Too much food??

[askaboutrep]

I have a 2 yr female veiled I recently acquired.....she has a fairly large screened enclosure with trees. Is a free feed ok? Since if I offer a few at a time, they might just hide, and she wont be able to eat them.

[CanadianJackson]

try using a container, high enough that the crickets can't jump out but low enough that the cham can still get at them fairly easily.
This way she'll still be able to hunt somewhat and you won't get crickets escaping your cage and running around your house.

[meow_mix450]

How large is large. If its really big then cup free and free range sometimes. But if it isnt that big then do the container idea. But this can cause lazy tongue so be careful

Meow

[askaboutrep]

The cage is about 4 ft high, 3 wide, and 2 length.
So, by lazy toungue, you mean she'll just sit and wait for them to come nearby, if so, what would cause that to be a problem?
How can you get a container that she can get in and crickets cant get out of. In order for her to get in, doesnt that create an escape for crickets.....dont know about your crickets, lol....but the ones I get can jump pretty high. Or, is that just to sorta keep most of them in one place, and then she can hunt the others?

[meow_mix450]

lazy tongue is when they stop using there tongue like they use too. Its hard to get her to use her tongue again if you don't free range sometimes. I cup feed and hand feed, This way I can give them a challenage to get his food when hand feeding.(prevents lazy tongue). If your enclosure is home made then you know your cage better then anyone else, you'll be able to tell if crickets can escape. If its commercially made then i would suggest free ranging, I find that the only reason that crickets are biting through screens are if there confined and the enclosure is really small, Yours should do fine. Just every other day or when you feed throw around 8 crickets in she'll be able to find them.

Meow

[Manitoban Herps]

Try hand feeding as well, don't forget to have a sutible place for her to lay her eggs, enough calcium or she will most likley become egg bound.

[askaboutrep]

She is by herself, and I know that chameleons lay eggs anyways. But, dont infertile eggs cause little reason to be concerned? Of course she needs enough calcium, but, she would have less problem with infertile eggs, correct??

[meow_mix450]

Nop you should be just as concerned as if they were fertile. If she doesnt get the right amount of calcium the eggs wont develop properly and will have lots of trouble laying

Meow

[askaboutrep]

Crickets that are dusted die really soon. What about dusting the plants, do you think she would still eat the leaves?

[askaboutrep]

I have potted trees in her cage with 12 inch pots, do you think that the dirt in the pots would be enough for her to lay her eggs, she is very small for a veiled female.

[peterm15]

what kinda dust are you useing.... i have never found a dead dusted cricket.....

THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT: Always whith a female veild offer a place for her to deposit her eggs other wise there can be serious health probs...

here check out this site... they were very helpful before i got my veild.....

http://www.angelfire.com/fl/chameleons/veiled/veiled.html

it has a specific part on feeding a female veild... its really kinda neat...

theres more on the net just do a google search... there might be some info that will help u along... in the meantime im gonna do some reasearch of my own to see if i can help more...