is my chameleon overeating?

[jillianmarie512]

i have a 3.5 month old baby veiled chameleon whom i love so very much! when i first got him about a month ago, he was very underweight and only eating a few crickets a week. now he eats on average twenty small crickets a day. i let him eat however many he wants. i always make sure he has crickets in a little bowl i've placed in his cage. it's amazing how much healthier he is. so, is 20 crickets a day too much? enclosed is a photo. how does he look??

 

[danibug23]

yes eating 20 crickets a day are average your pic didnt show

 

[jillianmarie512]

i just posted one! thanks

 

[Elizadolots]

I think with babies it's sort of "let them eat what they'll eat".

**edited to add**

I forgot to say Hi.

So:

HI!!!

And, he's adorable.

 

[DavidBuchan]

Hello, welcome to the forum 20 crickets if they are small is good. Here's a great caresheet for Veileds that recommends a bit less, but they go in spurts anyway, so a healthy appetite is nothing to worry about - https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/chameleonsinmyhouse/395-veiled-chameleon-care-sheet.html

Don't want to worry you unnecessarily, but are you sure he's a he......it's not a great angle but I can't see spurs.

 

[jillianmarie512]

thanks for the responses! he definitely is a boy. he's already showing beautiful colors and patterns.

 

[mbprime]

Hello, welcome to the forum 20 crickets if they are small is good. Here's a great caresheet for Veileds that recommends a bit less, but they go in spurts anyway, so a healthy appetite is nothing to worry about - https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/chameleonsinmyhouse/395-veiled-chameleon-care-sheet.html

Don't want to worry you unnecessarily, but are you sure he's a he......it's not a great angle but I can't see spurs.

It looked kinda like a female to me too, but I cant honestly tell. And 20 is definitely not too much if they are small. You might want to move up to the medium/large cricket size. Mainly less crickets to take care of, and your cham will not be eating quite as many. Mine used to do the same, eat 20+ a day, but then I switched to medium/large and he only eats now 10-12 a day instead. he is about the same age, turned 3months on the 6th.

Welcome to the forum though, regardless if its a boy or girl - it is definitely a cutie. Best of luck.

 

[Elizadolots]

Don't want to worry you unnecessarily, but are you sure he's a he......it's not a great angle but I can't see spurs.

Oh, that's a good point...if it's a female then you'll want to cut down on feedings over the next couple of months (note how long a time frame that is, I'm talking about a very gradual reduction in food intake). You do not want to over feed a female who's coming into maturity.

Of course, this means: we need pictures!!! Specifically we need pictures of the back feet, but more, we just want pictures. You have a very cute chameleon and we love looking at pictures of them. But please...pictures of the place a "heel" would be if they had a "heel" on their back feet. If it's a male, you might already think he has a heel.

**edited to add**

The "color" thing isn't as incredibly obvious with veileds as it is with panthers. Female veileds can display amazing colors.

 

[jillianmarie512]

more pictures to come in the next 10 mins!

 

[jillianmarie512]

him with water droplets stuck to him. he's so cute.

 

[danibug23]

very cute!!! and welcome

 

[jillianmarie512]

heres his pattern showing

 

[Kodos2150]

your little baby is adorable!.... and it actually looks like a she to me.... i don't see any tarsal spurs,

 

[jillianmarie512]

him when he was just about a month old...maybe a little less. this was before i had him.

 

[danibug23]

def a male haha i can see the spur on the back and the pattern on its side.

 

[FranPhilip]

your little baby is adorable!.... and it actually looks like a she to me.... i don't see any tarsal spurs,

I see them in the newest picture (i think )

 

[Elizadolots]

heres his pattern showing

I see a spur there...but I'm not an expert. I think you're right, you have a boy.

And he's just too cute!!!!

 

[DavidBuchan]

Oh yeah, spur and boyish patterns