What to feed

[revengeveronica]

I had gotten my cham from someone who had gotten him from a breeder. He's very healthy and happy. I normally feed him the dubia roaches because I hear they're nutritional value is of 7 or so crickets. But, I kind of want to expand his diet. I hear different kind of worms and crickets are okay. But with crickets they can attack the chameleon if left alone, and since I am a full time student and a part-time worker, I don't want to leave him alone with something that could potentially hurt him.

I hear certain worms are okay like meal worms and silk worms.

The lady I had gotten him from though said no super worms. Reason behind that is when the cham eats a super worm they don't always die and they can potentially eat the cham from the inside. Is that true?

Plus, I'm considering either a ficus or pothos plant, which is better?

Thanks!

 

[Ilona77]

It's just my 5 cents

The lady I had gotten him from though said no super worms. Reason behind that is when the cham eats a super worm they don't always die and they can potentially eat the cham from the inside. Is that true?

Plus, I'm considering either a ficus or pothos plant, which is better?

Thanks!

Not true she need read more

 

[Ninkylou]

Superworms are fine, that is a myth that they do that. The chams crush them with their jaws pretty well before swallowing.

Silworms, Hornworms are good, my boys LOVE hornworms, they are bright green and wiggly what could be better. And they don't just fall of the branches and end up on the bottom of the enclosure like Supers do...I cup feed super worms.

I avoid mealworms, I like supers better, they are bigger and gut load very well.

Butterworms and Phoenix worms are good treat food as they are high in calcium, but also fat.

Wax worms are like candy I give them once in a blue moon. I think they are fatty snacks, I have just taken the advice of the group here regarding them.

I give them crickets once a week or less, just so they some hunting time. Keeps them active and alert.

Just make sure all of your feeders are well gut loaded. See SandraChameleon's blog for some great information on gut loading.


With regard to the plant. They are both good but different.

The ficus is a tree that you can sit on the bottom of the enclosure that has good sturdy branches for them to climb on. The pothos hangs and they can hide and climb on the vines. I find ficus to be a bit persnickety and although I have never had one in my Cham enclosures I never had good luck with them just as house plants. I find if you look at them wrong they start dropping all of their leaves.... I am a big fan of a big sheffellera. They are very sturdy and tolerant of the cham climbing all over them. They grow really fast and they give lots of places for your cham to hide. Their leaf configuration allows them to hold water drips after misting as well so the chams can drink off them.

In my enclosures I have both Pothos and Sheffelera. As the pothos grows I wind its vines around my dowels and fake branches for a more natural look.

 

[revengeveronica]

Wow, thanks a lot. I'll check out the sheffellera plant. :3 Thanks again, you've been a lot of help