How to Feed Chameleons

How to Feed Chameleons. Chameleons are known for their ability to change colors and for having eyes that can move independently from each other. They have a lot of characteristics that pet owners look for, including striking color patterns and a long life span. Chameleons can live for nine or 10 years if you take care of them properly, which means you have to feed them properly.

Things Needed

• Crickets
• Cricket cage
• Vegetables
• Other insects
• Feeding cup

Step 1

Purchase insects that are safe to feed to chameleons. Safe insects include crickets, wax worms, meal worms, tropical cockroaches, fruit flies, house flies and silk worms. All can be purchased online or at a pet store. Crickets should make up the majority of a chameleon’s diet, but variety will keep the lizard happy and eating properly. Avoid insects caught from outdoors because they can be covered in pesticides. Some types of spiders and ladybugs are poisonous to chameleons, so avoid capturing insects around the house and feeding them to your lizard, as well.

Step 2

Gut load crickets for at least 24 hours before feeding them to a chameleon. Gut loading is the process of making crickets eat nutritious food so that the crickets themselves become a healthy food source. Keep the crickets in a separate cage and feed greens, lettuce, broccoli, carrots and other nutritious foods to them.

Step 3

Create a food cup for feeding purposes. Cut the bottom off of a 16-24 oz. plastic cup. Punch two holes in the side of it, and tie the cup to some branches in the cage using a twisty tie. Make sure your chameleons can easily reach it. Make sure the cup is clean when new food items are put into it, and make sure any uneaten bugs are removed every other day to avoid making the lizards sick.

Step 4

Drop live crickets into the chameleon’s enclosure to let them hunt. Instead of feeding off of dead crickets in a cup, this will allow them to chase their prey and eat them like they would in the wild. It also increases activity and exercise levels of captive lizards.

Step 5

Monitor your chameleon’s eating habits to make sure they are getting enough food. Chameleons will eat different amounts, depending on their age. Hatchling and juvenile lizards will eat on a daily basis while adult lizards might eat every couple of days. Knowing how much they eat will help determine the amount of food they need and will avoid wasting insects.

References

• The Chameleon Enthusiast: What to Feed your Chameleon
• San Diego Zoo; Reptiles: Chameleons; 2011