Silkworms and Zoe

[icequeen]

I got the silkworms from the evil petshop on Friday. I was supposed to get them on Thursday, but they "misplaced" them and to find them for me.



Zoe is afraid of silkworms!! I'm sure if chameleons could scream he would of. I put the silkie in with him, on a branch, about 6 inches away from him. So he could check it out, and get a good look at it. He checked it out for about a hot 5 seconds and then B-lined it up into the top corner of his cage...cowering, with his back to the silkworm. He wouldn't budge until I moved the silkie.
When I picked it up, and brought it closer to him he hissed violently at me, and actually made the motion to lunge at my hand. Usually he hisses but turns his head away from me.
I took the opportunity to drop the silkie into his mouth during one of his hissing fits, he immediatly spit it out.
We went through this routine a couple more times, until he finally ate it. I tried with a second one, and he spit it out over and over, so I quit.
The next day, I tried again...just putting the silkie in with him, which brought about the same fraidy cham behaviour.
During his hissing I tried to get him to eat another silkie...but he wouldn't. He mangled two of them, but spit them out rather than swallowing them.
Today, we tried yet again. Same routine. He did eat TWO during his hissy fit...but the second caused him to gag and retch quite a bit. So I dont' know if that's due to the fact that he doesn't like them, or if it was going down the "wrong way" or what.
I even got some spirolina and tried that on them to see if he'd be less afraid of them if they were green...but...nope.
If I leave a silkie in with him he goes down low in his cage, to the spot where he usually goes to the bathroom, and just stays there. I hate stressing him like that, but I don't know if I should just leave the silkie in with him so he realizes that it won't hurt him.

I just can't believe the fuss he puts up!! I purchased 20 silkworms, so we'll keep trying for a bit. Maybe he'll learn that they are food....or maybe I'll be feeding him repta-aide for the rest of his natural life (or mine!)

[Trace]

Morning Kim!

Well I must say I got quite excited when I saw your thread on my "new posts" list this morning. Needless to say, I thought the news would be a little better than this! I'll also admit I laughed myself silly reading your post. Not at you, not at the troubles you've gone through, but the fact that Zoe just HATES Silkworms. Sheesh, my guys are beside themselves with joy when I've Silkies in the house. I suppose Hornworms will be out of the question! LOL! I won't suggest them.

Well you've got me stumped now, but I'll give it some thought again. I looked back to your original post and I did like the advice John (Charm Paradise) gave you about different presentations of prey items. Did you try that at all?

Here is a semi-related story for you that may help. Jason (dank7oo) had a male Veiled Chameleon that would never really eat for him. He was bowl fed all of his life and because of that developed the lazy tongue thing that cup-fed chameleons get. Jason needed to give up the chameleon so I took him on a month or two ago. Obviously it took Ichiro a few days to settle in here, but once he did, he started eating for me and hasn't stopped! It's insane. I freeroam the bugs in his enclosure and he'll hunt them down, but because his tongue doesn't function properly most times he can't catch the crickets, so I also have a bowl of various bugs and veggies that goes into the cage with him. Those are gone on a daily basis. So why is this chameleon eating for me and not for Jason? Ichiro is living in a smaller enclosure here, maybe he feels more secure in there? Maybe his temperatures are better? Maybe he needed a change of scenery? Maybe the ambient light is different in my house? Maybe he knows there are other males here and needs to ensure he gets his share of food? Maybe he's buffing up for the ladies? Who knows!

Now I'm not suggesting you change Zoe's cage because I know he lives a palace. I've seen the pics. Maybe changing something small in his environment may trigger a feeding response though, much like my Ichiro story. I doubt that work, but maybe it's something as silly as that. Until you know, I guess you still have to use the Repti-Aide. GRRR!

Good luck and keep me posted.

Trace

[choriona]

juat so you don't feel alone, 3 out of 5 of my chams also refuse to eat silkies. As does one of my leopard geckos.
Thoses same ones also refuse wax worms, but absolutly love mealies (which are harder to coat with vitamens.) Really makes me mad.