Quick question on food

[smilespop1207]

Hi everyone,
It's smilespop1207 and I was just wondering what to feed my future chameleon. So far, I know that crickets would make up most of his/her diet. The problem I have is that my mom hates any insect that hisses or chirps. So now I decided to go to the worm category. The problem here is that wax worms, meal worms, and superwoms are more a form of a treat than a diet. After much though, going from hissing roaches to expensive hornworms, there seems to be nothing that meets my criteria. I also though about flight lest fruit flies but the problem here is that a)they are to small and b)they will freak my mom out if they go through the screen cage. Another option that came to mind was canned foods. The problem here is that I don't know if the insect was properly gut loaded. The can o' insects from zoo med seemed interesting. I just don't know if a chameleon can live just off of the canned foods(dusted with calcium and vitamins of course). If you can answer me, it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

 

[Randi]

Canned foods wouldn't be a good option because chams won't eat prekilled insects. Not to mention, they can't be gutloaded and the nutritional value is questionable. Dubias do not hiss or chirp, and they make a great staple. Those, along with a variety of healthy worms, will make up a bulk of the diet.

 

[Kate]

Your Cham wont eat inscects that doesn't move. Have you researched silkworms? They are full of calcium and very hydrating. Your mum might like them. Glad to see you are doing your research before getting your Cham. Veileds may eat some veggies, but not all.

 

[camimom]

Immature crickets dont chirp.
Hornworms are good. but pricey until you start getting them to breed.
SIlkworms are good.
I suggest roaches (of the non hissing variety).

Canned is a big no, so never go that route.

with the roaches- you can just say they are isopods.. or whatever speices of roach they are (ie. instead of dubia cockroach, just call it a dubia. it sounds like a species name, but doesnt inclue the roach part) sneaky, but it gets the job done.

 

[CLP]

Yes, to confirm what has already been said, immature crickets don't chirp. I made the mistake of "upgrading" my chams to some full size crickets with my last purchase and am now desperately trying to find all the adults to feed off first so I don't hear any more chirping Up until now, I have been at 1/2" to 3/4" inch crickets with no chirping. Silkworms are great too. As for the roaches, maybe if you called them beetles...

 

[smilespop1207]

Thank you everyone. I'll do a little more research on silkworms and dubia roaches. Just one more question. Do you let your insects roam free in the screen cage or do you cup train your chameleon?

 

[Kate]

I prefer to cup feed as I would never find left over prey. I'm in uk and can get locusts. I often leave them in cage as long as they are not large as they can bite. I made a feeder out of a milk carton. I will try an find the link.

 

[Kate]

I have made holes in the bottom to drain water from mister and replaced mesh with dish cloth as crickets ate the mesh.

 

[Dave]

Crickets are actually a pretty poor feeder for what they are. That's why nutrient and calcium dusters became so popular over the years.

Superworms are actually a really good staple, and if you add some variety to the diet of your feeders, your chams health will certainly benefit.

Waxworms are too high in sugar and fat, being a pest of bee-hives, to be a regular feeder. I would suggest Butterworms over waxworms, as butterworms are similar in texture, but higher in protein and low in fat. They also keep well in the fridge.

Hornworms are probably the top feeder for chams. Especially the teal ones we've carried for a while, they seem to really attract a reptile's hunger, and are great at breaking hunger strikes. They don't keep very long, but if you keep the pod of 15 mediums in a cooler with an icepack or a wine cooler at about 50-55 degrees, they will keep for several weeks. At room temperature, you can only expect a week or two, depending on how hot they get. Hornworms are best valued for their calcium and moisture ratios, they also grow to 4" long at adult size.

In case you're wondering, if I had to replace crickets with any feeder, I would go with roaches (dubia, discoids, fusca, orange heads, or lobsters) or superworms. Both are filled with a lot more meat, and superworms are very similarly priced.

-Dave
SPF