How late in day too late to feed?

[Moxie]

I'm wondering if champs need their digestion basking on same day as feeding. I get home around 6 pm and would like to feed some Dubias ( he won't eat them out of the cup, as they seem to not move much, so I have to put them on a branch). Not sure if that gives him enough digestion Tim as he is winding down around 7:30. Thanks for advice. Newbie x 1.5 weeks.

 

[jannb]

I recommend feeding at least 3 hours before lights go out. You might want to feed in the mornings. That way he'll have all day to digest his food.

 

[Moxie]

Thank you! Just what I needed to know. I do feed crickets in a cup in am. All gone by time I get home, so I thought I'd feed him more as he is only 4 months. I don't have much time in am to put dubias in one at a time and make sure he eats them. And then he will come get it. I find that 50% of the time they fall off., so I have to retrieve them, and put them back, otherwise they just scary and hide. I'm afraid then he would never find them. Any tips on feeding dubias I would greatly appreciate. Otherwise I'll try to get up earlier in the morning to feed them.

 

[jannb]

Put them in the feeder cup with the crickets. You can put a little olive oil around the top inch of the inside of the feeder cup to keep them from crawling out. He might eat them while you are gone.

 

[Moxie]

Thank you. That's what I've been doing and then feeding them to him on a branch when I get home. He seems to love them. They just don't seem to move enough to catch his attention. I'll keep trying! Way less stinky than crickets. I'd love to keep more of them.

 

[absolutbill]

Try flipping them onto their backs when they are inside the cup. Their legs waving should attract his attention.

 

[nightanole]

It takes over 72 hours for that cricket to come out the other end...

Mine are perfectly happy getting a snack before lights out

 

[Moxie]

Great idea about flipping them over! Thanks. I appreciate your digestive knowledge nightanole!

 

[Tymeleon]

It honestly it doesn't really matter, as long as they have a few hours to digest before the lights go out.

 

[Bush baby]

I don't think it matters at all. I seriously doubt a hungry cham in the wild would turn down a meal if it came across one, if the sun was about to go down. It's heat that aids in digestion, not so much the presence of sunlight. So long as the night time temps doesn't drop down really low, digestion will still occur. I free range my crix, and see my cham eating just moments before lights out. I once threw a katydid in his enclosure, and he woke up, ate it and then went back to sleep!

 

[junglefries]

Lights are on 7am-7pm. I feed at 7:15am, 10am, 1pm and 3pm. Light snack at 3pm.

 

[Andie]

Moxie,
I'm raising 2 little hatchlings, aged 7.5 weeks & 4 weeks. I friend just turned me on to stable flies. When I release them into my older baby's cage, he goes nuts! I no longer have to monitor where the feeders go to or hide, because they always fly to the top of the cage.

Also, Stick insects are excellent, because they don't hide inside of anything. I buy them from Nick Barta, who is on the forums.
'
Have fun with your new baby!

 

[Andie]

Of course I also feed crickets, beetles, worms, etc... ;-)

 

[Moxie]

Thanks Andie. I like they fly idea. Seems more interesting. I have to introduce new feeders slowly. Not to Hugo my Cham, but so my hubby doesn't flip! Today he gobbled down 6 dubias out of cup with no special assistance. Flipping them over earlier in week did get his attention. Perhaps he figured it out. Jungle fries, all I can say is wow. That is an elaborate feeding schedule! Need a time release food cup!

 

[Saldarya]

The idea that the chameleons must have time to digest their food prior to the lights going out due to having some heat available is not accurate and has no basis for belief.

Being reptiles (cold blooded) their metabolism is very slow and as mentioned above, easily 3 days or so to fully digest. Clearly the lights go out over that period time. What happens if a feeder is left in the cup from earlier and he eats it right before lights go out?

Trust me, they are fine.