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Hi, i want to keep a Chamaeleo chamaeleon at home. But at winter the food will be a bit problem, is there any thing i can give instead of bugs/worms?

>>Hi, i want to keep a Chamaeleo chamaeleon at home. But at winter the food will be a bit problem, is there any thing i can give instead of bugs/worms?

Hi there,
If you are referring to the "mediterranean chameleon" or most any other chameleon, their primary diet consists of live insects. While some species of chameleon will also add plant matter to their diet (omnivore), these lizards are not herbifores like other lizard species.

There are numerous online "reptile feeder" stores, so you should be able to purchase the needed insects year-round. Are there no pet stores near you either? They usually carry a limited variety of feeders.
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Hi,
First thanx for the reply.
Then yes i want to keep Mediterrenean Chameleon because i live in Turkey. Here there are petshops but none of them sell chemeleon food (cricets, other bugs...). How many bugs should i give to chameleon? Also do u know anything aobut "Chamaeleo chamaeleon"? How big do they get or how big tank do they need?

Take Care
Selim/TURKEY

>>Hi,
>>First thanx for the reply.
>>Then yes i want to keep Mediterrenean Chameleon because i live in Turkey. Here there are petshops but none of them sell chemeleon food (cricets, other bugs...). How many bugs should i give to chameleon? Also do u know anything aobut "Chamaeleo chamaeleon"? How big do they get or how big tank do they need?
>>
>>Take Care
>>Selim/TURKEY

Hi Selim,

This link should be helpful with the general info about the "mediterranean chameleon":
Chamaeleo chamaeleo

About food, well, since they are a medium sized chameleon when grown (8-10" total length), I would imagine they would consume 4-10 insects every other day (depending upon the size of the insects, of course). If you get yours as a sub-adult, then it might be a bit more ravenous during growth spurts. Youngsters would need to be fed daily while maturing. Bugs could include crickets; spiders; beetles; grasshoppers; mealworms; hornworms; moths. Just stay away from anything that stings or bites - or is otherwise toxic.

An appropriate screened cage size would be 18"wide x 18"deep x 36"tall or larger. I wouldn't recommend a "tank" unless it had at least 3 sides of screen. Even a large bird cage would be better than a glass tank. I don't know what may be available in Turkey - but consider that circulation of air through the enclosure is important for good health.

Good luck, and keep us posted
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Will they be ok in a normal bird cage?

>>Will they be ok in a normal bird cage?

Actually, bird cages (large sizes) make almost ideal enclosures for some chameleons. If the bars are narrow enough not to allow escape - and you place a live plant inside, this can be a handy enclosure.

Bird cages have removable bottoms, and usually narrow bars. If you need to, you can use silk vines to decorate the inside and outside, providing more privacy for your cham.

Screen cages especially designed for chameleons are best - but we have seen some very creatively made enclosures that suited their occupants pefectly. The idea is to contain the animal while providing a mini-habitat to keep him/her comfy and happy.

Hope this helps,
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Hi reptayls,
Today i saw a chameleon at a petshop. They said he eats meat, thats what they give him. He was active and nice looking.

I have few more questions to you...

-Can i keep a chemeleon w/o a cage, i mean will he just stay on the tree which is in my room, or will he try to explore the room?

-Do they need heaters or just the room's heat will be enought (this chameleons come from Turkish forests and i live in Turkey too)

-Can i feed him w/ meat?

-Do they need lamps like iguanas needs (UVB) or is it enough to put his tree or cage near window?

Please write back soon cause i dont want him to stay at that petshop anymore

Take Care
Selim

Hi again Selim,

What kind of "meat" do they feed him?
I certainly know that some species are omnivorus (eating both meat, insects, vegetation), and according to Petre Necas' book, this species can be seen eating small lizards, baby birds, small frogs in the wild, but primarily exist on insects. I wouldn't feed him hamburger, of course!

Some keepers feed pinkie mice (just make sure they have no fur yet - as they have no means of digesting the fur). They are also said to enjoy veggies ( grapes, grated carrot, citrus, tomatoes).

This species is also said to drink from a water bowl!

Yes, you can keep him on a tree... you can provide rope for highways and give him a corner. Most of mine will explore (when I let them out of their cages). I find them in the bookcase, on top of the curtains, walking across the sofa, etc. No harm if you don't have other animals that can hurt the chameleon. This species will walk over ground too... so keep an eye on him.

You will need to provide UVB/UVA with a special light - as the sunlight coming through the window can't (they put stuff in the window glass to block it). Just be sure you don't situate the light where he can get too close to it and burn himself. Ouch!

Heaters... not unless your room gets below 50 degrees F. If it is comfortable for you (without a coat on), I believe the chameleon can handle it too. This species is claimed to be quite adaptable to different climes, and does not need the high humidity that other true chameleons need.

You might want to set up his "habitat" in your room before bringing him home. You wouldn't want to stress him even more by not having an area he can hide in while adjusting to his new home.

Good luck... and keep us posted.
Once you get the "habitat" done, post some pictures too!
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The meat is row, small peaces of cow or sheep meat... Will he be ok cuz i cant find him bugs in winter... Will meat be ok for him with this powders (for reptiles, contains vitamins and others) on it? I can just get bugs once a week maximum. But for summer, we have all kinds of bugs in our summer house's garden.

I m probobly buy him at the spring because i should first buy the things and research, i dont think so i can find one at winter so the best is to wait for spring

Take Care
Selim

>>The meat is row, small peaces of cow or sheep meat... Will he be ok cuz i cant find him bugs in winter... Will meat be ok for him with this powders (for reptiles, contains vitamins and others) on it? I can just get bugs once a week maximum. But for summer, we have all kinds of bugs in our summer house's garden.
>>

Selim,
Lamb is quite nutritious actually... so if they have been doing it and he healthy looking, perhaps it will be okay. I would imagine it is small bites...... careful of choking. Chams eat morsels that are "comfort sized" - no larger than the width of their head (between the eye turrets). If you keep the chunks small, it should be like eating a pinky mouse. Yes, you can powder the small pieces of meat. Not too much supplementation now - if he is adult sized.

Feed veggies too..... this will keep him even healthier over the winter when insects are scarce... a balanced diet.

In the spring, be careful not to spray the garden with fertilizers or pesticides, any chemicals. If a bug ingests that and you feed the bug to your chameleon... instant trouble, perhaps even death. Use caution.....

Take good care,
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Hi reptayls
Today i again went to see that chameleon and I BOUGHT IT. I dont think i have enough knowladge or equipmant to keep chameleon but why i bought him is not to have a pet to rescue him cuz if i wouldnt buy it he was gonna die there... I wish i can rescue him...
I can buy the light few days later, i m gonna try to collect some bugs now and then i will buy a cage for him. I will also buy a tree... Now he is standing on a wood in my room, dont know if i did the right thing by buying him but i m sure he was gonna die if he was still staying there.
Now whats emergancy to buy and what is not really important?

The most important thing to a chameleon is food and water, so if he is being fed, and he has access to water (be sure you see him drinking), then the light can wait a few days.

He needs a place to perch... so if you cannot afford the tree yet - at least fix some rope high in a corner of the room, for him to climb up and feel safe.

Most chameleons like foliage to hide in, so the tree or some vines should next on your list. Most folks water their chameleons by dripping water over the leaves - but this chamelon is said to drink standing water (a shallow bowl).

Read all that you can on this species... did you go to the link we posted for you? If there is a library near you - check out the book "Chameleons - Nature's Hidden Jewels" by Petr Necas. He has a small chapter on the mediterranean chameleon.

Best of luck.....
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Reptayls, can i give hermit crab to my chameleon? Is it harmful? Sure w/o crabs shell? It is much more easier to find hermit crabs then the bugs here

Reptayls, also when i touch his body i can feel his bones
I put some little pieces of meat but he isnt eating... can he be starving? Also he was moving very much when i first brought him home but now he isnt moving very much he is all same for hours, is this normal. I think his energy is over, he dont have any place to take energy from...

Yesterday i gave him some water by dropping it on his nose then the water came to his mouth and then he drunk it! But didnt eat anything yet

>>Reptayls, can i give hermit crab to my chameleon? Is it harmful? Sure w/o crabs shell? It is much more easier to find hermit crabs then the bugs here

Heck... if he will eat it, why not? It is probably better than cow - at least. Try it... although most chameleons want their food moving - you said they fed him meat.. so try it.

Let us know what happens
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>>Reptayls, can i give hermit crab to my chameleon? Is it harmful? Sure w/o crabs shell? It is much more easier to find hermit crabs then the bugs here

Heck, I don't see why not.
If they were feeding him meat - he may eat the crabs (w/o shells)

Let us know what happens.
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Reptaysl,
I have a food for reptiles, it is a stick food and sure my chameleon doesnt eat but as the last chance i opened his mouth gently a little bit and put it in his mouth. I also put a dead fly and he ate both of them but still not taking the food...

There really isn't a food for chameleons as yet, other than live insects, the occasional veggie, etc. The chameleon wants live prey - their hunting instinct is what keeps them alive in the wild.

What is this "stick food"..??

Can you collect moths at night??
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