Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi Sonia,
just wondering if you ever had a problem with Stitch being "needy"? What I mean is, in the last few days, when I get home from work, he will tear through his cage to get to whatever side I'm on. At first I thought he was hungry, but he still had food in his cups. His cage is still normal, although I moved it to my office until I can get the ants all gone, but I was letting him free range a few night ago and He was chilling by the basking lamp, but when I walked in he literally ran across the tops of the plants to where I was, I stick my hand out to see if he would climb on, he did and was very content sitting on my head. Then tuesday morning I was going through my usually routine feeding and changing water, and he literally hung updside down on his cage top and was trying to "reach" for me. So again I put my hand out and he climbed right up and assumed his position on my head. Well last night, same thing, as soon as I got home he freaked out in his cage and wanted out so I let out and he stayed on my arm while I cleaned out the bottom of the cages. He closes his eyes if I move to fast, but other than that he will just hang out. His is still in perfect health and has gain 7 grams since I got him. He eats about 3-2 crickets(sometimes), 7-10 king worms and about 7-10 wax worms everyday. Poop is normal and all. I was wondering if he can sense that Chloe is in distress (waiting to lay her eggs) or if has seperation anxiety?? I'm not complaining at all, I think it's cool, I just know that kind of behavior is not "normal". What do you think??
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Feenie

1.1 vieled cham.- Stitch and Chloe
2.2 Canines Junior-pitbull chiuahuah mix, Jose- chiuahuah, Pearl- Staffie, and Daisy- Red nose Pit- foster child
1.0 boyfriend- Trent species unknown

Hi - that is sort of weird, especially since he was such a devil when I met him last year! lol!

I did want to comment on the feeding. Waxworms everyday is not a good idea because of their high fat content and should be more of a treat. When you say kingworms are they large mealies or superworms? Superworms (zophobas) are high in fat, too. Be careful about the giant mealworms b/c they are given a growth hormone.

here are two sites with nutritional and GH info
this has a bug nutrition chart:
www.chameleonnews.com/year2002/sept2002/nutrition/nutrition_sept_02.html

read second paragraph: www.nyworms.com/mealworms.htm

Sonia said that Stitch holds his mouth open a little bit like Luna does - would love to see a pic! I will dig up the one of him trying to bite Sonia!!
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0.1 veiled - Luna
0.2 felines - Kyndra and Líta
1.0 African Clawed Frog - Skipper
0.5 Mad. Hissers
0.1 Chilean Rose Hair Tarantula (no name yet)
?.? Goliath Bird-Eater Tarantula (no name yet)

Hi Lele,
he is sooo not a devil anymore :0). He does eat Superworms, my typo. and the waxworms I give to him becuase he was given parasite meds and had the poops, so as a precaution my vet suggested we put him on them until we cleared all the meds, which he took his last dose on monday, so I'll probably keep him on the wax worms for a few more days. I do mix it up his diet with silkies and horn worms( which are totally cool to watch him eat because juice goes squishing out everywhere when he bites them) so I'm not concerned about his diet at all, just his wierd clingy attitude lately He does have a little underbite that makes it look like he is smiling. I want to get a video camera and tape him crawling on my arm and hanging out on my head in case it doesn't last! As soon as I get pics I'll post them for you. Sonia sent me a baby picture of him too
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Feenie

1.1 vieled cham.- Stitch and Chloe
2.2 Canines Junior-pitbull chiuahuah mix, Jose- chiuahuah, Pearl- Staffie, and Daisy- Red nose Pit- foster child
1.0 boyfriend- Trent species unknown

Interesting about the waxworms - what is the connection to poops and meds??

I know everyone loves to feed the hornworms to their chams for the reason you mentioned. I can't bring myself to do it since they are the species that got me into rearing Lepidoptera 6 years ago (not as feeders!). I had a hard time feeding silkies (which are direct cousins to the wild silks that I raise: polyphemus, luna, cecropia, etc.) for the same reason, but finally gave in for the high calcium.

I know, I'm weird - everyone here knows that!
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0.1 veiled - Luna
0.2 felines - Kyndra and Líta
1.0 African Clawed Frog - Skipper
0.5 Mad. Hissers
0.1 Chilean Rose Hair Tarantula (no name yet)
?.? Goliath Bird-Eater Tarantula (no name yet)

I wish my cham would have went apecrap everytime he saw me. I see it as either your cham loves you to absolute death or he's had a stroke and thinks you're a huge superworm! O_o lol, but seriously.. doesn't seem like any harm is being done so post some pics or video or something! i'd love to see it
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1.0 Savannah Monitor - Artimus
2.0 Emerald Swift - Jesus, unnamed
1.0 Baby veiled Cham - Sir August De Winter 1-20-05 RIP
1.0 Green Iguana - King Arthur
1.0 Rose-hair tarantula - Bill
1.0 Basilisk - Adam
0.1 Water Dragon - Lady

That's what I mean!! It is so weird!! I mean Chloe could care less if I'm in the room. And doesn't react either way. The first time he did it, I thought he was coming at me to bite me! He had the runs so I figured he was not feeling well so I left the room. The second day he came at me I though oh well there's a first time for everything! But he just crawled on my hand and almost made me cry when he used my ear as a steping post!! My vet has had and bred chams for about 15 years and she said he must think of me as a safety net, and where he feels secure. She has seen that before but only in babies who had been hand feed. I do feed him crickets by hand every so often,and I talk to him and Chloe in the morning and they both just kind of look at me, but Stitch will watch my mouth move and try to crawl on my face. I'm guess I'm just worried he might have other motives, like to take a crap on me! You know his way of saying, stop talking crap lady! He has been know to be a terror!
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Feenie

1.1 vieled cham.- Stitch and Chloe
2.2 Canines Junior-pitbull chiuahuah mix, Jose- chiuahuah, Pearl- Staffie, and Daisy- Red nose Pit- foster child
1.0 boyfriend- Trent species unknown

After the fruit fly stage I cup fed the tiny cricket stage but once he got to the 1/2 inch cricket stage I used to give them about half their food buy hand and the rest in cups.
I also took each one out daily and I watched them constantly. (you know first clutch syndrome)
They got used to constant handling. then they went through a teen age mean as heck stage! Most of them do that. Then as adults they mellow and go back to allowing lots of handling. Well most of them do. Stitch and Ohana got extra mean and nasty. That is why I did not sell them. I always get the nasty buggers because they don't make great pets or are misunderstood. Stich outgrew the nasty phase and since I am over crowded I decided to sell him to the right owner. (which I obviously found!) Ohana has never outgrown the phase but she never tamed down in the first place so I let her be. I find more of the females are like that. Maybe because they have to run from those big bruiser males in the wild. Stitch has figured out that you let him out of his cage and he has always liked to perch up high and see the sights. he likes the tops of heads (always has) He is doing fine! I would not worry about it he is just being "Stitch". Glad you liked the baby photo. He was the first to color up!
I am now "hand feeding the little panthers" They seem a bit more timid than the baby Veilds though. Only a few are starting to hand feed.

That is so cool! He did it again last night and this morning, so I'm going to buy a taller tree this weekend if I can find one for him. He does like to sight see!! I'm afraid he'll fall off my head when I move around!! But I think it's so Cool!! I was afraid it was a phase he was going through and he would soon stop, but I kinda doubt it know!! Thanks Sonia for raising an awesome boy!! I lucked out big time!!
p.s. the babies are sooooo cute!
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Feenie

1.1 vieled cham.- Stitch and Chloe
2.2 Canines Junior-pitbull chiuahuah mix, Jose- chiuahuah, Pearl- Staffie, and Daisy- Red nose Pit- foster child
1.0 boyfriend- Trent species unknown

I have a hard time thinking that he's being "needy" in the social sense. It could be something as subtle as not liking his cage where it is right now. Getting out and climbing up onto you may be preferable to the cage itself. It's not YOU he wants, it is the chance to climb somewhere else than his cage. Is your head higher than his favorite perch in the cage? I know it is easy to think our chams like us, but often we mistake their behavior because we would really like our chams to appreciate us!

Hey don't burst my bubble! My baby needs me! lol. No I do think he just likes the sights from up there!
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Feenie

1.1 vieled cham.- Stitch and Chloe
2.2 Canines Junior-pitbull chiuahuah mix, Jose- chiuahuah, Pearl- Staffie, and Daisy- Red nose Pit- foster child
1.0 boyfriend- Trent species unknown

hehe, yeah! don't do that! -laughs-

Your guy reminds me of my fischers male. He would climb onto my arm and be on my head just lookin around with his tail around my glasses. Sometimes i would take him for joyrides in the car to friends houses and I was afraid he would get stressed or something, but he enjoyed the crap out of it! Sadly I lost him last month, but i try to only remember the good memories. I hope you and your little guy have fun!
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1.0 Savannah Monitor - Artimus
2.0 Emerald Swift - Jesus, unnamed
1.0 Baby veiled Cham - Sir August De Winter 1-20-05 RIP
1.0 Green Iguana - King Arthur
1.0 Rose-hair tarantula - Bill
1.0 Basilisk - Adam
0.1 Water Dragon - Lady