Seasonal Feeding.

[sbristow]

My male Panther has been a rather reluctant feeder. However over the last few days his appetite has improved significantly.

He's happy to munch away on adult locusts as soon as they are presented. Are Panthers seasonal feeders? because from today his appetite has waned.

He's in perfect health, very tame, drinks well and is kept at the correct temp and light levels, I'm given him a 12 hour photoperiod which works well with him.

I do try and vary his diet as much as possible.

Any suggestions welcome.

 

[carol5208]

No they are not seasonal feeders. They just go through stages where they eat more or less and desire certain feeders.

 

[sbristow]

Seasonal feeders.

Thanks for the reply, I was never concerned he's in perfect health. Always nice to receive feedback from other collectors, after all you know more than some so called professionals

 

[JackP308]

My animals food intake significantly lower every winter, but they also have random spurts that arent really any type of pattern.
Figure as long as they are eating they should be fine.

 

[carol5208]

My animals food intake significantly lower every winter, but they also have random spurts that arent really any type of pattern.
Figure as long as they are eating they should be fine.

well, I guess I cannot argue with that seeing that I live in Florida and don't have winter!!! lol

 

[Chameleopatrick]

Certainly there is seasonal feeding for many if not most chameleons. An example is after a dry season and the rainy season starts, or temperature and photoperiod fluctuations all have a significant impact on insect emergence resulting in available food for chameleons. My chameleons gets lots of moths this time of year from my porch light and love them but no such luck in December.

Seasonal feeding? Absolutely!

 

[carol5208]

Certainly there is seasonal feeding for many if not most chameleons. An example is after a dry season and the rainy season starts, or temperature and photoperiod fluctuations all have a significant impact on insect emergence resulting in available food for chameleons. My chameleons gets lots of moths this time of year from my porch light and love them but no such luck in December.

Seasonal feeding? Absolutely!

You are talking about in their natural habitat and not in captivity though.I am not sure that is what the op was asking. I think he was asking if they go through periods when they do not eat as much because of the time of the year, not if food was available or not having an impact. Like the Parsonii who don't eat for months at a time. That is the way I took the question. In captivity they are offered food on a constant basis, so if they decide not to eat less and it is winter time, does that mean that the season is causing the loss of appetite? Like I said, we do not have actual winter down here in Florida so maybe I spoke to soon but would like to hear from others who live in the cold states and find out if their chameleons eat less because it is winter. In Florida to my knowledge chameleons(or atleast mine) eat just the same, spring, summer, fall and winter. I would like to be corrected please, if I am wrong. I like to learn things every day on here too!!!!

 

[Chris Jury]

well, I guess I cannot argue with that seeing that I live in Florida and don't have winter!!! lol

Not only do you have winter in Lake Worth, your winter is perhaps just a touch cooler than in the native range of F. pardalis For the most part, though, your climate is not far off from what they experience in Madagascar and Reunion.

 

[carol5208]

Not only do you have winter in Lake Worth, your winter is perhaps just a touch cooler than in the native range of F. pardalis For the most part, though, your climate is not far off from what they experience in Madagascar and Reunion.

when you think of winter you think of snow, freezing cold, etc. We do not see but a few days of freezing weather here in Fla. I get what you are saying though and yes we do have "winter" although everything stays green and it is still pretty darn warm everyday. I have sweated outside in December putting up Christmas lights!!! I have never been to Madagascar(although I would love to) but that is nice to know we have such an ideal climate for our chameleons down here in Florida.

 

[Chris Jury]

when you think of winter you think of snow, freezing cold, etc. We do not see but a few days of freezing weather here in Fla. I get what you are saying though and yes we do have "winter" although everything stays green and it is still pretty darn warm everyday. I have sweated outside in December putting up Christmas lights!!! I have never been to Madagascar(although I would love to) but that is nice to know we have such an ideal climate for our chameleons down here in Florida.

To me, what winter "should" feel like depends on where I am. I grew up in Michigan, and winter there is *very* cold. Here in Hawaii, winter means a lot more rain, cooler temps, and the occasional chilly night all the way down to the upper 50's F.

On average you guys are sligthly cooler in wintertime than in the native range of F. pardalis, but you guys also get periodic cold weather that is much colder than what they experience. Normal nighttime lows in the winter where they live are in the neighborhood of 60-70 F whereas record low temps are in the mid-50's F. You guys occasionally see much colder than that. To get a climate like that experience where they live you'd have to head further south. In the summertime, you guys also tend to be a bit hotter than typical in their habitat, especially as you get inland from the coast.