How to get a chameleon cup feeding?

[SliK JiM]

I've always either let his food roam free (flies, locusts, moths etc as they head to the light) or either hand fed/strategically placed worms and grubs so that he could find them, but now, I've started breeding roaches and they're just a little sneaky. They always run off and hide. If it stays still for long enough my guy will pick him off (and has 'chased' -I say loosely- the odd one down) but if not, they're gone into the jungle and lost to him. He may find them eventually, but it's hard to monitor what he is and isn't eating. So, I've started putting them into a cup for him to eat out of, except, he just doesn't seem to eat them, as once they're in there, they don't move, and he just ignores them! I've put waxworms and grubs in there so he gets the idea, but he only takes them as they're moving and just leaves the roaches... Is there anything I can do to get him used to it?

Oh, I forgot to say he's a year old and quite set in his ways now!

 

[eisentrauti]

Do you have jogurt cupes like this in england: http://picnica.ciao.com/de/14693366.jpg ?
They are white inside and chameleons could see the food very good. I use them when I feed all the insects which are vermins

 

[SliK JiM]

That's exactly the sort of thing I'm using but the inside is a green colour. The roaches stick out pretty well, but I could try and make it white coloured if it would help.

 

[Miss Lily]

I've offered Lily her food in various different tubs and dishes. At the moment I use an earthenware dish made for hamster food (it's brown in colour). I also use empty Stork margarine tubs. I'm trying to restrict her food at the moment so she doesn't produce such a large clutch next time. She's VERY hungry bless her and when she sees me coming toward her house with the dish she nearly falls off her branch in a rush to get to the food! Keep trying and he'll get used to it. If you used an empty yogurt pot (like Mullerice or something) you could attach it to a vine maybe?

 

[SliK JiM]

I've been trying it for almost a month now! He just isn't getting it. Which is why I've made this thread! I've secured it below one of his perches, so he can definitely see anything in it! He watches quite intently when I go to put the roaches in, but then once they're out of site, he just doesn't seem to care! He wanders by it, has a look in then walks off! I need to find someway to get the little blighters moving! I'm starting to get a lot of roaches being born now so I could do with him eating a few! lol

 

[eisentrauti]

Give him a week or two nothing to eat, I'm sure he will shot the animals from the cup

 

[SliK JiM]

Well, I'd hope so, but I'd feel bad for not feeding him for that long!

 

[Miss Lily]

Try holding the dish or whatever in front of him and angle it slightly towards him. The bugs will try to climb on the shiny bottom and will attract his attention hopefully! Or prod the food to make it move. Maybe even shake the pot a little to get the bugs moving. Have you tried not feeding him for a day or so? Maybe if he's really hungry he'll get the idea?!

 

[SliK JiM]

Tried that, but once the angle is inclined enough the roaches bolt before he gets them! Well, I put them in a few days ago, and left them and he didn't eat. I put one in loose by him and he snapped it up right away! I think I might try and make them easier to spot in the pot!

 

[eisentrauti]

If he has enough water and the temperatures are a bit lower you could stop feeding for a month or two, if everything is ok with him he won't have problems with it. That's normal espacially for animals like calyptratus which live in semi-desert areas

 

[Miss Lily]

Well, I'd hope so, but I'd feel bad for not feeding him for that long!

When Lily is receptive then gravid I struggle to get her to eat anything some days. She can go up to week/10 days without food when she wants to. That's why I'm finding it hard to restrict her now as it's so nice to have her actually wanting to eat something!

 

[SliK JiM]

I knew a week or 2 but a month is pretty intense! I'D still just feel guilty though!

 

[eisentrauti]

You should feel guilty when he dies because he was too fat ! I apologize that he will have no problems with a month

 

[SliK JiM]

No need to apologize! I like how you said it. Made me laugh! He seems like a good weight (I weigh him when he lets me) and I make sure he has a 'good' balanced diet!

 

[eisentrauti]

What also maybe could work: Take his favourite food in the cups, when he eat this food from the cup he may also will eat other food sorts from the cup

 

[hallenhe]

Have you tried holding the cup out to him (at an angle from which the roaches can't get out) and shaking it gently to get them moving? - Mine used to be very good with his hanging cup, but now doesn't seem much interested in it unless I carry him to the cup, or bring the bugs-in-a-cup to him (lazy/spoiled!). When he sees the measuring cup we use to bring bugs back and forth, he gets excited and starts bringing his eyes into stereo to shoot, sometimes well before he sees the actual bug.

 

[SliK JiM]

What also maybe could work: Take his favourite food in the cups, when he eat this food from the cup he may also will eat other food sorts from the cup

Tried that, he just picks out the things that moves which are normally the waxworms!

Have you tried holding the cup out to him (at an angle from which the roaches can't get out) and shaking it gently to get them moving? - Mine used to be very good with his hanging cup, but now doesn't seem much interested in it unless I carry him to the cup, or bring the bugs-in-a-cup to him (lazy/spoiled!). When he sees the measuring cup we use to bring bugs back and forth, he gets excited and starts bringing his eyes into stereo to shoot, sometimes well before he sees the actual bug.

Tried that too. But he'll only go for them when I'm shaking it! lol! Even then, he's not the most social of chams, so if I'm there shaking something he has the tendency to walk off! He never gets angry or anything, just turns around and heads down in the plants!

 

[eisentrauti]

Your chameleons are all only overfeeded

 

[tryme]

Put the food in the cup if he's that hungry hell make an effort put it that way.

 

[Spene]

Yeah, I've had a similar problem with roaches- he's always eaten worms and crickets out of a cup (been doing it since he was tiny) but the roaches generally don't move. Somehow he's figured out when they're in the cup now, but it still isn't as easy as worms, and sometimes takes a few days for him to eat them.