Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am away from home, and was supposed to be returning on Sunday or today...now I will not be able to return until Wednesday or Thursday of this week.
As you all know Zoe relies on me to feed him through a syringe.
I have arranged for someone to go in and give him water, through his dripper system, and to mist him...but no one I know is willing to actually handle him to feed him.
He has gotten rather pissy over the last couple months and hisses and lunges at everyone but me!!! Even my daughter, who used to walk around with him on her head, is now afraid of him.
Anyway...I gave him a big feed on Friday before we left, and as always I provided him with a bowl full of about 20 crickets that had been well fed prior to putting them into his cage.
Do you think he'll be okay as long as he has water and is misted until I get home??????
I'm hoping that if he gets hungry enough that the might eat some of the crickets...although I know that is not very likely....but MAYBE.
Oh mannnnnn...I'm sooooo worried...but there is no way I can get home until at least Wednesday.
That will be 5 or 6 days that he will potentially go without food.
He'll be okay...RIGHT??????????

thanks everyone!!!
-----
Kim

As long as he was healthy, definatly. From the last pics I've seen of him, you shouldn't worry.
I myself am amazed at how most people pamper their veilds.
Every one I've seen locally(except the few breeders) is grossly overweight. Fat bulging out from all over, etc. They are a lot more durable than most people seem to understand. As a matter of fact, they are designed to live in sucha variable habitat, they are better off if they aren't so pampered.

I used to breed these guys when NOTHING was known about them, and I came to realize a few things-it's really, REALLY hard to kill them. The way the survive MBD is an example.
I used to feed my adults insects twice a week. Never had huge clutches, nutritional problems, etc. I had almost 100% hatch rates. They are eaiser to over feed than under feed. One of my males lived outdoors in a screen cage(no outside insects to eat) for an entire summer. He ate insects once or twice a week, and ate hibiscus every day. He drank dew off the leaves, and I sprayed him when it got in the high 90's. He was never more happy, never had better weight, and never looked better.

When I go away for more than 3 days, I feed my animals about 50% more thanusual for 2-3 days, make sure they're totally hydrated, fill up the humidifier, fill a few bowls with superworms, and put a water bowel with an airator in each cage--just in case. I have never had a chameleon lose any noticable weight or die while I was gone.

I have left my animals for 10 days just like that, having my brother check up on them once, to spray them down.

It's a different story with small animals, however...

I wouldn't worry, Zoe was nice and healthy, so he should be fine with no food.

By the way, one of my veilds, that my brother was "Watching" while I was at school went almost 3 months with no Food or water. THREE MONTHS! He was fine, and showed only slight weight loss. My brother on the other hand was in very bad shape...

Hi Eric,

You said that the story was different for "small" animals. Did you mean young chameleons? Or chameleons of a smaller variety? Do have any experience with panthers or jacksons? How long have you heard and/or personally experience not feeding these chameleons for. The longest my panthers have gone without feeding is 3 days. That is the longest i dare to let the chams go without food. Don't get me wrong, its not a regular practrice of mine, its just once. But i have to admit, i was always tempted to experiment with longer days, since i heard that there are panthers left for 4-5 days without feeding. Eric, from your opinion, is it safe to leave panthers and jacksons for 5 days without food or water?

We had a panther, although we never left him alone without food for much time. My friend had some jacksonii for a while, and I know they went at least a week on one occation, but I also know they were watered during the time.

Veilds are able to deal with drought better than most animals, they can also deal with exttreme heat, cold, lack of food, and variations in climate.

Smaller animals, especially younger ones, but also smaller species, have less body mass, and therefore less reserves. They cannot go as long without food.

If at all possible, have someone feed and water your animals at least once while your gone for a week or more. If, by some way, it is impossible to have someone care for your animals, feed them and water them well for several days, then they will be fine.

My Standing's day geckos have gone through some really tough times. My brother had lost one, a female for about 6 months. turns out she was in an old tank, under the newspaper, no food, no water, for 6 months during the winter. She had not lonst much weight when we found her, and she produced a bunch of babies that year. We've had her for over 10 years, and she was fully grown when we bought her. She's still going strong, and she has producedseveral clutches every year, since we have had a male.

Reptiles are not like mammals. While it will kill a small mammal if they don't eat every day, a reptile can go days with no adverse effects.

However, this DOES stress the animals system, the degree to which it does varies on the species, the size, and health of the animal. An adult veild is absolutly fine after a week of no food or water(provided it isn't TOO hot and DRY).

I know for a fact that deremensis can go without food as long as they have water...My male didn't eat for 2 months after he matured--drove me nuts.
He did die, but that was over a year later, and he was eating at the time.

This is what I do when I go away:
I feed and water a little more than usual for the prior week. I refill my humidifier, and set it on low, so that it lasts all week on the timer. I fill a bowl or two per cage with superworms and a carrot. Superworms last for weeks in a bowl, the carrot stops cannabilism.
I fill a small bowl with water, set it in the branches, stick a few plastic plants in it,and stick an air hose in. The veilds will usually drink from the standing water, but most of the other ones don't, hence the air pump.

I would be more careful with smaller species, and young. IF you have babies, try to pay off a friend.

Thanks for your elaborate response buddy!