what causes picky eaters?

[HairyScaryMark]

See, i am not sure I agree with this. My cham was raised on crickets from the start and was introduced to locusts about 3 months ago (he's about 7-8months now). He would also be fed waxies as a treat. He now refuses crickets, and will only take locusts, preferably adults. If we put crickets in his enclosure, he will eat his plants and ignore the crickets. the most i let that go was 4 days. he will even turn his nose up at waxies now.

I have a similar experience. No idea what he was fed for the couple of months before I got him though. It seems more extreme sometimes than others but i've given up on buying crickets. In hindsight, I think it would have been better to provide greater variety from the beginning.

I don't believe my guy has been overfed recently. He actually looked slightly underweight for a while and you can see his ribs etc, the backbone is also noticeable.

Before I got my male Vieled I was told he was being held back for longer due to him being a 'lazy feeder'. Don't know if this made a difference to the rest of his life.

 

[draetish]

My cham will not eat crickets anymore either, but will devour superworms. I'm going to try some hornworms and silkies too. I do keep crickets in his cup and will not feed him for a day or so. Then I have no choice but to give him his superworms.

 

[lotus02]

I bought mine from someone that only feed crickets female is 4, male 2. When I got them I gave them silkworms, superworms and butterworms. They got a taste of something new and refused crickets for a few days ,now they eat anything that moves.

 

[sandrachameleon]

My cham will not eat crickets anymore either, but will devour superworms. I'm going to try some hornworms and silkies too. I do keep crickets in his cup and will not feed him for a day or so. Then I have no choice but to give him his superworms.

You do have a choice. Do not offer the superworms at all. Give him crickets and other feeders instead. Not just for a couple days, but for weeks. I bet the chameleon will eat the crickets or other items if its hungry and nothing else is around.

 

[Breeze]

How will the cham get its supplements then? if you go for days or weeks.

 

[sandrachameleon]

How will the cham get its supplements then? if you go for days or weeks.

You'd still dust the alternative feeders, like the crickets.
If its not eating at all for a few days, it goes without supplements just as it goes without food. This is not a problem. The reason you use calcium dust on crickets is to correct the calcium: Phos ratio of crickets. No crickets, no ratio to correct.

 

[OldSkoolxReasons]

After feeding locusts and grasshoppers during the summer my adult male panther refuses to eat crickets unless I trick him and get fully aduly crickets with wings and grab them by their wings to feed him so he thinks they are locusts or grasshoppers using their wings. otherwise he will not touch a cricket that is just walking around. He does love his monthly mouse and his monthly smooth green snake which are small and abundant out here

 

[jampen]

IN my limited experience I suspect it has a lot to do with the size of their cage and activity level.

The more they move around, burning calories, the less selective they would be. They need more fuel for the engine.

Smaller cages, less area to roam, less active = more selective eating. They would first eat what they recognize from experience as good and reliable energy.