Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a baby panther chameleon. He is small from head to beginning of tail he is about 3 ½ inches. I got him shipped from Vegas he came on new Dec 31. He was doing fine and still seems to be doing fin except for the fact the he is not eating I am feeding him ¼ in crickets. I tried to feed him fruit flies when I first got him (didn’t touch them). He finally ate two the next day. Same thing with the next day. Than I dusted the crickets with a supplement I use for my adult panther and he only eat on. That’s the last time he ate. Am I worried over nothing or is their something wrong with him.

My cage setup
I have him a 7gallon shoe box with plastic plants and care fresh beading. The Tep is about 80 during the day and about 72 to 75. His basking spot is a steady 90. Have a UV bulb. And mist him at least twice a day. Pleases help.

I had the same problem awhile ago. First I would advise removing the plastic plants, it isn't well publicised , ( and most babies don't eat it anyway) but all of my chameleons eat a substantial amount of vegetation and plastic plants can obviously cause impaction. Also chameleons need fresh air circulation so a converted rubbermaid probably doesn't provide substantial air flow also if you mist that the humidity will remain in the cage for a long time possibly causing humidity to raise to high and cause a respiratory ailment ( and be sure to mist before the afternoon because leaving in water breeds bacteria ). You didn't mention if the lizard free ranges or dish feeds so I would advise you to allow the lizard to free range babies usually won't adjust to a feeding schedule. Check to make sure he/she is producing stools regularly to be sure there isn't already an impaction. Hope I said something that'll help

First, stick with what was working. Switch back to fruit flies until he gets just a little older. Simply adjust how many you feed to how many he will eat, and he will NOT go hungry.

Definitely remove the bedding. It can cause digestive tract blockages and/or constipation if ingested by your young chameleon. A bare bottom OR paper towel on bottom of cage is best.

Be sure that your young chameleon is getting PLENTY of water. HYDRATION is essential to chameleon husbandry. It will help him poop. MORE WATER INTAKE = NATURAL ENEMA...that simple. Also, try misting him and his enclosure twice a day. You will probably witness him pooping after a good misting. Keep a close watch.

By using an IV drip bag (available at local medical supply stores) set up a constant drip onto a leaf. Drill a small hole at one end of your cage, and elevate the opposite end to drain. Use another plastic container of equal size to the drip bag to collect the water run off.

Your setup is fine for a young chameleon. Just remember to upsize as he grows, and you will both do just fine. Good Luck!

i tried to feed him fruit flies but he never eat them. the only thing i saw him eat was crickets.

Check with the breeder...what temps, humidity, type of enclosure, and food was he used to before he was shipped? Is the temp in the box dropping at night? No lights or heat at night right? He may be stressed from all the changes he's been through and preoccupied. If you have too many feeders loose in the box at once he may just stare at them rather than pick one to shoot at. Little chams can get overwhelmed by too many moving things to watch. Give him a stable routine, privacy, live plants to give him security, air flow, and don't pester him too much.

I posted a pic of my panther when he was little below.Its from about 9 months ago. Plastic plants are okay when they are young, young dont tend to eat vegetation at all. I think you might want to go a little bigger on the cage, perhaps a 10 gallon for a hatchling. Make sure your not putting too many crickets in at one time. I used to put 5 or 6, then sit back and hide from the tank so the chameleon couldnt see me to see if he is eating. Usually my chameleons likes to eat in the morning after a good misting first. Here is the old setup I had and below that is a pic of my chameleon now