Veiled cham. Pickey eater?

[Msjc1710]

Hi, I have had my veiled chameleon (charlie) for about 8 months now and he goes in and out of food strikes all the time. one week he will eat everything I give to him but some weeks he wont care about any food. What do I do? I give him alot of variety. Crickets,wax worms, horn worms, meal worms and veggies. I am worried I am doing something wrong. He had all the nesassery lighting,live plants and space. If someone can help me out that would be great

[infernalis]

http://www.thamfriends.com/mat.jpg

[Lankyrob]

Hi, personally know nothing about Chams but if you post everythiing regarding size of enclosure, temperatures, humidity, etc etc and post some pics of the enclosure too if possible then you are likely to get a fuller response.

Pics of any reptile are pretty much compulsroy too!!

[marvelfreak]

Hello and welcome! Wish i could help.

[EvaS]

Go to this site, they have helped me alot with my panther.
Chameleon Forums (http://www.chameleonforums.com)

[stephanbakir]

If you want to see something cool, do some research on the flies and moths in your area to make sure none are dangerous to your cham, then take his enclosure outside at night(if its warm enough) take the top off and turn the lights on.
moths and flies come around by the 100s, and the cham almost instantly goes off the hunger strike and feasts lol.

[EvaS]

Hey Stephan that is a great idea.I will def. try that this summer.I know on the cham board alot of people are big on letting the chams eat "wild insects" .The only insect I know is dangerous is fireflys to bearded dragons but not sure about chams.

[Lankyrob]

My only concern with that would be any parasites or chemicals being carried by wild insects.

[stephanbakir]

Where i live that isnt an issue, none of the insects that are attracted by light here are dangerous. I had a monarch show up once, but i was quick to catch it and release it after i was done.

[mistersprinkles]

My only concern with that would be any parasites or chemicals being carried by wild insects.

DING! Don't do it.
Certain insect populations are especially rife with parasites. I lived in Barrie, the armpit of Ontario for a while. Every tent caterpillar and grasshopper for about 20Kms has tube worms. EVERY one. I must have dissected over 200 and not a single one was clean.

What's your humidity and misting method and what's your rel humidity in your house vs the cage and what is it screen? glass?

[stephanbakir]

Wow, the hoppers and caterpillars here are pretty clean overall.
Tent caterpillars are poisonous if ingested though aren't they?

[mistersprinkles]

Tent caterpillars are poisonous if ingested though aren't they?

I don't know, I've never eaten one:no:

[stephanbakir]

I'd check, im 90% sure they are poisonous.

[mistersprinkles]

... I never suggested feeding them and I'm not going to eat them though so why are we checking? Are you going to eat them?

I was just giving them as an example as when I lived in Barrie (a city north of me) I dissected a couple out of curiousity after the grasshoppers I was feeding to some mantids all had worms. They had worms so I started checking them here and there in areas further away and I found, at least then, that most of the small insects out there had pretty large tube worms... it was quite gross.