Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i have been looking for a care sheet but all i can come up with is locale info,temps and a VERY general supplement schedule(give them "this" once a month or "that" twice a month". i realize a supplement schedule is a touchy subject and is done depending on the chameleons needs. but the one thing lacking on every care sheet(except one breeder, but i don't need the caresheet they offer)is how many insects(crickets in my case)to feed at a time. if you have a smaller species of chameleon i wouldn't think you would feed them the same as a larger species. any thought about this?

dennis

Dennis,

In our care sheets (3 pages for each species), we have tried to address most FAQ as well as some obscure tips. We usually don't advise as to how many "insects" to offer per feeding - but usually give the buyers this type of info in conversations.

I think the reason this isn't commonly addressed in most care sheets is because of the variables with each individual animal. You can have 20 chams from the same clutch - the same age - and they will each have different food consumptions.

Perhaps this information could be generalized - will have to give it some thought.

Thanks for the "heads up"
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Its a tricky question so I try to handle it by describing what a well fed cham should look like instead. Such as describing the body/tail fat and muscling. My chams all eat so differently and in different seasons I could never come up with an average.

We agree...... tricky indeed.
Good idea - describing what a well fed cham should look like. Maybe we could add that to our care sheets.
Maybe even pictures!

Things to think about.
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what i mean is if the sheets are generalized anyway why isn't there something like "feed babies no less then this but no more then this". the same for juveniles and adults. afterall they are already being fed by someone before they are purchased, so how many "crickets" are being given at a time. even giving a range is better then just saying vary their diet.

dennis

Dennis,

That would mean giving info specific for the animal they purchase - as they all eat differently. This would be a hand-written note added to the care sheet.

I understand what you are getting at though... there can be improvements to these care sheets - for sure. I guess I will take a closer lok at ours to see how we can improve them for the "average" buyer.

Thanks for the suggestions,
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it wouldn't be specific to THAT particular animal. i can't see a breeder with 20 chameleons feeding each chameleon in an age group 20 different amounts of crickets. i'm sure it would more like a range( example: no less then 7 but no more then 12)you would shoot for. thats range in that age group should be added to a care sheet. it is the most basic of care. with supplementation at least a the buyer gets give calcium at least "X" times a week and vitimins give "X". that's more then is presently given with most care sheets when it comes to food. it just has to be generalized enough to cover all chameleons in a specific species, no specail note needed.

dennis