what to feed my pet chameleon

What type of vegetables can I Feed my Chamelion?

You can offer Veiled Chameleons:

• slices of squash
• Sugar-snap peas
• Lambs lettuce
• Rocket
• Carrot
• Cucumber and
• Berries

What fruits are safe for Chameleons?

Fruits that have high calcium and low phosphorus content like apples, blueberries, peaches, melon, banana, and cantaloupe are okay for chameleons to eat. All citrus fruits should be avoided, as they are too bitter and can be harmful to your animal. When you feed fruits to a chameleon, you make sure you have removed all seeds.

What is your Chameleon's favorite food?

What Do Chameleons Eat?

• Insects. This is without a doubt chameleon's favorite type of food. ...
• Mice. This is considered another favorite for a chameleon as a diet. ...
• Worms. This is another food you should consider for feeding your chameleon. ...
• Plants. This is not so much popular as a chameleon's food. ...
• Supplements. ...
• Water. ...

What is the Diet of a chameleon?

Chameleons eat most frequently when they’re juveniles, needing constant access to food. Adult chameleons should be fed either daily or every other day. Chameleons are omnivorous, surviving on a diet primarily consisting of insects and dark, leafy greens.

What is the best thing to feed chameleons?

Best Food You Can Give Your Pet ChameleonsCrickets. Crickets are the most cost-effective and nutritious meal for your chameleon on the market. ... Locust (Hoppers) Locust are the slightly fancier and more colourful alternative to crickets. ... Waxworms. ... Cockroaches. ... Fruit Beetle Grubs (Adults Only)

What should I feed my chameleon daily?

A well-balanced veiled chameleon diet consists of: A variety of insects, including gut-loaded crickets (recently fed with high-calcium foods, such as mustard greens, collard greens, squash and commercially available cricket diets), roaches, mealworms, hornworms, CalciWorms and waxworms.

What fruits and vegetables can chameleons eat?

To correct the problem, chameleon owners can feed the insects foods rich in vitamins before feeding them to the chameleon. Fruits such as apples and oranges are good choices, but the insects can also eat broccoli, carrots, collard greens, spinach and sweet potatoes.

What is the best food to feed a veiled chameleon?

Most chameleons are insectivores, meaning they prefer to eat only insects. But due to its natural habitat, the veiled chameleon's diet includes vegetation as well. Veiled chameleons still love to eat crickets & dubia roaches, however, so you can use them as a primary staple in the chameleon diet!

What can chameleons eat besides crickets?

A chameleon can eat crickets, worms, cockroaches.........Chameleons can eat:Crickets.Worms including: silkworms, calcium worms, earth worms, buffalo worms, morios, butter worms, meal worms, wax worms, bamboo worms and pachnoda grubs.Cockroaches.Locusts.Indian stick insects.More items...

Do chameleons like fruit?

Fruit for Your Chameleon Certain types of fruits can be a good supplement to a chameleon's diet. Choose fruits that are high in nutrients and that possess a high calcium to low phosphorus ratio. Some fruits in this category are apples, peaches, blueberries, prickly pear cactus, mango, melons, bananas and cantaloupe.

Do chameleons drink water?

Chameleons, like all living beings, need water to survive. They need lots of water and they need to be given it in different ways to how animals usually drink it. Chameleons drink water by licking droplets off leaves.

Can chameleons have cucumber?

Young chameleons eat fruit flies. The plant component can include various flowers, hibiscus, apples, grapes, strawberries, raspberries, tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers, carrots, etc.

What greens can I feed my chameleon?

What fruit and vegetables shall I feed my chameleon?Collards.Dandelion.Kale.Romaine Lettuce.Mustard Greens.Endive.

Can a chameleon eat lettuce?

Some chameleons will chow down on the plants in their tanks, especially hibiscus, ficus, and pothos. Other leafy greens they may enjoy include mustard greens, dandelion leaves, romaine lettuce, and kale.

Do chameleons eat everyday?

Baby chameleons can be fed every day. Chameleons up to three months old should be given as many small crickets as they can eat. Depending on the species, you can start feeding them every other day when your chameleon is between six and twelve months old.

How often should chameleons eat?

Adult chameleons need: Around five or six large adult insects every two or three days. Lightly dust insects with supplement at each feeding but don't worry if you miss supplementing for one or two feedings a week. Make sure you do supplement at least once a week though.

How often should I feed my chameleon?

Baby and juvenile veiled chameleons should be fed once or twice a day, with almost constant access to food. As they get older, you can feed them slightly less often. Adults can be fed every other day.

How many crickets should my chameleon eat a day?

Veiled and Panther Chameleons: Chameleons up to six months old should eat between ten and twelve crickets a day. Between six and twelve months, they should have ten to twelve crickets every other day. Adults over a year old should eat between seven and ten large crickets every other day.

How many mealworms should a chameleon eat?

Feed up to 3-4 more mealworms per chameleon and 2-3 calcium dusted crickets. If any mealworms remain from the previous feed, add only enough mealworms to make the total number of worms in the food dish equal to 3-4 mealworms per chameleon.

How long can chameleons go without eating?

Chameleons can go for about two weeks without eating and about one week without water. They don't eat all the time and will often go two to three days without food, but the longer they go without food, the more they will waste away until they are no longer able to survive.

What to feed a chameleon?

Dietary supplements are one of the pillars of a chameleon’s nutritional intake. Vitamin A, Vitamin D3, calcium and phosphorous are the most important of these supplementary nutrients.

What are some good foods for a chameleon?

Some of the best ingredients to gut-load you insects with are collard greens, turnip greens, mustard greens, dandelion leaves, papaya, and watercress. When you feed these healthy greens to your insects, the nutrition passes on to your chameleon when they feed on the insects. Supplementing your chameleon’s diet with certain vitamins is also ...

What is gut loading for chameleons?

This is referred to as gut-loading – essentially, you are plumping-up the insects with nutrients that will benefit your chameleon when they chow down.

What do chameleons eat?

Chameleons are omnivorous, surviving on a diet primarily consisting of insects and dark, leafy greens. Chameleons have dietary preferences just like people; cater to these preferences with reason—you should not sacrifice nutritional variety for the sake of appeasing your chameleon’s appetite.

How do chameleons drink water?

You won’t likely find a chameleon who drinks from a water dish. Chameleons rely almost entirely on plants for water by drinking droplets off the plants surface. Mist the enclosure’s plants with water four to five times daily to achieve the moisture level required to quench your chameleon’s thirst.

How to tell if a chameleon is healthy?

A: Behavioral patterns are some of the best ways to identify whether a chameleon is healthy. Your chameleon should be active and alert, and their body and tail should be sufficiently “filled out” proportionately to their length. Malnourished chameleons may become lethargic and expel mucous from their mouth and nose.

What are some staple insects for chameleons?

Having a go-to staple insect that you feed your chameleon regularly is important. Here are a few of the best insects to feed your chameleon: Crickets. Dubia Roaches.

What do chameleons eat?

Chameleons require a varied diet of crickets and other insects that have been gut loaded and dusted with vitamins. Give the chameleons living insects in their cage so that they can hunt them as they would in the wild. If your chameleon is having difficulty with this method, you can also feed them in a cup. Steps.

What is the process of feeding insects certain foods to boost their nutrition value to chameleons?

Gut load the insects. Gut loading is the process of feeding the insects certain foods to boost their nutrition value to chameleons. To properly gut load the food, you should feed them nutritious, high calcium foods a few hours before they are to be fed to the chameleon. Some good foods to use include:

How many crickets should a chameleon eat?

Most adult chameleons will eat between five and twelve crickets per feeding.

How long before feeding a chameleon should I gut load?

Remember that you will have to gut load the insects a few hours before you feed the chameleon. You may want to keep track of your feedings with a planner, calendar, or schedule. Check off dates that you fed the chameleon to make sure that they are fed the proper amount at the right times.

How often should I dust my chameleons?

Mature chameleons may only need their food dusted with calcium once a week. Chameleons are susceptible to Vitamin A deficiency. While gut loading insects with foods high in Vitamin A might be sufficient, you can also add a vitamin A supplement dust to the insects.

How to get a chameleon to drink water?

Mist the chameleon’s cage. Your chameleon will drink water off the plants and objects in their habitat. Using a spray bottle, mist the cage twice a day. You can also attach a dropper to the top of the cage, but you should make sure that the water falls onto plants in the cage so that your chameleon will know to drink it.

How many ounces of water should I use for a chameleon?

You may have success with an eight ounce cup. Some recommend that you use a cup as large as sixteen or twenty-four ounces.

What is the best food for a chameleon?

By providing a well balanced diet you help ensure that your reptile lives a long and healthy life. Insects. Various insects will be the primary food of a chameleon. Crickets and mealworms are readily available at pet stores and online and are relatively inexpensive.

How to water a chameleon?

A dripper slowly drips water onto leaves and other items where your chameleon can drink. If you want to hand water your pet, a spray bottle with fresh water will work. You can spray leaves and other items where your chameleon can drink the droplets.

Why do chameleons not eat?

Chameleons and other reptiles will often go through periods where they do not eat or eat very little. This is often due to changes in the weather and the season. If your pet looks healthy and is acting normally, there is usually nothing to worry about.

What to feed a dog that likes plants?

If your pet likes to eat plants, try offering collard, mustard, turnip & dandelion greens, kale, and romaine lettuce. Be sure to chop the food into bite size pieces for easy consumption. Reptile supplements help ensure your pet gets all the nutrients he needs.

Do chameleons drink water?

Water. Chameleons prefer to drink drops of water and do not really use a water bowl. A water mister on a timer works well supplying your pet with water. You have to make sure the mist is aimed at leaves and other items where it can form droplets your pet can drink. A dripper is another alternative for supplying water.

Do chameleons need gutloads?

You should gut-load all insects that are fed to your chameleon. Gut-loading is feeding the insects nutritious food which will then be passed to your pet when the insects are eaten. There are a variety of commercial gut-loads available that supply the necessary nutrients. Mice can be added to a larger chameleon’s diet.

Do chameleons eat plants?

Some of the larger ones also feed on small reptiles and mammals and other species, like the veiled chameleon, will even eat plant matter. You should provide your pet with food daily even if he doesn’t eat it. Chameleons and other reptiles will often go through periods where they do not eat or eat very little. ...

What do chameleons eat?

To keep your pet chameleon healthy and happy, it should be fed an healthy diet of proper chameleon food. A veiled chameleon mostly eats all kinds of insects. It will also eat fruits and vegetables. Because the food we give read more

What is gut loading for chameleons?

Gut loading means that you put healthy food inside the guts of feeder insects prior to feeding them to your pet chameleon. Anything that is in the gut of the feeder insects will automatically be eaten by your chameleon, as read more

How to get feeder insects?

There are three ways to obtain feeder insects: breeding them yourself, buying them or catching them from the wild. When you catch feeder insects in the wild, you can generally feed them to your chameleon right away as you will read more

Can you feed a chameleon calcium?

In the normal food you feed to pet chameleons, there is not enough calcium and usually also not enough vitamins. You can give your chameleon food supplements with these important nutrients to keep it happy and healthy. Extra calcium for read more

Do chameleons need water?

To drink enough water is crucial for a healthy chameleon. The hard part is that a veiled chameleon can survive pretty well and pretty long with to little drinking water, but will develop many chronic diseases like kidney problems and read more

What do chameleon feet eat?

They primarily eat insects, but some will eat vegetation and small invertebrates. Chameleon feet have three toes pointing in one direction and two that point the opposite way, which gives them a good grip on the tree branches they spend most of their time on. Many species also have prehensile tails. They have globular eyes that rotate like turrets ...

How to keep a chameleon from getting too humid?

Misting will also help keep the humidity levels up. With a drip system, excess water should be collected and removed to prevent the humidity from getting too high.

Why do chameleons change color?

Similar to anoles, chameleons change colors in response to excitement, stress, temperature, lighting conditions, the presence of another chameleon, and other influences. Generally, a dark brown to black chameleon is stressed, with the brighter colors reflecting a happier mood. Chameleons use their tongues to catch prey.

How big should a chameleon cage be?

For the larger chameleons a cage measuring 3 feet by 3 feet by 4 feet tall should be provided, but the more space the better.

How long should chameleons be exposed to UV light?

The UVB lights should be on for 10 hours a day. 1 

What color do chameleons get?

Young chameleons are usually a dull gray/brown color and can change shades a bit. At around five months of age, the adult color and the ability to change colors develop, and a range of colors including green, blue-green, turquoise, and black can be seen.

Why do chameleons drool?

They're also prone to mouth rot, or stomatitis, an infection around the mouth that shows redness and excess saliva or drooling .

Chameleon Facts

There are 171 separate species of chameleon ranging from the tiny leaf chameleon that only grows to half an inch, to the Parson’s chameleon which can reach a length of nearly 30 inches.

Are Chameleons Good Pets?

As fascinating as these lizards are, they do not necessarily make the best pets. Although some chameleons may learn to put up with being held, they do not truly enjoy it, and most of these lizards prefer to be left alone and not handled.

Where Can I Get a Pet Chameleon?

Chameleons are fairly common lizard pets and they can be found in reptile stores and on reptile websites.

How Much Does It Cost To Own a Pet Chameleon?

Initially, you will need to pay for the chameleon itself, with prices ranging from around $100 upwards. Some rarer breeds can cost several hundred dollars to purchase.

What Kind of Home Does My Pet Chameleon Need?

A terrarium should measure 3’ x 3’x 4’, at least, but there is no such thing as too large a home, at least as far as the chameleon is concerned.

What Should I Feed My Pet Chameleon?

In the wild, a chameleon would eat everything from worms to slugs and snails. In captivity, they will eat a combination of feeder insects as well as some fruit and vegetables. You will also need to provide supplementation to ensure that your lizard is getting all the vitamins and minerals that they need in their diet.

How Do I Take Care of My Pet Chameleon?

Chameleons are considered a tricky little lizard to look after, but if you’re willing to invest some money for the initial setup and time for the ongoing care and maintenance, they can make an excellent and very enjoyable pet. General care requires:

Chameleon Diet Overview

Insects, Insects, Insects

Greens and Veggies

Dietary Supplements

Feeding Mice to Chameleons – Yes Or No?

Keeping Your Chameleon Hydrated

Foods to Avoid

Quick Summary

Conclusion