Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi everybody,
I think Lenny might be eating but im not sure. Is there a way i could teach him to take food from my hand? Can he eat mealworms yet? Can he eat Veggies yet? he is about 5-6 inches long. He's dronking well and loves his basking branch.He took one cricket out of my hand since i brought him hmoe 3 days ago. I'ts frustrating because i have 3 bearded dragons and i hand feed them with ease. thanks in advance 4 yur advice.

Keep doing whatever it was you did that one time. My male veiled gets scared/angry if I move quickly with my hands close to him, so remember to be slow. Grab a cricket (for example) by the hind leg with two fingers and poke it with another on the same hand so it moves (if it's moving already, then you're in luck!).
Usually the best place to hold an insect, if the cham is up high, is a little bit lower than body height, and a little bit in front of them. This is from the side and the front. THe side is good because that's the best place to approach a cham (so i'm told) and the front is good because he will see the insect and not have to put as much effort into moving to the insect. The easier it is for him, the more likely he will eat from your hand.

First, don't plan on feeding him many mealworms. They are rather hard to digest. Crix and other softerbodied insects are much better. You've only had him 3 days, so don't expect him to take food from you. Chams are not beardies! Their personality is totally different. They are much shyer and less social. The best way to know if he's eating is to either confine his food to some type of a feeding bowl so you can keep track of how much he eats per day and to weigh him on a schedule. There are lots of tips and tricks to feeding chams on http://www.chameleonnews.com