Went Hunting Today!

[LucasD]

So I had Loki outside on his bush like usual. It's not uncommon for him to shoot a couple bugs that get close. Since he's now cup-feeding, I figure real hunting would be a good experience for him.
Anyways, while I was sitting watching him, I spotted a honey bee on a flower, minding its own business. Then I got an idea. Snipers always work best from a sniper tower, right? I quickly stuck my hand under him and let him climb up. Then as slowly as I could, I moved him closer to the bee. My hand was a couple inches from the flower when he spotted it. Locked on and tounge aimed, he made his shot, but only hit flower... The bee got away at the last second... It was a total BUZZkill.
No worries though, I'm definitely gonna try again tomorrow! Hopefully it will sharpen his skills as well as positively reinforce "Hand means food."
Wish us luck!

 

[chameleoman]

awwwww man that sucks hopefully tommorrows more successsul thanks for sharing that mw3 moment

 

[LucasD]

Hahaha yeah. I'll have to put on Steady Aim next time.

 

[CNorton]

Hahaha yeah. I'll have to put on Steady Aim next time.

Someone had been playing too much CoD

 

[kwilkens14]

This might be a random tangent... But can they eat bees? I feel like the venom from the stinger could be dangerous.. Maybe not! But I had mine out today and a wasp flew onto his basking plant and he locked on and I had to swat the wasp away for fear of him learning the hard way!

Regardless, awesome story

 

[drcrossfire]

Good thing he missed... I've heard bees can kill

 

[kwilkens14]

Good thing he missed... I've heard bees can kill

Question answered! lol.

 

[coldbloodedAL]

There is that risk involved with bees, Ive never heard of one dying.. But I have heard of many chams eating them, and have watched mine do it several times.

 

[Texas Ranger]

I will catch honey bees put them in a cup throw them in the fridge for a little bit to stun them pull there stingers off and put them in the cage to wake up and my chams go nutts for them

 

[LucasD]

Well I'm sure they eat stuff like that in the wild. That's just part of being a predator.

 

[drcrossfire]

I will catch honey bees put them in a cup throw them in the fridge for a little bit to stun them pull there stingers off and put them in the cage to wake up and my chams go nutts for them

I like that... That's a good strategy.

And I know they are predators...but they are not usually in meadows by bees in the wild... They are up in trees.

 

[LucasD]

Very true. Maybe I'll let off the bees.

 

[drcrossfire]

Very true. Maybe I'll let off the bees.

Jmho that it's not worth the risk. I mean... Bees can kill humans... What's to say reptiles can't be allergic to them.

But... They are only toxic by sting. So removing the stinger would make them an interesting treat. Since they only feed on flower nectar... I imagine pesticides aren't as much of an issue

 

[DekuScrub]

youd that that the way a bee sting effects a human that it would be a near death sentence for a cham.

i was absolutely terrified when my mellers picked off a bee from an ungodly distance. i fully expected him to just like swell up and go POP. but that wasnt the case at all. in fact they seem to love bees. and even so wouldnt you assume processing the toxins would be taxing on their bodies? the subsequent fecals showed up normal, no orange or yellow at all, as though there were no stress from the venom.

i consulted other keepers when it initially happened, scared out of my mind. i got mixed responses. and it seemed based on keepers who allowed their chams bees had no ill repercussions, and the other side said its toxic and deadly but had never allowed their chams to "partake".

so based on the evidence i would say a couple bumble or honey bees here and there wont hurt. just dont let them go crazy. i remember watching my mellers eat them and its like he instinctively knew how to deal with the stinger, the way he moved it around in his mouth.

a great investment for any chameleon keepers garden is a butterfly bush, you get SOOOOOO many pollinators. just hope your outslets or mellers dosnt pick off a humming bird. and be careful with your neighbors and whether or not they spray pesticides.

 

[LucasD]

youd that that the way a bee sting effects a human that it would be a near death sentence for a cham.

i was absolutely terrified when my mellers picked off a bee from an ungodly distance. i fully expected him to just like swell up and go POP. but that wasnt the case at all. in fact they seem to love bees. and even so wouldnt you assume processing the toxins would be taxing on their bodies? the subsequent fecals showed up normal, no orange or yellow at all, as though there were no stress from the venom.

i consulted other keepers when it initially happened, scared out of my mind. i got mixed responses. and it seemed based on keepers who allowed their chams bees had no ill repercussions, and the other side said its toxic and deadly but had never allowed their chams to "partake".

so based on the evidence i would say a couple bumble or honey bees here and there wont hurt. just dont let them go crazy. i remember watching my mellers eat them and its like he instinctively knew how to deal with the stinger, the way he moved it around in his mouth.

a great investment for any chameleon keepers garden is a butterfly bush, you get SOOOOOO many pollinators. just hope your outslets or mellers dosnt pick off a humming bird. and be careful with your neighbors and whether or not they spray pesticides.

What's a good butterfly bush?

 

[chameleoman]

What's a good butterfly bush?

just google it yell get some answers