Picky Panther Chameleon??

catyspringer_

catyspringer_

Member
I have a 10 month old Nosybe Panther Chameleon that I recently got from a reptile expo. He is a very picky eater. Has only eaten crickets, hornworms, and suddenly mealworms. I've tried Flukers Gourmet Grasshoppers and he doesn't seem to like those. What other things can he eat? Is there some other issue thats making him picky? He's been recently chewing at his fake log decor. I've been standing by his cage w a misting bottle and he's been drinking a lot. I try not to do crickets because as you can see, his custom made cage is FILLED w holes so I dont want the crickets escaping. When I first introduced him to mealworms he seemed hesitant-which eventually those died in his mealworm bowl and he finally decided to eat some(probably bc I fed him a hornworm day or so earlier). I have a repti calcium that I constantly dust my live feeders with. when I do use crickets, I gut load the crickets with cricket quencher and a cricket block in the cricket cage. I was told also by the seller for my cham, to feed him hibiscus or gardenia sticks. would that damage him? Where could I buy roaches or any other live feeder good for my panther Cham besides crickets,superworms/mealworms, and hornworms? I ask because crickets, super worms/mealworms, and hornworms are what I found in PetSmart. also I'd like to add that I already purchase a bunch of small crickets in store bc of my juvenile mack snow leopard gecko. help pls
 

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I would replace your wire fencing with actual screen material, that will keep anything from escaping. You need a ton more foliage and cover in there. That cage is nice, but not set up well for your chameleon. Also, use a feeder cup for crickets, they won’t hop out. What are hibiscus and gardenia sticks? Panther chameleons do not eat vegetation. I order from lindasgonebuggy.com, rainbowmealworms.com, coastalsilkworms.com. There are more out there, just do a google search.
 
This form will help us help you :) Don't take any of our advise as attacks, we are here to help and are glad you are seeking info. Unfortunately chain petstores are not as knowledgeable as they should be. For different types of feeders, lots of people order online, or you can see if there is a reptile specialty store in your area.

Copy and paste:
Chameleon Info:
  • Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
  • Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
  • Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
  • Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
  • Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
  • Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
  • History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.

Cage Info:
  • Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
  • Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
  • Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
  • Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
  • Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
  • Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?
  • Location - Where are you geographically located?

Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.

--------------

Please Note:
  1. The more details you provide the better and more accurate help you will receive.
  2. Photos can be very helpful.
 
I will add a couple of quick things by looking at the picture of his cage. Nice size! I'm jealous. But... Are you misting at all? Looks like you have a fountain in the bottom left corner maybe? Chameleons will generally drink from bowls or fountains as last resort if at all. Make sure you are misting the leaves so he can lick the droplets off. This is how they drink in nature. Also, it doesn't look like you have a basking branch under his light. The enclosure needs a lot, a lot, a lot more foliage and branches. You have such a beautiful cage and such an awesome size! Make use of it ;) But he will definitely need a branch to chill under his light. Not sure your temps, but burning can be a concern. Make sure at the very least, that you can hold your own hand where his basking spot is, and it's not uncomfortable. If he has a pension for climbing the wire sides, make sure the wire closest to the lamp isn't too hot either.

Whew, sorry. Ha! But seriously, we are here to help. And your setup has SO much potential. Not just for looks, but for the wellness of your cham too. I look forward to future pictures
 
Some are just picky eaters. Mine will not touch hornworms or superworms but he devours crickets. Kinda makes it difficult to give him a treat when he puffs up and runs away from anything worm like lol
 
True Jevin! I know once my panther got a taste for silkies and hornworms, he decided nothing else mattered. Wish I had your problem though, worms are expensive to buy! lol
 
Luckily I have a bearded dragon that devours everything. She prefers blueberries over any other fruit though. Crickets are number one for her, and super worms a close second. I have had Chandler eat a grand total of four super worms since I got him despite offering them to him often. He just does not care for them. And he has had one hornworm, but I've offered three to him total. He just despises worms apparently lol.
 
blue_cham said:
I will add a couple of quick things by looking at the picture of his cage. Nice size! I'm jealous. But... Are you misting at all? Looks like you have a fountain in the bottom left corner maybe? Chameleons will generally drink from bowls or fountains as last resort if at all. Make sure you are misting the leaves so he can lick the droplets off. This is how they drink in nature. Also, it doesn't look like you have a basking branch under his light. The enclosure needs a lot, a lot, a lot more foliage and branches. You have such a beautiful cage and such an awesome size! Make use of it ;) But he will definitely need a branch to chill under his light. Not sure your temps, but burning can be a concern. Make sure at the very least, that you can hold your own hand where his basking spot is, and it's not uncomfortable. If he has a pension for climbing the wire sides, make sure the wire closest to the lamp isn't too hot either.

Whew, sorry. Ha! But seriously, we are here to help. And your setup has SO much potential. Not just for looks, but for the wellness of your cham too. I look forward to future pictures
Click to expand...
I am definitely misting his cage-leaves and branches. I will also look into more foliage. I did repost it on the "general discussion" forum. Sorry ive been asking too many questions, I'm brand new to this forum and brand new to chameleon care-I just want to know whats best for him. I dont take any offense to anyone. I'm just confused and trying to understand everything and figure it all out thats all :)
 
Chameleon Info:
  • Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care? Nosybe Panther Chameleon, male, around 10 months old, he's been in my care for about a week and a half
  • Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon? frequently
  • Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? small crickets, mealworms(recently liked), and hornworms-still trying to expand his tasteWhat amount? 3-4 crickets or mealworms What is the schedule? I feed him once during the day How are you gut-loading your feeders? Fluker's Cricket Quencher and zoo med cricket block
  • Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with Zoo Med ReptiCalcium "with D3" and what is the schedule? when I feed my cham
  • Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? Misting bottle right now, "Little Dripper" should be here soon How often and how long to you mist? throughout my day and until I see water dripping off the leaves/sticks Do you see your chameleon drinking? In the beginning no, But now I have to sit there with his tongue for 5 min on the squirter nozzle.
  • Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Looks like a slug when fresh Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites? no
  • History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you. Not that I know of

Cage Info:
  • Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions? Custom made wired cage.
  • Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule? Zoo Med Tropical UVB and Heat Lighting Kit; when I wake up: turn on lights(around 7-8am), when I go to bed: turn them off(around 9-10pm)
  • Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?I dont know what you are asking here
  • Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?I dont know what your asking here.
  • Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind? No
  • Placement - Where is your cage located? Side of my room. Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? fans, yes At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor? are you asking how far is the top of your cage to the room floor?
  • Location - Where are you geographically located? North Fort Myers, FL-warm subtropics

Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about. I just want to know how what I can do to expand his taste. I've tried Gourmet Canned Grasshoppers, Crickets, mealworms, and hornworms. I dont like to use crickets bc they end up escaping. I already have a juvenile mack snow leopard gecko so I already feed him small crickets. I have no idea where I can purchase anything else if theres anything else bc I purchase all that he's eaten , in store of PetSmart, PetSupermarket, etc. He's also been eating at my fake log in his cage. I took it out bc it was scaring me. I heard that doing this is a part of dehydration. And I talked with my original seller of my cham about this and she said to overall "Change the lighting to a Reptisun t5 hood with bulb and get a basking bulb" and about the eating the fake log she said "He's dehydrated give him some gardenia or hibiscus sticks" and idk what that means. so many ppl have been telling me different things.
I just really want my first cham to be very healthy and make sure I'm doing the right things, ya feel?
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Please Note:
  1. The more details you provide the better and more accurate help you will receive.
  2. Photos can be very helpful. I've added photos, but here's the ones I've posted.

Ive added all of my answers in red. Thanks for clarification and help, really means a lot :)

 

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Hey again! I saw the duplicate post in General and figured that's what happened. I'm glad we have not scared you off yet. I know it's a lot of info tossed at you, but glad you realize we are just trying to help

To answer you main concern. Every cham will have preferences, although variety is very good. In the post in General discussion I think I recommended cricket feeder cups that reduce escape. If I didn't let me know, and I will get you a link to some examples. The two biggest places to get good variety insects are any reptile specialty stores in your area, or online. I personally use crickets as a "base feeder" and rotate through dubia roches, hornworms, silk worms, superworms, and wax worms. I'm hoping to get some butterworms and black soldier fly larvae soon. Mealworms are okay occasionally, however they do not make a good base feeder and some keepers swear off using them at all. Some other feeders I've heard of that I personally haven't used are stick bugs, preying mantis, locust, house flies, blue bottle flies... and I'm sure there are even more.

Now to address some husbandry things. It's easy to be confused because honestly, there are often different ways to do things. As new keepers, it's best to stick to basics like the info in the care sheets here: https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/caresheets/panther/. This is the best info ever! I refer back to it often to save my typing, lol. Some of the more experienced keepers have hit on some things in the other post, so these may be repeat. I'll try to keep answers simple and short, and you can research from there or ask questions to clarify. Questions are always good! That's how we learn to be better cham owners!

catyspringer_ said:
Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? small crickets, mealworms(recently liked), and hornworms-still trying to expand his tasteWhat amount? 3-4 crickets or mealworms What is the schedule? I feed him once during the day How are you gut-loading your feeders? Fluker's Cricket Quencher and zoo med cricket block
Click to expand...

He should be eating more, check the caresheet on that one. The cricket blocks are pretty poor nutrition, the better cricket nutrition, the better cham nutrition! Type "gut loading" into the forum's search bar and you will find so many options. Gut loading is what you feed your insects can pre buy tried and true brands like Cricket Crack or you can use approved fresh veggies and fruits or both! Good info here

catyspringer_ said:
Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with Zoo Med ReptiCalcium "with D3" and what is the schedule? when I feed my cham
Click to expand...

Okay, you will want to stop using the D3 at every feeding asap. Calcium without D3 should be every feeding. For a panther, caresheet recommends only twice a month. They can overdose on D3. Also adding a vitamin supplement twice a month, also in caresheet. Vitamins and minerals can be done so many ways, but this is a good base start.

catyspringer_ said:
Do you see your chameleon drinking? In the beginning no, But now I have to sit there with his tongue for 5 min on the squirter nozzle.
Click to expand...

If your cham is drinking for long periods of time or rushing over to drink, he is dehydrated and not getting enough through the day. The dripper will help with this. Make sure the drips are falling onto the leaves when you set it up. Not all chams will know to drink from the dripper itself.

catyspringer_ said:
Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Looks like a slug when fresh Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites? no
Click to expand...

What color is the poop? Should be dark fecal with white urate. If the urate is yellow or orange, big sign of dehydration. Great info thread with pics here. Fecals are recommended, but unless your guy is sick, you should be able to postpone that. Check with an exotics vet if an exam is required before fecal. Be sure to mention it's a cham. My vet doesn't require a visit and it's only $30 for me.

catyspringer_ said:
  • Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?I dont know what you are asking here
Click to expand...

Temperature will have a gradient, where the bottom of the cage is cooler (aka ambient) and the spot right under the heat lamp is highest (aka basking spot). These temps are very important as well as humidity. Check the caresheets for what they should be. It is different depending on species of cham, age and even gender sometimes. Humidity is the moisture in the air in the cage. This is increased with mistings, drippers, and live plants. In Florida, this should be fairly easy. You can get humidity and temp combo devices on amazon super cheap, or a hardware store probably. Temp and Humidity are VERY important.

catyspringer_ said:
Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind? No
Click to expand...

Not 100% necessary, but you will be glad you did. Live plants are awesome. Stick with shade loving, water loving plants, and put it under a dripper or mister, almost no maintenance! They keep humidity in the cage and chams seem to love em! Just make sure they are not toxic.

catyspringer_ said:
Placement - Where is your cage located? Side of my room. Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? fans, yes
Click to expand...

Not sure how often the fan is on, but if it blows onto the cage, it can dry it out quickly, decrease humidity. So just keep an eye on temp and humidity levels when fan is running.


Did I keep that short? Doesn't feel like it, ha! Hopefully this makes sense, if I can clarify anything, just ask. Be sure to read the caresheets, those are such a blessing
 
Oh! Because I haven't blabbed enough already... I am not familiar with the lighting kit you mentioned. What wattage is your heat bulb, and what strength is your UVB?
 
blue_cham said:
Oh! Because I haven't blabbed enough already... I am not familiar with the lighting kit you mentioned. What wattage is your heat bulb, and what strength is your UVB?
Click to expand...
  • Daylight blue reptile bulb 60 watts
  • Repti Sun 5.0 mini compact fluorescent lamp 13 watts
 
catyspringer_ said:
  • Daylight blue reptile bulb 60 watts
  • Repti Sun 5.0 mini compact fluorescent lamp 13 watts
Click to expand...


What are the dimensions of the enclosure? Looks about 4 l x 2 w x 4 h? You will want to swap that compact florescent for a linear (t5ho tube) uvb bulb asap along with the adding plants. Not sure what your Wal-Marts have down there but the ones up here in Pinellas have had pothos pots for $8 again recently. Our Home depots have also had some decent size umbrella plants in the house plant area for $11 vs the smaller ones they have out in sun for the same price. Which breeder did you get your boy from?
 
dshuld said:
What are the dimensions of the enclosure? Looks about 4 l x 2 w x 4 h? You will want to swap that compact florescent for a linear (t5ho tube) uvb bulb asap along with the adding plants. Not sure what your Wal-Marts have down there but the ones up here in Pinellas have had pothos pots for $8 again recently. Our Home depots have also had some decent size umbrella plants in the house plant area for $11 vs the smaller ones they have out in sun for the same price. Which breeder did you get your boy from?
Click to expand...
Manatee Suncoast Lizards LLC
 
As far as roaches go, we are some what "limited" on what species we can have here sadly. This is a list of roaches we are allowed http://www.roachcrossing.com/category/for-sale/cockroaches/roach-type/florida-legal/. I've not purchased from here nor am I recommending them so do your research before buying on that aspect. I went with discoid for myself but I do want to add pallid and death heads at some point to my roach colony keeping. We aren't allowed to do "reviews" on vendors on this site but if you would like, I'll pm where I bought the 1,000 discoid I started my colony with.
 
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