Swaytheveiled
New Member
I have a 5-6 month old male veiled chameleon. My fiancee says we should only feed him 15 crickets a day i said feed him as much as he wants 20-25.. What do you all think?
How much food?
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Tygerr
Avid Member
Obviously it depends on the size of the crickets. Instead of feeding only a few large crickets, some keepers prefer to feed a greater quantity of smaller crickets.
It is advisable not to overfeed female chameleons, as this could lead to the development of infertile clutches of eggs (i.e. eggs without being mated) and overly large clutches of eggs, both of which place a severe strain on the female's body, and possibly shorten her lifespan.
As long as you are sure that you don't have a female, you needn't worry about that.
However, many keepers believe that 'slow-growing' a chameleon is better than 'power-feeding' them. A chameleon that eats abundantly grows fast, and it is thought that a chameleon that grows too quickly may suffer a lower bone density than one that has grown slower and developed a stouter frame. This could mean that the chameleon ends up with a skeletal frame that is not adequate to support its extra bulk, and ultimately to health problems.
There is also a theory, which I agree with, that chameleons which are fed in plentiful quantity are more prone to going on hunger strikes and refusing certain feeders. It is as if they become desensitised towards their prey and become disinterested in the food. It often results in the keeper having to try offering many alternative feeders in order to excite the chameleon's appetite again.
It is advisable not to overfeed female chameleons, as this could lead to the development of infertile clutches of eggs (i.e. eggs without being mated) and overly large clutches of eggs, both of which place a severe strain on the female's body, and possibly shorten her lifespan.
As long as you are sure that you don't have a female, you needn't worry about that.
However, many keepers believe that 'slow-growing' a chameleon is better than 'power-feeding' them. A chameleon that eats abundantly grows fast, and it is thought that a chameleon that grows too quickly may suffer a lower bone density than one that has grown slower and developed a stouter frame. This could mean that the chameleon ends up with a skeletal frame that is not adequate to support its extra bulk, and ultimately to health problems.
There is also a theory, which I agree with, that chameleons which are fed in plentiful quantity are more prone to going on hunger strikes and refusing certain feeders. It is as if they become desensitised towards their prey and become disinterested in the food. It often results in the keeper having to try offering many alternative feeders in order to excite the chameleon's appetite again.
