new cage New Problems!

[suncei]

Hey guys,

Just got my 9 month ambanja panther.... (pics coming soon ...dont wanna scare him)

he was originally in a 12"x18"x18" cage and was feed crickets loose in the cage

he is now in my 2'x2'x3' cage .... and i tried to feed him crickets in a feeder cup.... today was the first day i tried and he didnt eat any crickets!

i contacted the person who sold him to me and he told me to just put them loose in the cage and that he is eating about 5-8 crickets daily .... but the cage is big and packed with things for the crickets to hide under...... what do you guys suggest i do..... ????

do you think i should put them in a large plastic bowl instead of a deep cup ?>

 

[FurciferLord]

What I usually try to do is either hand feed or place the feeders somewhere in his general area of the cage and see if he goes for it. My Panther doesnt really "hunt" down his food, hes kinda spoiled but its great, this way I can keep track of what hes eating much easier. Also since cup feeding has never really worked for me, I try not to "jam pack" the cage with foliage it makes it much easier to free roam your crickets and for your cham to see them.

 

[shanksfaml]

My experience has been that the crickets tend to commerce under the light, my chameleons have no trouble finding them.

 

[suncei]

thanks furcifer

thanks for the info!! im gonna try placing it on the screen close to him... if that doesnt work ... im gonna try like a Tupperware wider bowl under his basking spot to see if he goes for them

 

[dagy24]

Cup feeding is good, or he might get the hang of it. I heavily packed my chams cage with foliage and for the first few feedings she didn't seem to know to look around for her feeders and I would find them hiding in the plants. After a few feedings she figured it out and now chases them and finds all of them pretty quickly.

Friday I did a full cage cleaning and looked in the plants under the rocks etc. and there was only one dead feeder hiding in there.

Since I'm an unemployed and living at home at the moment I have the time to stand there like a nerd and ensure she eats everything and get all excited when she runs around ... Normal people might find it easier to just cup feed, Haha.

 

[Echoezra]

With all my new guys I put the bugs one by one on the screen a little below their level so that they crawl up and past them. Almost never fails. Sometimes if they're nervous with me watching, I will place the bug, then back up and sit on the bed then they'll eat it. Most if the time they'll at least grab the first one in front of me. Little Zelig will grab them, then freeze and not chew them til I go sit down. Lol.
I did try a cup too after a couple days home, and they both used it at first, but have kind of given up on it lately, so we're back to the screen thing. I like it cause they're watching my hand place them, so are getting the lesson hand brings bugs, which has to be good, right?

 

[Ekaj13]

I've found that some chameleons just will not cup feed. Although it's not a big deal because the chameleons do hang out at the warmest part of the cage.

 

[FurciferLord]

Cup feeding is good, or he might get the hang of it. I heavily packed my chams cage with foliage and for the first few feedings she didn't seem to know to look around for her feeders and I would find them hiding in the plants. After a few feedings she figured it out and now chases them and finds all of them pretty quickly.

Friday I did a full cage cleaning and looked in the plants under the rocks etc. and there was only one dead feeder hiding in there.

Since I'm an unemployed and living at home at the moment I have the time to stand there like a nerd and ensure she eats everything and get all excited when she runs around ... Normal people might find it easier to just cup feed, Haha.

Yea right now Im unemployed as well so I get to stand there and make sure he eats lol. I might be starting a new job soon though so I might have to start feeding a little earlier than I do now. Cup feeding is a very good method of feeding as well, however I guess its just not my style lol I can see how it would be easier for some people though, all chams are different.

With all my new guys I put the bugs one by one on the screen a little below their level so that they crawl up and past them. Almost never fails. Sometimes if they're nervous with me watching, I will place the bug, then back up and sit on the bed then they'll eat it. Most if the time they'll at least grab the first one in front of me. Little Zelig will grab them, then freeze and not chew them til I go sit down. Lol.
I did try a cup too after a couple days home, and they both used it at first, but have kind of given up on it lately, so we're back to the screen thing. I like it cause they're watching my hand place them, so are getting the lesson hand brings bugs, which has to be good, right?

You seriously do the same thing I do lol. I place the crickets one by one on the screen or somewhere near where he is and then he instantly gets them that way. and sometimes I will back up and sit on my bed and watch but he usually isn't shy about eating. I'm not sure how much it helps with aggression, my panther still hisses at me if I try to pick him up but he knows that my hand is where the food is coming from haha

 

[DeviousMike]

My experience has been that the crickets tend to commerce under the light, my chameleons have no trouble finding them.

This is what I do as well. Or if you want to do cup feeding, use a half gallon milk jug with the side cut out and glue screen inside. This is my cup feeding method-

 

[Tandra Lee]

deviousmike,please dont think i am being horrible but arent you worried your cham may accidentally shoot and stick to a piece of that glue? if ingested it could prove fatal..im just paranoid when it comes to chams eating things that dont move on their own lol,i almost lost my cham all because of the tinniest piece of perlite that was missed when i repotted plants..i would hate for something to ever happen to your cham,it looks like a good idea but maybe there is a way of doing it so that the glue is not edible?? maybe glue it on the outside of the container? just a thaught

 

[summoner12]

when chameleons are moved to new places they tend to not eat for a few days. This is perfectly OK. They are just getting used to the new home and will begin to eat again.

Every time I have moved a cham to a new home I have experienced this.