Is he eating enough?

[spacecats1001]

Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - Male panther, 4 months old, I have had him two weeks tomorrow
• Handling - Only to put him in his cage the first day
• Feeding - He eats crickets, dubias, superworms, butterworms and hornworms so far. He will eat about 6 insects a day, I feed him first thing in the morning around 6am. They gut load on collards, kale, dandelion greens, peppers, carrots, squash, apples, alfalfa, bug burger and dry gutloads (cricket crack, repashy superload)
• Supplements - He gets repashy Calcium without D3 almost every day, alternating calcium with D3 and herptivite/reptivite (D3 twice a month and vitamins twice a month) on weekends, sticky tongue minerall twice a week.
• Watering - He gets misted 4 times a day for one or two minutes (I'm in Houston, his humidity is good) and he drinks readily from his dripper (I see him drink this way daily, it's cute) he also gets warm water hand mists a few times a week
• Fecal Description - Poops every day, good brown log or two and nice white urates
• History - Came from Chameleon paradise's Bruce Galbraith

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - Medium Atrium Dragon Strand, all screen except clear front (pics do not show it but we had the front top and bottom panels replaced with screen so that he for sure has good ventilation)
• Lighting - Light your reptiles quad fixture, lights on at 6am and off at 6pm and I cover his cage at night (to block out light)
• Temperature - His temps range 74 to 81 in the day. Lowest overnight temp is 73. Temps are measured in low humid spot on the left and high dry spot on the top right side of his cage.
• Humidity - His humidity ranges from the 50s before a mist to 80s right after. Lowest at night is usually around 45. Mist king is the mister with one mist nozzle and rain ring in the middle of cage. I have the hygrometer/thermometer combos
• Plants - He has two pothos and one dracaena
• Placement - Cage is in the living room in a recessed old wet bar. It is not near any vents or fans, one ceiling fan in the room, but his cage is pretty shielded. Not really high traffic, just me and the husband, no kids, three small dogs that do not even know he is there. His cage is about three feet off the floor.
• Location - Houston TX

Current Problem - When we first got Stuart, he didn't eat for 3 days...normal. He then starting eating, but only a few bugs each day. Then he was eating up to about 6 crickets (1/4 inch size) and then he went into a shed and his eating decreased which I read is normal. He is now out of shed and still will only eat about 5 or 6 total insects a day no matter what they are. I try to feed him juicy stuff when I get home and he is looking at me like "lady, I am done". The breeder stated that he should be eating a days amount that would "fill his head space", and in those terms I guess he is. I just have seen on this forum that others' chams seem to be eating a ton more at this age. Is this still normal for him being with us for two weeks? Is he still settling? Am I over worrying? I hope so:-/

 

[carol5208]

I wouldn't worry about it at all. He looks fine.

 

[Decadancin]

Could still be settling in, but as long as you offer a variety and he has access to the food then I wouldn't be too concerned yet. Over time I would expect him to eat more, but like I said, I wouldn't be concerned yet.