK Chameleons, and frams chams all sell different versions of them.

In the mean time you can construct your own as well https://dragonstrand.com/constructing-a-chameleon-feeder-run/

 

[Sharonmartin]

To feed your new chameleon without crickets jumping away, you can try a few things. First, make sure the feeding cup you use has small holes that crickets can't escape through easily. You can also put something like a piece of fruit or a small leaf in the cup to attract the crickets and keep them from jumping out. Another trick is to place the feeding cup where your chameleon can easily see it and reach inside, but where it's not too high for the crickets to crawl out. This way, your chameleon can eat when it feels comfortable, even if you're not right there. It might take a bit of trying different methods to see what works best for your chameleon.