Need ideas for introduciong a new feeder

[Hempa]

Need ideas for introducing a new feeder

Hello all,

I have recently got my hands on a bunch of Silkworms. These are very uncommon in Sweden and I had to pay almost 1$/worm. Now to the problem cause my money isn´t .

My usually "eat-anything-she-sees" Veiled female just stare at me and give me the "I wont eat that"-look. So do you guys have any tricks for getting your chams to take a new feeder? Or is it just to sit down and wait her out?

A want to see a Silkwormfeast in her cage!

Edit: Spelling.

 

[ReptileGirl111]

You might think im crazy, but I had to do this with my bearded dragon.. mix a little bit of sugar in water then just put a drop on whatever shes not eating, because even though we cant really smell it, they can.

 

[Brad Ramsey]

Just be patient.
I believe she'll try one eventually and then
recognize it as food.
DON'T put sugar on it!

-Brad

 

[Julirs]

It took most of mine awhile to realize they were food, but after they did, they don't last long once I put them in a cage. My little Oustalet took a few months to realize it. Just leave a few in the cage.

 

[wow]

calvin didint reconize them as food so i just poked him in the nose with the worm and him being a tuff guy he hissed and i poped it in there now he cant get enogh of them.

 

[koabich]

When put into the cage, some worms will just sit there and others will wiggle around like crazy. Choose a worm or several that wiggle. The action alone should be enough for her to recognize the worm as food.

 

[pohchunyee]

Well...just leaves the silkworms in the cage and let them wiggle around, i found that wiggling silkworms makes chameleon excited and will feed. Since silkworms are quite rare in Sweden, you might wanna consider breeding silkworms...here is the link to it.

http://www.chameleonnews.com/silkworms.html

 

[Kam808]

Man I have yet to get my male jacksons to eat a silkie. Have left them in there for days, used the wriggling ones, even put them on the end of a stick where they stand on that back foot and move around alot. Nothing. =/ I have heard a few people say they had to cut off the other food source for their chams to want to eat a silkie (at first). I really dont want to resort to that.

 

[davemailcall]

Man I have yet to get my male jacksons to eat a silkie. Have left them in there for days, used the wriggling ones, even put them on the end of a stick where they stand on that back foot and move around alot. Nothing. =/ I have heard a few people say they had to cut off the other food source for their chams to want to eat a silkie (at first). I really dont want to resort to that.

Out of curiosity, how long should you cut their food source off? I would think a day or two at the most. I'd feel bad if I did that...I guess my veiled is spoiled!

 

[Hempa]

Well...just leaves the silkworms in the cage and let them wiggle around, i found that wiggling silkworms makes chameleon excited and will feed. Since silkworms are quite rare in Sweden, you might wanna consider breeding silkworms...here is the link to it.

http://www.chameleonnews.com/silkworms.html

I have my thoughts on that. But first I have to get papers for the import from the Swedish Board of Agriculture. I heard with the guy I bought these from and he knew of 1 other guy who breed Silkworms in Sweden. So if I am successful I have a lot of customers . But first off is the importpaper. And thanks for the link and all other comments and tips! I will put a couple of wiggly worms and wait.

Brad: And I will not put suger on them. From what I heard cham have trouble with the metabolism on suger. I´ve heard that to much fruit and greens can give the same problems but I don´t really know about that. It was up for debate on a swedish forum.

Davemailcall: I think you can cut them off longer than a day or two. As long as you keep track on your cham and see that everything is alright.

 

[ReptileGirl111]

Sugar, Always work, and im not saying put a cup of sugar but just a tiny, tiny pinch.

 

[Kam808]

I can't see it going past 2 days of no feeding.

Sugar, Always work, and im not saying put a cup of sugar but just a tiny, tiny pinch.

Just a spoon full of sugar......

 

[collinbluffs]

I've had the same problem with Hornworms, Silkworms and Butterworms. My chameleon will only eat crickets and superworms now.
When I first brought him home, he'd eat hornworms right from my hand. I think he ate a bad tasting one and now rejects them. Silkworms he has never gave an interest to and Butterworms he's only eaten a few. I end up waisting my money after the silkies or hornworms eventually die, so I don't bother with them anymore.
I buy the calcium pellets for my crickets to eat plus they are fed yams and potatoes. He gets plenty of nutrition from my crickets. He loves superworms but I don't like them as a staple food.