If you have a chameleon As a pet, you must be careful enough with their diet, since the vast majority of health problems they may have are related to nutritional deficiencies. And not only of what it eats but also of what its prey have eaten until the moment of ingestion. At OneHowTo.com we tell you how to feed a chameleon, so that you do not run any risk with your health.
Steps to follow:
1
The chameleons eat mostly insects, although there are species that eat vegetables and some small invertebrates such as the medium-sized chameleon. What you should be very clear about is that the diet of a chameleon in captivity is based on dry insects that are usually sold packaged or even live, which are raised to serve as food for your chameleon in specialized sites. It is very important that you take your diet seriously, because the better and more varied it is, the healthier and stronger it will be.
2
Feeding a chameleon is not an easy task, and you will have to be patient and careful to look for it varied and quality food. It should take twice as much calcium as phosphorus, this will involve feeding its prey well for several days, and even sprinkling food supplements on them before you give them to your chameleon to eat.
You should also keep in mind that not all insects are good for a chameleon. You must choose insects with a high nutritional value such as: silkworms, locusts or grasshoppers, flies, crickets, cockroaches, among others … to feed them daily, and from time to time, give some as a reward – honey worms or from flour — which generally have more fat and chitin.
3
Although you try to give him a very balanced diet, to take good care of a chameleon in captivity, you will have to give him supplements to give him the vitamins, minerals that he lacks. There are many brands of products intended to complement the diet of your chameleon, of the best options, it is worth looking for a supplement with vitamins and calcium, since it is the most complete option.
These accessories They should be powdered rather than liquid since they are usually sprinkled on the prey. The amount and frequency will vary depending on your age or when you are. When they are under six months old, they are growing, whether they are females breeding or sick, you have to give them supplements every day with all the prey. Once they are older than 6 months, the dose is lowered to 3 or 4 times a week. When they are over a year old, a couple of times a week is enough; However, we recommend that you consult an exotic veterinarian to clarify all these doubts.
4
According to the amount of food that you will have to contribute to your chameleon, It will depend on the species and its age and it is important to know this to give it the ration of food it needs to stay strong and healthy.
- Dwarf chameleon: When it is newborn, you have to give it a large number of small insects appropriate to its size and do not offer it any treat such as the honey worm. When they are young and old, you should give him small insects in more regular amounts, from time to time you can give him a treat.
- Medium-sized chameleon: when it is newborn it is necessary to give 10 to 15 insects of average size appropriate to its size (small grasshoppers, micro-crickets, among others). It is also not advisable to give him any treat such as the honey worm. When they are young and old, you should give them about 5 or 6 medium insects and one day a week you should let them fast; You can also give it a couple of times a week, prizes like tenebrios.
- Large chameleon: When it is newborn, it is necessary to give 15 to 20 large insects appropriate to its size (small grasshoppers, aphids, among others). It is not convenient to give him any treats. When they are young and old, you should give about 15 to 20 medium or large insects. One day a week you should let them fast, and you can give them at most a couple of times a week, rewards such as tenebrios or zophobas.
5
Regarding the best way to feed your chameleon, the most appropriate option to save yourself problems is to use a plastic, ceramic or similar container that it has smooth walls and is deep, so that the bugs cannot escape by climbing and that is not transparent, because the chameleon may believe that it has to hunt them by hitting the feeder. If you are going to feed a flying insect, it is recommended to lull it a little by putting the prey in the freezer for a few seconds so that your pet can hunt it. The feeder must be put under the branch where it rests inside the terrarium so that it can hunt from above.
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