diet

[Clownfishie]

I know that chams do best on a varied diet... so what do you guys feed yours? If it makes a difference, I'm fairly certain that I'll be getting a veiled... As far as stuff that's readily available around here, I'm kind of limited to crickets, mealworms and superworms... would that be enough variety, or is there something else that I should try to get my hands on?

Thanks! :)
Jen

[Zoe]

I feed mine 80% crix, 10% mealies and 10% silkworms. On occaision, when I have them, I feed my male mealworm beetles, and this summer I hope to get some (clean) bugs for them :]

Zoe

[Charm_Paradise]

Hi- Veileds will need a diet of insects, fruits, and veggies. The insects should be a variety of crickets, silkworms, waxworms, mealworms, and supperworms. Crickets and silkworms should be the staple diet for insects. This website http://www.chameleonnews.com/year2002/sept2002/nutrition/nutrition_sept_02.html has some great info on the nutritional value of feeder insects. The fruits and veggies should be offered to for veileds, but the insects will be the main diet. You will need to dust the food with a high quality vitamin dust, calcium is important for a growing chameleon, and veileds are prone to MBD. Calcium, vitamin D3, and UVB play a very important part in preventing this. Hope this helps!

<b>John</b>

[Clownfishie]

Thanks guys :)

Any input Trace? Figured you'd jump right in here! LOL....

[Trace]

Any input Trace? Figured you'd jump right in here! LOL....

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!! I know!!!! I'm usually all over this forum! I spend my days waiting for a new post here so I can throw in my 2 cents! I wander away from the computer for 20 minutes and look what happens.

I can't really add any new information for you. My fellows are fed crickets daily, and I dust them once a week. Superworms a few times a week. Waxworms for a treat. The odd pinkie rat once every couple of months for the bigger guys. I do pick up a pile of silkworms at the reptile show every few months, and the chams LOVE them. I would feed silkworms as their primary source of food, but I just can't get those dang moths to breed for me! :mad:

Summer is coming, (finally) and I catch "wild caught" bugs for them too. Grasshoppers and moths are a particular favorite. If you do this though, you have to catch them in a field that has not been sprayed with insecticides.

Cheers!

Trace

[Clownfishie]

Thanks Trace ;) So basically -- my idea of feeding a diet more heavily based on mealworms/superworms isn't a good idea? I'd still feed crickets as well of course, but I find it SOOO much easier to keep mealies... crickets are so noisy, and the constant escapees are a pain in the ***. I don't think that the other apartment tenants would enjoy finding crickets hopping around their houses ;) I'm sure that the little buggers could (and would) find their way under my front door... So basically, the less I can have around, the better ;)

[Trace]

Come on... the escapee crickets make it feel like you are camping within your own house! You can always get a free range Tokay to take care of the escapees...

Mealworms/Giant Mealworms are not that nutritious, but more importantly they have that hard exoskeleton that is very hard to digest. There is a possibility that your chameleon might get intestinal impactions from the shell. Superworms have a much thinner exoskeleton and are the preferred feeder worm of the two.

Cheers!

Trace