new food supply..

[ioanna]

I live in Greece on one of the islands and regular food supplies for my newly adopted chameleon is going to be a huge issue. I have just been told about a small fishing shop that sells live bait ' from maggots to big worm type things'. I am going to investigate in the morning but:- can chameleons eat maggots? how long do i need to feed and gut load big wormy type things (lol..i am hoping the lady meant meal worms, alot gets lost in the translation) and is it really safe to buy from shops like this? The thought of maggots and meal worms absolutely turns my stomach but if that is what i have to do !!!

 

[Dave]

Umm. This is a difficult one to answer all the way from the US. But I'm gonna give it a shot.

Not knowing what bugs are available locally, you'll find the only people willing or able to ship you live insects will reside in your home country, although I hear Greece is running a lil rough these days so that might not be a viable option for you.

Next option, capture wild insects and raise these insects in captivity, rearing their babies to be fed to your cham. Now I'd really only recommend this with guaranteed safe insects, like grasshoppers, locusts, crickets, most roaches (do not feed wild roaches please because they live in filth and pesticides), and a lot of flies, but since you don't dig maggots, the flies aren't an option.

Another option is buying eggs of certain feeder species online from an international seller, and raising these eggs to be your feeders. Good options would be some locust species (although these are HEAVILY regulated in most country) or silkworms. If you need help getting the silkworm eggs, private message me and I'll see what I can do to help you.

That would be about it for your options. Pick your poison, love.

-Dave
SPF