Spiders

[dinomom]

I know it depends on type but what about spiders on the menu? Are there any that are safe for chams to eat?

For what it is worth (and for more knowledgeable cham people to comment on) as a carnivorous plant "person" we seek out spiders as the BEST food for them. The reason for PLANTS is that as spiders are insect predators themselves, they are much higher in nitrogen (also ladybugs, mantids, any insect that is carnivorous). I have no idea the implications of higher nitrogen for chameleons.

Of course with plants there is no concern about venom

 

[Kamikaze Chameleon]

I dont know how you do it... I ordered some dubias the other day and they ended up being way bigger than I planned. And now I don't know what to do with them, they creep me out so much and I can hear them in the tub crawling around.

Can you start a colony? Or you can totally send em my way!❤

 

[Fchamel]

If I started breeding spiders. Nobody would want to come to my house because all of my friends are afraid of spiders. Plus melch.

 

[jamest0o0]

If I started breeding spiders. Nobody would want to come to my house because all of my friends are afraid of spiders. Plus melch.

Yeah that's why I don't breed spiders. People would think I'm weird. I stick to the normal things, like a room of cockroaches.

 

[jamest0o0]

For what it is worth (and for more knowledgeable cham people to comment on) as a carnivorous plant "person" we seek out spiders as the BEST food for them. The reason for PLANTS is that as spiders are insect predators themselves, they are much higher in nitrogen (also ladybugs, mantids, any insect that is carnivorous). I have no idea the implications of higher nitrogen for chameleons.

Of course with plants there is no concern about venom

Interesting! Carnivorous plants are a little hobby of mine too, but I'm little more than a newb with them. My nepenthes have been struggling lately and I can't figure out why!

 

[Kamikaze Chameleon]

Interesting! Carnivorous plants are a little hobby of mine too, but I'm little more than a newb with them. My nepenthes have been struggling lately and I can't figure out why!

Dude they are NOT easy! VERY tempremental and control of the environment is detrimental to there survival, which is why I'm having SUCH a hard time, not to mention how important the shifts are during the winter. I'm trying but it's seriously burning a whole in my pocket, I want to be successful,I really think I just need better humidity.

 

[jamest0o0]

Dude they are NOT easy! VERY tempremental and control of the environment is detrimental to there survival, which is why I'm having SUCH a hard time, not to mention how important the shifts are during the winter. I'm trying but it's seriously burning a whole in my pocket, I want to be successful,I really think I just need better humidity.

I've kept several species and kinds over the years with success, but some of them go down hill for apparently no reason. Like my nepenthes I have now I've had for several years, all the sudden they seem to be struggling.

 

[GrayMadder]

If I started breeding spiders. Nobody would want to come to my house because all of my friends are afraid of spiders. Plus melch.

It's a good thing I have no friends... lmaoooooooo. Only kidding.

Can you start a colony? Or you can totally send em my way!❤

And I don't know the first thing about colonies... I literally buy feeders every week or 2. I can't find it in me to have that many bugs in my house.

 

[Kamikaze Chameleon]

I've kept several species and kinds over the years with success, but some of them go down hill for apparently no reason. Like my nepenthes I have now I've had for several years, all the sudden they seem to be struggling.

☠ that's so frustrating, Idk if this is true but I feel like I've read somewhere if you lose a pitcher it's hard to get others to start producing. Do you find that to be the case? I have one medium pitcher that has like ONE that looks "somewhat" alive

 

[dinomom]

I've kept several species and kinds over the years with success, but some of them go down hill for apparently no reason. Like my nepenthes I have now I've had for several years, all the sudden they seem to be struggling.

OK guys I know it's REALLY off topic but I am pretty much an expert here. I have about 260 species with at least one from each genera -without a greenhouse, LOL.

RE: neps, they don't go dormant but slow way down in the winter so little or no pitcher production. General reason for not pitchering is low light and inadequate humidity.

And, there's always a (husbandry) reason they go downhill..just like with chameleons, knowing what the reason is, is part of the art and science! I'll be glad to help anyone if you want to hit me up.

 

[Kamikaze Chameleon]

Thank you!!!

OK guys I know it's REALLY off topic but I am pretty much an expert here. I have about 260 species with at least one from each genera -without a greenhouse, LOL.

RE: neps, they don't go dormant but slow way down in the winter so little or no pitcher production. General reason for not pitchering is low light and inadequate humidity.

And, there's always a (husbandry) reason they go downhill..just like with chameleons, knowing what the reason is, is part of the art and science! I'll be glad to help anyone if you want to hit me up.

@dinomom with the save!

 

[jamest0o0]

OK guys I know it's REALLY off topic but I am pretty much an expert here. I have about 260 species with at least one from each genera -without a greenhouse, LOL.

RE: neps, they don't go dormant but slow way down in the winter so little or no pitcher production. General reason for not pitchering is low light and inadequate humidity.

And, there's always a (husbandry) reason they go downhill..just like with chameleons, knowing what the reason is, is part of the art and science! I'll be glad to help anyone if you want to hit me up.

Was going to say, do you mind if bug you occasionally haha? That actually explains a lot with it being winter. Mine haven't died, but didn't seem to be thriving. I had great success with my carnivores and then I moved and they seemed unhappy. Humidity is high here and lighting is good, I'm thinking I shocked them too much in the move.

 

[Ramrod]

I've kept several species and kinds over the years with success, but some of them go down hill for apparently no reason. Like my nepenthes I have now I've had for several years, all the sudden they seem to be struggling.

More spiders

 

[jamest0o0]

☠ that's so frustrating, Idk if this is true but I feel like I've read somewhere if you lose a pitcher it's hard to get others to start producing. Do you find that to be the case? I have one medium pitcher that has like ONE that looks "somewhat" alive

I kind of noticed that too. You know, my nepenthes absolutely THRIVED in my cham enclosure. Had them in a clump of sphagnum hanging in some large branches under the jungle Dawn's and misters. Got like an hour of mist a day, the pitchers that grew were almost bigger than my hands. Took them out and they were meh ever since.

 

[dinomom]

Of course, any time. You only need high (like 90%) humidity (and cool temps) with lowland neps, try to get a highland species if you can and they are just fine with ambient, 30-50% or whatever.

And yeah I am psyched about that Jungle Dawn fixture, I put a couple of pernickety ones in with cham and they are already loving it. And yeah they do get first dibs on spiders..

 

[Kamikaze Chameleon]

I'm curious where you live @dinomom I'm in upstate NY where the winters are PARTICULARLY dry naturally, not to mention the radiators I have absolutely no control over, it's either BLASTING or off and I NEED the heat so it just dries everything out bad but it only gets up to 68 MAYBE 70 if I'm lucky

 

[jamest0o0]

Of course, any time. You only need high (like 90%) humidity (and cool temps) with lowland neps, try to get a highland species if you can and they are just fine with ambient, 30-50% or whatever.

And yeah I am psyched about that Jungle Dawn fixture, I put a couple of pernickety ones in with cham and they are already loving it. And yeah they do get first dibs on spiders..

I did hear that about lowland vs highland. My enclosure neps LOVED eating thousands of millipedes, isopods, and flies in my bio enclosure. They started small and grew so much in there.

Sorry I took this thread so off topic! I'll take the blame.

 

[dinomom]

I'm curious where you live @dinomom I'm in upstate NY where the winters are PARTICULARLY dry naturally, not to mention the radiators I have absolutely no control over, it's either BLASTING or off and I NEED the heat so it just dries everything out bad but it only gets up to 68 MAYBE 70 if I'm lucky

Oh I got you there..in SoCal we get strong Santa Ana winds in the fall/winter when outdoor humidity gets to single digits and it can be 100 degrees or 50 degrees. There is a lot of carrying plants in and out of the house, and of course it is a challenge to keep humidity up inside also. However we usually suck it up and don't run the heat so that helps. Our temp stays about the same as yours. Then in summer we battle the inhuman heat, 100+ all the time and between CP's and the pets I spend my life bottling R/O water. Why I ever chose CP's, frogs, chams as hobbies is a mystery, except that I love a challenge and it is SO much more rewarding to get it right when it's not easy.

 

[dinomom]

I did hear that about lowland vs highland. My enclosure neps LOVED eating thousands of millipedes, isopods, and flies in my bio enclosure. They started small and grew so much in there.

Sorry I took this thread so off topic! I'll take the blame.

Hey I don't care but someone might clobber us

 

[jamest0o0]

Oh I got you there..in SoCal we get strong Santa Ana winds in the fall/winter when outdoor humidity gets to single digits and it can be 100 degrees or 50 degrees. There is a lot of carrying plants in and out of the house, and of course it is a challenge to keep humidity up inside also. However we usually suck it up and don't run the heat so that helps. Our temp stays about the same as yours. Then in summer we battle the inhuman heat, 100+ all the time and between CP's and the pets I spend my life bottling R/O water. Why I ever chose CP's, frogs, chams as hobbies is a mystery, except that I love a challenge and it is SO much more rewarding to get it right when it's not easy.

My fam is in fontana, those winds are no joke! I prefer the humid heat of the east coast personally.